Sky Hook (1971)

[Dave Wilton]

> > Not basketball, but I think I remember seeing it in 50s or 60 science
> > fiction, probably Robert Heinlein or Arthur C. Clark.
>
> I always though of Heinlein and Clark as more the two-handed
> set-shot types,
> but you could be right.
>
> Of course, M-W cites it from 1915 in its literal sense.

The OED2 has "1966 Science 11 Feb. 682 (heading) Satellite elongation into a
true ‘sky-hook’" which I believe is a reference to the satellite idea
promulgated in science fiction. (It's hard to tell without more context. The
idea is a satellite in geostationary orbit that is connected to the ground
by a cable that can be used to lift objects.) The OED's science fiction
citations site (http://www.jessesword.com/SF/sf.shtml) says that there are
some references to "skyhooks" in 50s science fiction titles, but the works
have not been found.