Masers in science fiction

Masers often appear as weapons in science fiction movies and novels. Their characteristics often differ from those of real masers, however, and it is doubtful whether a practical maser weapon such as these can actually be made.

Some notable science fiction appearances of masers:

• Larry Niven writes often of the use of masers by spaceships for communications in his Known Space books, as well as his other science-fiction novels, such as The Mote in God's Eye.
• Masers are the most recognizable weapon in the Godzilla series and Toho's other monster movies. "Maser Cannons" are often deployed against monsters. While numerous incarnations of the Maser Cannon have been featured, the most famous one design is in the form of a satellite dish-like apparatus mounted onto a turret pulled by an armoured vehicle. This apparatus fires bolts of electricity, presumably created by amplified microwaves.
• Masers are common in anime and Japanese-inspired animated science fiction stories. They have appeared in the Transformers, Gundam, GaoGaiGar, Code Geass and others.
• Masers are used predominantly as weaponry, both from spaceships and by ground troops in Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn universe, as well as appearing in his Commonwealth Saga.
• Masers are frequently used as the assault weapon-of-choice by military forces in William Shatner's novel series Quest for Tomorrow.
• In the Star Wars expanded universe, masers (called "charrics") are the primary weapon for the Chiss race, on their fighters and for handheld rifles.
• The DANGI Maser is a prominent and very lethal weapon in a scenario for First-person shooter Marathon called "Marathon Rubicon".
• In the Star Trek universe, the name Phaser originates from the acronym PHoton mASER, since at the time of writing the series the Laser was a relative unknown, and powers were not expected to be very great. Masers, on the other hand, were already very powerful machines which produce very destructive radiation pulses.
• In Carl Sagan's novel Contact, the main character, Ellie Arroway, does her thesis project on developing a "ruby maser".
• In the video game Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters, there is a weapon called the Laser Tracer. When fully upgraded to level 4, it becomes the Optical Maser Array.
• In the Star Control series history, the Androsynth defeated the humans' defenses with the use of MASER technology.
• The Monkeylord unit in Supreme Commander is armed with a "Microwave Laser."
• In David Brin's Uplift Universe, masers are used not as weapons, but as communication devices.
• In the ABC television program Alias (a member of the Spy-fi genre), the season 3 episode Prelude featured a maser attached to a Chinese satellite, able to pinpoint assassination targets from space.
• In the Halo universe masers are used for communication on spacecraft.
• In the webcomic Starslip Crisis, masers are a common form of starship weaponry.
• In the video game Phantasy Star Online, there is a weapon called a "Maser Beam."
• In the TV series Lost In Space, "Maser Beams" are used for teleportation in several episodes.
• In Sony Online's MMO game Infantry Online, maser is available for Sci-Ops class to use as weapon. Maser is commonly known for its ability to go through any obstacle in the game.
• The Autobot Metroplex has twin shoulder-mounted Maser cannons.
• In the 1972 Vernor Vinge short story "Long Shot", communications from Earth to the sentient robot explorer ship Ilse arrive via "maser link."
• In the 1982 film Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann, a motorcyclist accidentally goes back in time to the Wild West after stumbling across a time travel experiment that utilizes "maser velocity acceleration" to send objects back in time.
• Masers are used as ship to ship weapons in David Weber's Honorverse.
• In the Nintendo DS video game Infinite Space, "Maser Blasters" are employed as personal firearms by several characters.
• In the webcomic Schlock Mercenary, the hovering AI Ennesby has a maser built into his hover systems, letting him stay armed while appearing to be unarmed.
• Masers are a type of beam weapon or Laser, favored by the Amarr Empire in EVE Online.
• The video game Saints Row: The Third features a VTOL fighter jet and a tank, both armed with a "microwave laser" weapon.
• In the cyberpunk video game Messiah there is a weapon factory that manufactures an experimental weapon called Maser that can neutralise any armored human, armored beast or service droid with one hit.*
• In the science fiction survival horror video game SOMA, a character named Guy Konrad commits suicide with a Maser produced by the fictional in-game company, Haimatsu.

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