# Fictional things/products that became real **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [June 22, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108 "2026-06-22T18:10:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/121 "2026-10-21T00:54:35Z")
Does the Star Trek “Infinite Diversity, Infinite Combinations” award presented to Spock count? Gene Roddenberry created it and put it into a script so he could turn around and merchandise it, and sure enough,[it](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTIaOUwq_It9BVfDEtNyldbDEomUGpRBafNSsyIIUkdDw&s=10) [exists](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRSNsDvVkiRKrJPt6VMw2KUYUuNES1V__N9UHEjCxFXbQ&s=10) [now.](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRSmQzdOXE9whqguHp4ROcc_WeNyjvrgLiX8mF-95AlBw&s=10) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/122 "2026-10-21T03:03:28Z")
Here’s an advert that once saturated the commercial TV stations in the UK. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CeicexenTmU/hqdefault.jpg "Fly Fishing by J R Hartley - Classic Yellow Pages TV advert") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeicexenTmU) Then someone actually wrote the book. > **[Fly Fishing: Memories of Angling Days](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_Fishing:_Memories_of_Angling_Days)** > > Fly Fishing: Memories of Angling Days, also published as Fly Fishing by J. R. Hartley, is a fishing book by British angling author Michael Russell under the pseudonym of J. R. Hartley. It was published by Stanley Paul in 1991 and was intended to capitalise on the popularity of the J. R. Hartley fictional character. In 1983, Yellow Pages in the United Kingdom ran a television advert featuring an elderly gentleman visiting bookshops looking for a copy of a book called Fly Fishing by J. R. Hartley.... ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/123 "2026-10-21T03:07:57Z")
I think the failed toy “Flubber” came from the films _The Absent-Minded Professo_r and _Flubber_. > **[The Fatal Flubber Fiasco of ’63](https://progresscityusa.com/2011/09/06/the-fatal-flubber-fiasco-of-63/)** > > As Ned Brainard sang in his hit pop standard The Flubber Song, “Flubber – it’s a boon to man.” Or was it? Walt Disney was no stranger to promotional tie-in merchandise, going back all the way to hi… ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/124 "2026-10-21T03:30:54Z")
What about the remote manipulation device from his short story “Waldo and Magic, Inc.”? In real life they became known as “waldos”. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/125 "2026-10-21T04:25:01Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > > [@WildaBeast](#): > > > > In Gene Shepherd’s stories > > Nitpick: Jean, not Gene. IIRC, he was named after his father, whose heritage was French. In _A Christmas Story_, the bit about Randy getting a bunny suit from an aunt who believes he’s a girl is a call back to Jean’s actual experience of relatives confused by his name. The reference to Jean Shepherd several months ago should have reminded me of this other episode from Shepherd’s life which is sort of appropriate to the thread. > [Shepherd’s] most famous[[20]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Shepherd#cite_note-nobook-20) stunt was a hoax he created about a nonexistent book, _[I, Libertine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Libertine "I, Libertine")_, by a fake author “Frederick R. Ewing”, in 1956. During a discussion on how easy it was to manipulate the best-seller lists based on demand, as well as sales, Shepherd suggested that his listeners visit bookstores and ask for a copy of _I, Libertine_, which led to booksellers attempting to order the book from their distributors.[_[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed "Wikipedia:Citation needed")_] Fans of the show planted references to the book and author so widely that demand for the book led to claims of it being on _[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Best_Seller_list "The New York Times Best Seller list")_[Best Seller list](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Best_Seller_list "The New York Times Best Seller list").[[21]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Shepherd#cite_note-21) Filling the demand, [Theodore Sturgeon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Sturgeon "Theodore Sturgeon") and [Betty Ballantine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Ballantine "Betty Ballantine") wrote the long-awaited book to Shepherd’s outline, with a cover designed by illustrator [Frank Kelly Freas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Freas "Frank Freas"), published by [Ballantine Books](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballantine_Books "Ballantine Books").[[22]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Shepherd#cite_note-22) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Shepherd) So not a fictional thing that became real, but a non-existent work of fiction that became real. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/126 "2026-10-21T04:37:30Z")
> [@motu](#): > > based on Fallout 3. Actually, Fallout New Vegas. Nuka Cola was the Fallout 3/Fallout 4 beverage, and those are also available as real-world Jones Soda interpretations of the in-game articles. [![](https://instagram.frst1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t51.82787-15/791334040_18036909380834791_5935853372997382222_n.webp?_nc_cat=100&_nc_map=urlgen_bucketless&ig_cache_key=Mzk3NTUxNzc2MzgzNjI1MDUzMA%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkZFRUQueHBpZHMuMTQ0MC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=NEogPLqTyuYQ7kNvwE493LW&_nc_oc=AdrttZP_bYPWCFIr6wWM5ioy23Hoyb9ZCKntGC6eEPjajCOnyv_qgJ1JS47gzUDz-Pc&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=instagram.frst1-1.fna&_nc_gid=zKGXVDVCZOfguomgf9jEug&_nc_ss=7ba8c&oh=00_AQOW8FoF1WVvOE8cob9iD6yXmVM03PK3FNsL0v14p4FbQQ&oe=6ADE0818) ](https://instagram.frst1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t51.82787-15/791334040_18036909380834791_5935853372997382222_n.webp?_nc_cat=100&_nc_map=urlgen_bucketless&ig_cache_key=Mzk3NTUxNzc2MzgzNjI1MDUzMA%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkZFRUQueHBpZHMuMTQ0MC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=NEogPLqTyuYQ7kNvwE493LW&_nc_oc=AdrttZP_bYPWCFIr6wWM5ioy23Hoyb9ZCKntGC6eEPjajCOnyv_qgJ1JS47gzUDz-Pc&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=instagram.frst1-1.fna&_nc_gid=zKGXVDVCZOfguomgf9jEug&_nc_ss=7ba8c&oh=00_AQOW8FoF1WVvOE8cob9iD6yXmVM03PK3FNsL0v14p4FbQQ&oe=6ADE0818) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/127 "2026-10-21T04:47:02Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I thought he already had the band, and they were just doing the music used within the show, then chose to actually go on tour, release albums, etc… due to the popularity of the show. For the first season, and the debut album that was compiled from the music in it, the band was just Brendan Small singing and playing all the instruments except the drums, which were played by Gene Hoglan. He didn’t recruit a full band until they started touring. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/128 "2026-10-21T04:52:28Z")
Thought of another example of books that started as fictional plot points and then became actual published works; Richard Castle’s mystery novels from the tv series _Castle_. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/129 "2026-10-21T04:54:05Z")
One of my favorite early websites, still going strong, recreates the essence of a short story by Jorge Luis Borges. > **[Library of Babel](https://libraryofbabel.info/)** > > A project towards a universal library. By this art you may contemplate the variation of the 23 letters. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/130 "2026-10-21T14:27:21Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What about the remote manipulation device from his short story “Waldo and Magic, Inc.”? Nitpick: the story was just named “Waldo”. “Waldo & Magic, Inc.” was the name of a book containing two unrelated stories, “Waldo” and “Magic, Inc”. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/131 "2026-10-21T14:42:04Z")
Thank you for the correction. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/132 "2026-10-21T15:39:10Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What about the remote manipulation device from his short story “Waldo and Magic, Inc.”? Interesting thing about calling micromanipulators “waldoes” – science fiction authors do it (Heinlein used the term in an unrelated story, and I know Arthur C. Clarke has used it), but it apparently is not as widely-used a term as people think. A lot of people who worked in handling radioactive and hazardous material with such devices had never heard the term before. Looking it up on Google, the Google AI contributed this: **Current Popularity and Usage Landscape** | **Context** | **Popularity & Adoption Level** | **How it is Used** | | --- | --- | --- | | **Academic & Industry** | **Low (Informal Only)** | Avoided in official research papers and product catalogs in favor of precise terms like _micromanipulator_, _teleoperator_, or _telerobotic arm_. | | **Open-Source Labware** | **Moderate to High** | Frequently used as a playful or nostalgic shorthand by makers and researchers building budget, 3D-printable laboratory equipment (e.g., “3D Printed Waldoes”). | | **Pop Culture & Sci-Fi** | **Very High** | Deeply embedded in science fiction literature (e.g., William Gibson’s cyberpunk novels) and comic books (e.g., Spider-Man’s robotic “Iron Spider” arms). | | **Puppetry & Effects** | **High (Trademarked)** | Widely used in the animatronics industry. The special effects company _The Character Shop_ holds the official commercial trademark for “Waldo” regarding data-capture puppet input devices. | ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/133 "2026-10-21T23:23:28Z")
What about the Taser being loosely modelled on Tom A Swift’s Electric Rifle? Does that count in this list? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/134 "2026-10-22T00:24:32Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > On thinking it over, there are a few different categories in this thread. There are some things where the product didn’t exist at all, and a product was created to mimic the fictional product. […] There are things where the product didn’t exist at all, and a product was eventually developed that was similar, but not in direct imitation of the fictional one. Flatscreen TVs would be an example. There are things where products of that sort already existed, but not the specific brand. These are usually just rebrandings of other products, by companies that already made whatever it is. […] And there are products that are combinations of those […] How about “things/products of that sort already existed, but not with the capabilities of the fictional counterpart, which were subsequently realized?” I’m thinking specifically of Jules Verne’s _Nautilus_ submarine, which was not purely fictional, in the sense that submersible vessels of some sort had existed for quite a while in 1870 when _20,000 Leagues under the Sea_ was published. But Verne’s fictional _Nautilus_ anticipated the submersible-vessel applications of electric propulsion, oceangoing-vessel size, hydroplanes, and other features that later technology made possible for real-world submarines. Along similar lines, inventor Martin Cooper credited the _Star Trek_ communicator as inspiration for his early version of the cellular handheld telephone. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2026, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108/135 "2026-10-22T00:55:38Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > I’m thinking specifically of Jules Verne’s _Nautilus_ submarine, which was not purely fictional, in the sense that submersible vessels of some sort had existed for quite a while in 1870 when _20,000 Leagues under the Sea_ was published. But Verne’s fictional _Nautilus_ anticipated the submersible-vessel applications of electric propulsion, oceangoing-vessel size, hydroplanes, and other features that later technology made possible for real-world submarines. When Verne wrote his book, the FRench ubmarine _Plongeur_ could dive to a depth of 10 meters and stay down for only a very brief period. She was powered by compressed air, and had to surface at short intervals in order for her support ship, the _Cachalot_, to resupply. The Nautilus was a HUGE step in extrapolation, being able to dive deeper than any submarine even today could dive, and staying down for months on the strength of a single electric charge to her batteries. Very curiously, the Nautilus did not have a periscope, even though submarines had calready been equipped with periscopes by this time. He might have seen how clumsy and inconveient they were, but imagined using huge port windows rather than thinking the periscope would be improved. He also didn’t give the Nautilus torpedoes, but preferred to have her ram opposing vessels. Verne very properly equipped her with diving suits similar to those that were displayed at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-things-products-that-became-real/1031108.md?page=6)