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technology - What is the earliest instance of a SciFi work describing a massive universal database of knowledge?


What is the earliest instance of a SciFi work describing a system satisfying the following criteria (basically a massive computer database coupled with the networking system to access it available to everyone)?




  • Database contains 100% of available knowledge (or as practically close to it as possible), necessarily including but not limited to:




    • scientific information





    • personal data




    • news/events







  • All of that information can be queried out, possibly with some controls to satisfy privacy needs.




  • Universal access (e.g. practically any person on Earth can connect as a person, not just select few or limited by profession/organization). This one trips up many possibilities, e.g. H2G2 which arguably might fit the other criteria.




The precise implementation doesn't matter, some supercomputer, a super-AI, a whole planet ala H2G2 or a who-knows-how-it-works black box - doesn't matter. But it must satisfy the rules above.


The earliest one I can think of is from 1978, but it's in Russian (for those who care but can't guess, "BVI" - Big World Informatory - from Strugatsky brothers).



Answer



Mark Twain's short story, From The 'London Times' of 1904, from 1898 is often regarded as the first writing that describes a world-wide communications network for information sharing although I'm not sure if it fits your requirement for a database. While it does mention a level of interactivity and such that would probably require a database of some sort it doesn't explicitly state it outright.



The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster, published in 1909 might fit your requirements better. It's about the dystopian world that develops when a machine that's controlling everything and facilitates the endless discussion of secondhand ideas (sound familiar?) breaks down. Read it and see what you think.


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