History Main / SpaceElevator

* The TV speculative documentary titled ''2057'' predicts several of these by, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin 2057]]. Unfortunately, they screw it up by placing the base station only 300 kilometers up. Even more bizarre as they had a prominent physicist (Michio Kaku) as host.
* In ''Series/{{Krypton}}'', the eponymous planet has the Hypersonic Orbital Tether, a space elevator that links it to its moon, Wegthor, the soil of which is rich in [[{{Unobtainium}} Stellarium ore]], which is needed to make hyperspace fuel. [[LaResistance The resistance]] against General Dru-Zod's dictatorship established their base on Wegthor, and end up blowing up the Hypersonic Orbital Tether to prevent Zod from sending his Sagitari armies against them.
* In ''{{Series/Cybervillage}}'', Mars has one which the heroes take to catch a space train. A ten hour elevator ride.

* ''TabletopGame/TwentyThreeHundredAD'' had a Space Elevator on the planet Beta Canum; it was used as a test bed before one was built on Earth. The Beta Canum beanstalk had to be cut loose before the Kafer invasion, to make sure the Kafers didn't use it to destroy the colony by breaking it at the top.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Numenera}}'' has one of these in the northern section of the Beyond. It's called the Beanstalk, and has been conflated with the story of ''Literature/JackAndTheBeanstalk'' by the locals, who have no idea how to work it.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Dragonstar}}'' has the "skyhook" on the planet Aelding, which the local silver dragons use to be the galaxy's leading spacecraft manufacturers.
* In ''TabletopGame/EclipsePhase'' Earth had several elevators before The Fall, only one of which is still standing, anchored at Kilimanjaro. It's occasionally used by scavengers and Reclaimers, though the spaceport at the base is as much a DeathWorld as the rest of the planet. Mars also has a space elevator on Olympus Mons.
* ''TabletopGame/TerraformingMars'', a BoardGame about WhatItSaysOnTheTin, has the players controlling megacorporations which engage in massive projects, including, sometimes, the creation of a space elevator. It's one of the more expensive projects, but gives a considerable boost to your economy.

* ''VideoGame/MegaManX8'''s problems eventually revolve around a Space Elevator. Sort of. As is typical for a ''Mega Man'' game, an entire level is built around riding the Space Elevator to the top. Oddly enough, the writers couldn't seem to figure out exactly ''what'' they wanted their Space Elevator to be. In the opening intro, it's depicted as some kind of tubular, spiraling roadway, with car-type vehicles driving up and down the outside of the tube (one explodes and falls into the park, setting off the story). Later, X, Zero and Axl take an ''actual'' elevator up to the top, which takes about five ''minutes'' and involves enemies dropping in from ''above'', when any movement inside an actual elevator would be difficult due to zero-G and the fact that the car would have to be ''sealed''...
* In ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' we see an Orbital Elevator over the planet of Fifth Jerusalem.
* The Helghast in ''VideoGame/{{Killzone}} 3'' have one that works on laser propulsion.
* ''[[VideoGame/FZero F-Zero GX]]'' has a track set on a space elevator, Cosmo Terminal: Trident. For the first two laps the track is constantly moving upwards, providing a disorienting background to distract you, and only on the final lap does the elevator reach the spaceport at the top.

* It is also a Secret Project in ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri'' ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zws0V6Kre5I the movie for which]] provides the page quote), which doubles the energy (i.e. [[EnergyEconomy cash flow]]) at the base you build it at, doubles the speed with which all your bases can build orbital improvements (satellites and space installations that give your whole faction benefits), and lifts the requirement that any base building an orbital improvement have an Aerospace Complex. Since orbital improvements are pretty darn awesome (Orbital Hydroponics Stations give each base +1 Nutrients to grow faster; Orbital Power Transmitters give you +1 extra Energy per base, potentially giving you loads of cash; Nessus Mining Stations give you +1 Minerals per base, letting you build stuff faster; and Orbital Defense Pods give you a 50% chance of stopping [[NukeEm Planet Busters]]), provided you haven't [[GaiasVengeance pissed off Planet too much]], so this is kind of a big deal.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Dystopia}}'', there are five space elevators located on or very near the equator, and four of them are the traditional kind. However, one of those is anchored to Atlantis, a ''free floating'' city in the Atlantic Ocean. It has yet to be explained how the elevator maintains geosynchronous orbit.

* In ''VideoGame/RefleX'' the boss fight against Scorpio takes place in one of these, while climbing.
* In ''VideoGame/InfiniteSpace'', orbital elevators are the usual method for space travelers to travel between orbital spaceports and planetary surfaces.

* In ''[[VideoGame/EscapeVelocity EV Nova]]'' the Kane Band, an [[RingWorldPlanet artificial ring around Earth's equator]], is connected to the surface by six space elevators, colloquially known as Kane's Ladders.
* In ''VideoGame/BorderDown'', the enemy forces try to topple a space elevator on the colonized and terraformed Mars in order to destroy the Martian capital of Sheffield. [[spoiler:Frank destroys the elevator by accident trying to defend it]]
* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', several of these installations, known as "gravity hooks", exist on the surface of Makeb. Interestingly, thanks to the Franchise/StarWars universe's CasualInterstellarTravel, they're horrifically inefficient; they're used on Makeb because the planet's atmosphere makes travel by shuttle or ship dangerous and impractical, necessitating a workaround. For this reason, an early Imperial quest in the Rise of the Hutt Cartel content consists of capturing a gravity hook to use as a beachhead for the Empire's covert operations on the planet.
* ''VideoGame/StarRuler2'' features space elevators as an Imperial-scale planetary improvement project. Each Space Elevator on a planet reduces the cost of support ships - small gunships, space fighters and such that escort the [[MileLongShip multi-kilometer long flagships]] - by 30%. Being an Imperial scale project, they are prohibitively expensive to build, and in the early game will consume the majority of your budget cycle and possibly part of the next budget cycle. They are available at the very beginning of the game, [[LensmanArmsRace and things only get crazier from there]].
* In ''VideoGame/StarbaseOrion'', colonies can build space elevators to reduce the costs of building ships. Very useful. Strangely, this doesn't reduce the costs of building starbases.
* The Orbital Elevator in ''VideoGame/Strider2014'', a huge elevator functioning by gravity control built inside the [[StarScraper really long]] [[EvilTowerOfOminousness Meio's Tower]]. It is the only way to access Meio's throne room, found at the very top of the tower and hosting a nice view of outer space.
* A fantastic example in ''VideoGame/{{Unreal|I}}'' is the Sky Elevator, a floating cubicle which connects the top of the [[StarScraper Sunspire]] to an asteroid with a city on it. Later on, in the ExpansionPack, you find it crashed on a lake near the Sunspire - two humans found out the hard way that riding it in bad weather isn't a good idea.
* The ''Front Mission'' series has multiple examples. The Orbital Elevator ATLAS plays a prominent role in backstory of ''VideoGame/FrontMissionGunHazard'' [[spoiler: and serves as TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.]] Multiple Orbital Elevators also appear in ''VideoGame/FrontMissionEvolved'', with each of the world superpowers having at least one.
* ''VideoGame/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown'' revolves around control of a space elevator known as "the Lighthouse." Bandai Namco consulted with a Japanese company researching the development of actual space elevators to ensure [[ShownTheirWork a realistic portrayal.]]
* The ''VideoGame/BattleClash'' games have a stage with a space elevator built at the site of the ancient TowerOfBabel, which connects to a secret base on the moon where the BigBad's hideout resides. In the first game, you fight your way up the elevator from the inside, and in ''Metal Combat'', you start at the ''top'' of the tower and engage your opponent in a FreeFallFight.

* ''VideoGame/{{Satisfactory}}'' starts relatively simple, collecting resources to build up your Hub to proper function. Once that's done, however, your next goal is to build the base of a ''huge'' Space Elevator, and when you place it, a massive cable descends from the sky and hooks on to the base. Your objectives are then to provide increasingly complex materials and resources to build up the facilities on the Space Elevator.
* In ''Videogame/AvenColony'' it's one the 'mega structures' you can build. Its expensive and power hungry but it increases you storage capacity and allows grater movement of colonists.
* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'' has a stage called "Cosmic Elevator" set in one of these. When the match starts, it starts off at the bottom before the elevator ascends (though starting the second round will have it skip the rest of the ascension and jump straight to the top). It would later be ported over to ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterIV Ultra Street Fighter IV]]'', albeit with the whole ascension part completely cut out.

* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' features one on Luna (The Moon). It is destroyed as a result of the Partnership Collective's sabotage of the Toughs' first flagship, causing a massive amount of damage. The Earth courts decided to ''inflict'' equal damage on the group of conscience-less lawyer drones -- and gave a contract to Tagon's Toughs to destroy one million of them. Cue a RunningGag -- a snake with tie will die.

* In the backstory of ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'', the Val'Nabhan'veaka clan of Chel'el'sussoloth essentially wanted to build one of those, though instead of to space it went to the Surface from the Underworld. Unfortunately, the Skyhole collapsed during construction and set off a series of DisasterDominoes that continue to resound in the present day.
* ''Webcomic/{{Westward}}'' uses a space elevator in place of {{Space Plane}}s or {{Teleportation}} as a means of travel between the titular CoolStarship and a planet's surface. The elevator is portable -- it is carried around by the starship, deployed at a planet as needed, then pulled up and stored on board again for the next trip. Needless to say it breaks some rules of physics and engineering (though no more so than [[Franchise/StarTrek transporters and shuttlecraft]], perhaps) but it provides a unique alternative with an "analog" feel, which was the author's stated purpose for it.
* In ''Webcomic/EscapeFromTerra'' Mars has both a [[http://www.bigheadpress.com/eft?page=619 space elevator]] and a [[http://www.bigheadpress.com/eft?page=618 "skyhook"]] that passes over the equator dropping airplanes.
* One such elevator, named "Starclimber Station", appears in ''Webcomic/AlwaysHuman'' on an artificial island near Singapore.
* ''Webcomic/{{Vexxarr}}'': The Tact-o-Trons built a space ''staircase''. Transit times are [[http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=040616 a bit of an issue.]]

* These are called [[https://orionsarm.com/eg-article/460c36d777da6 "beanstalks"]] in ''Website/OrionsArm''. They're used on most developed worlds as a cheap method of accessing space. It's also mentioned that the breaking of a beanstalk would cause significant damage, but this has rarely happened in the history of the setting.
* ''Website/AtomicRockets'' differentiates between the "stream of bullets" and "really long string" types, referring to the first type as "Space Fountains" and the latter as "Beanstalks," although interchangeably with "Space Elevator." The Space Fountain type can use the magnetically accelerated lifting medium as elevator cables by coupling payloads to the particle stream with electromagnets as well. They have the advantages of 1) being able to be built anywhere, not just on the equator, and 2) can be made safer than an unpowered tower with redundant streams. Furthermore, it details the related "Lufstrom Loop" concept, which uses a "ribbon" of steel plates arranged into a conveyor belt, but otherwise acts similar to a fountain-style space elevator. It resembles a huge bridge rather than a giant beanstalk.

* In ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'', Ed spends most of an episode building one [[BambooTechnology out of junk]] that reaches the moon.

* ''Literature/DirtyPair'':
** One shows up in the ActionPrologue to ''[[TheMovie Project EDEN]]''; [[DestructiveSaviour it doesn't last long]] after the sting operation they stage in an elevator car escalates to a bomb destroying the beanstalk along with the orbital ring it was connected to.
** In ''Dirty Pair Flash'', they also have an orbital ring to which the elevators connect at the top.
* ''Anime/BubblegumCrisis Tokyo 2040'' has a skyhook connecting Tokyo and an orbital power satellite, which plays several important roles in the plot. The evil MegaCorp GENOM is building a network of tunnels beneath Tokyo to store energy released by the satellite, which are put to other uses by several villians. [[spoiler:Sylia, the leader of the [[AmazonBrigade Knight Sabers]], also tries to use the energy discharged by the skyhook to power a BFG so she can try to fry the HumanoidAbomination Galatea while she's still [[EvilSealedInACan Sealed In A Can]]. (It doesn't work.) Before the end, the Knight Sabers have to hitch a ride into orbit.]]

* One of these plays a significant role in ''Anime/SuperDimensionCenturyOrguss''; the ruins of one also play a role in the sequel, ''Orguss 02''.
* ''Anime/TekkamanBlade'' goes one step further, with an entire orbital ''ring'' serviced by multiple elevators.

* ''Anime/GundamReconguistaInG'' revisits the concept of a space elevator, where the "Capital Tower" and its immediate surroundings function as an {{Expy}} of UsefulNotes/VaticanCity for the in-universe [[CrystalDragonJesus Space-Umbilical-Cordism]] religion. It’s used to receive Photon Batteries from the space city, Towasanga, which the world’s nations depend on for energy.

* A space elevator extends up from the Capital in ''Anime/EurekaSeven'', though it's only shown a handful of times. It's called the Megaroad in the movie.
* In ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'', [[spoiler:Negi mentions that using these is a part of his project to terraform Mars]]. ''Manga/UQHolder'', the sequel, features it prominently. The physics are a bit iffy, but given the presence of magic in the setting it's likely {{Magitek}}.
* In ''Anime/ACertainMagicalIndexMiracleOfEndymion'', Academy City debuts a space elevator called Endymion. Index compares it to the TowerOfBabel. [[spoiler: It turns out the elevator's creators deliberately modeled Endymion to be like the Tower of Babel in an attempt to ruin the world by recreating the original Biblical disaster.]] It also goes a bit into the physics and mechanics of the huge undertaking the construction of the elevator requires (and the fact it should have been built along the equator), but all of this is {{justified}} as Academy City built it in such a unlikely place to flex to the world their scientific superiority.
* ''Anime/GunBuster'' has cable cars running to space in the final episode.
* In ''Anime/YuGiOhTheDarkSideOfDimensions'', [=KaibaCorp=] has a single-seat space elevator that takes the user to a small space station in low orbit.
* ''Anime/ActiveRaid's'' finale features one that is both unusual and yet surprisingly much more realistic than most examples: the space elevator in question is actually a single fiber-optic cable linked from a satellite to Earth for high-speed data transmission.
* ''Anime/BravePoliceJDecker'': The plot of Episodes 7 and 8 features one of these still in construction. An accident occurs and puts it at risk of falling into the ocean, which would cause a huge tsunami that would devastate the coast. The Brave Police are tasked with placing booster rockets on it to slow down its fall, but the upper part breaks apart ahead of time, forcing them the destroy the pieces as they fall through the atmosphere.
* ''Anime/BlackRockShooterDawnFall'': The Moon-based hostile AI Artemis begins constructing a space elevator that the heroes fear it will use to send all its troops from the Moon to the Earth. When it is completed, [[spoiler:the elevator is instead used to suck up the polluted Iron Ocean to use it as fuel for a Moon-based device that will attract meteors to ColonyDrop the planet. Black Rock Shooter manages to destroy the elevator, but only after 70% of the population was killed.]]
* ''Literature/YakitoriSoldiersOfMisfortune'': The AndTheAdventureContinues ending of Season One has Unit K-321 rescue hostages from the mid-level platform of a space elevator. Unfortunately the ground terminal hadn't been captured yet so they couldn't use it to carry them back up to their spacecraft. Given a choice between trying to climb up the space elevator or making a high-altitude parachute jump off the platform into a war zone, they take the easy option...and jump.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* One appears at the Corbulo Academy of Military Science in ''Film/Halo4ForwardUntoDawn''. [[spoiler: When the Covenant attack it's used to evacuate cadets. Unfortunately as it's carrying out groups of people to orbit, it gets destroyed near the base. Almost a full minute later, the screaming passengers start hitting the ground.]]

* Mentioned in ''Literature/{{Friday}}'' when the title character complains about how riding one nauseates her.
* In ''Literature/TheScienceOfDiscworld'' books, humanity will eventually build a whole network of space elevators.
** Previously, Creator/TerryPratchett had used space elevators (the Lines) in ''Literature/{{Strata}}''.
** Sir Pterry must have liked the concept, because it also showed up in ''[[Literature/TheLongEarth The Long Mars]]'', which he co-wrote with Stephen Baxter.
* The ''Literature/RedMarsTrilogy'' features a space elevator on Mars [[spoiler:and the effect of bringing one down]]. By ''Green Mars'', there are several on Earth.
* ''Literature/OldMansWar'' has a space elevator. Interestingly, it's gratuitously unrealistic ''in universe''-- even though Space Elevators are compatible with the laws of physics, this particular one isn't (its center of mass isn't far enough from the surface.) That it works anyway is one of the first indications that the Colonial Union, who built it, is hiding technology up its sleeve.

* In ''Literature/SaturnsChildren'', Mars has one giant space elevator called Bifrost.
* The ''Literature/RevelationSpaceSeries'' novel ''Chasm City'' has a space elevator on the planet Sky's Edge, which is severed as the main character is riding it into orbit. The elevator is so long he actually has time to realise what's happening and take action to save himself.
* Creator/RobertLForward's various books often feature these.
** The hero of ''Timemaster'' owns a company that made him a trillionaire largely through building space rotavators and related technology. Rotavators don't touch the ground, they are large cables that are rotating slowly with good momentum. On Earth they just barely touch the upper atmosphere and are timed to touch down in specific location every few hours so a large plane can load a capsule on to the Rotavator. It should be noted the author was the head of the NASA team that designed them...
** ''Literature/DragonsEgg'' and ''Starquake'' feature aliens living on a neutron star who, after getting help from orbiting human astronauts in kick-starting a scientific revolution, rapidly advance literally overnight to building space elevators of a variety of types.

* In the ''Literature/WingCommander'' novel ''Action Stations'', recounting the initial events of the Terran-Kilrathi war the [[CatFolk Kilrathi]] target, as part of their attack on the Confederation base at [=McAuliffe=] (Pearl Harbor [[JustForFun/RecycledInSpace IN SPACE]]), the skyhook that supports the base, using [[spoiler:torpedoes with the newly developed capability of bypassing the massive shielding on bases and capital warships, against which fighters were otherwise mostly useless, relegating them to scouting or other supporting roles]].
* In ''Literature/TheGoldenOecumene'', there is a space elevator on Earth. [[MeaningfulName Phaethon]] zooms up the space elevator [[spoiler:after getting back his spiffy armor, to face his trial]]. On his return from the spoiler, since he [[spoiler:was exiled from the Golden Oecumene, he has to take the long way down -- the stairs]].
* Creator/IainMBanks:
** ''Literature/FeersumEndjinn'' is set in a giant castle-like structure which used to be the Earth terminal of a space elevator.
** In one of Banks' short stories, terrorists give the protagonist a powerful [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Culture]]-built handgun that only he can use, and try to blackmail him into taking out a government target with it. While contemplating what the weapon is capable of, the protagonist imagines using it to destroy the planet's Space Elevator, trying to picture the resulting destruction and idly wondering whether it would come crashing to the ground or simply spin off into space.

* In the ''Literature/{{Uplift}}'' novel ''Sundiver'', Earth had two of these by the 23rd century. They're named Vanilla Needle and Chocolate Needle.
* ''Literature/DreamPark'':
** In ''The Barsoom Project'', Cowles Industries host a major conference to recruit nations' and other megacorps' support of a Mars-terraforming program that would use this in its operation. The possibility of building one on Earth after a Martian version has been proven safe and reliable is also discussed.
** In ''The California Voodoo Game'', the villain's corporate espionage is suspected to have been committed on behalf of the Ecuadorian government, which has a vested interest in learning Cowles' Space Elevator designs, because Ecuador is one of the best sites for it: the highest point on the equator is in Ecuador.
* In the ''Literature/GreatShip'' novel ''Marrow'', the eponymous world at the [[HollowWorld core]] of the [[PlanetSpaceship Great Ship]] is connected to the rest of the ship by a small space elevator, which moves extremely quickly to pass through the containment fields surrounding [[DeathWorld Marrow]].
* In Creator/RobertReed's novel ''The Leeshore'', the eponymous planet has a largely decrepit space elevator, maintained by a few hundred workers at a long-forgotten refueling planet. The elevator is armed with a variety of point defense lasers to blow up anything approaching it, including the {{Living Gasbag}}s which block out the sky everywhere on the planet. The workers cut the elevator's tether point in [[DefiantToTheEnd a last act of defiance]] when their settlement is attacked, causing the elevator to go soaring out of the atmosphere.

* Both Earth and Mars have 3 each in ''Literature/StarCarrier''. The ones on Earth are, naturally, in equatorial locations: Quito (the capital of Ecuador), Mt. Kenya, and one of the Lingga Islands close to Singapore. The stations at the other end are usually called either Synchorbitals or Supra-<name of the city below> (e.g. Supra-Quito).
* The Starclimber from the third book in the ''Literature/{{Airborn}}'' trilogy is mankind's first space-faring vehicle. It's furnished as well as any hotel and rides on a cable of highly reinforced steel.
* The Atlas colony in ''Literature/{{Blindfold}}'' has one at the hub. It connects to a space platform made of one of the second ship to be sent there from Earth (it was full of prisoners, who had since assimilated into the population). Since the Atlas colony lacks advanced space industry, the elevator is the only way of getting into orbit. [[spoiler:The BigBad blows it up along with the platform near the end of the novel as a retaliation for a former ally who turns against him. This robs the colonists from access to space and to the orbital lab that manufactures the Veritas drug, used by the [[LivingLieDetector Truthsayers]] to judge people accused of serious crimes, at least until the next ship arrives in a few years]].

* ''Literature/{{Boundary}}'': In ''Threshold'', the Indian government decides to finance construction of a space elevator. The logic is that they are too far behind to be able to effectively compete with the other nations in building interplanetary ships to try and find more alien bases but by building the first space elevator they can get a solid lock on providing orbital lift capability for other nations.

* ''Literature/{{Digitesque}}'': There is a single massive tower called the Pillar of Heaven, visible from a ''long'' way off. Ada discovers that it is a space elevator meant to service the ring surrounding Earth. Interestingly, it doesn't ''directly'' connect to the ring, and there's nothing at the top but a small shuttle platform. The elevator also requires information on cargo type before it will move, so that it doesn't accidentally cause damage when living people try to use it.
* In Creator/DavidBrin's ''The Ancient Ones'', most civilized planets have conventional space elevators, but demmies prefer something called "slurry transport" that liquefies organic material (including passengers) and shoots it down a miles-long hose attached to the front of their ships and reconstitutes them at the other end. Their human advisors often would prefer to take a shuttle, [[spoiler:some Spertin prisoners claim it would be a war crime if they were forced to slurry to orbit]].
* In ''Literature/LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes'', the planet Fezzan is depicted with one, although it is just simply used to connect to its spaceport sited in outer space.
* ''Literature/AccelWorld'' has the addition of a space elevator to Japans's social camera network be a big deal, as it opens up space itself to the accelerated world's players. In fact, it becomes a massive event, featuring the various legions fielding racing teams in an effort to make it to the top of the virtual version. [[spoiler: It also allows for the proper return to the Accelerated World of legendary player, Sky Raker.]]
* In ''Literature/HeavyObject'' Volume 18, the Capitalist Enterprise constructs the Mother Lady, a carbon nanotube space elevator based in Africa. The Enterprise initially uses it to [[MundaneUtility allow for orbital drop delivery anywhere on the planet]], but Legitimacy Kingdom attacks out of fear that it can be used to [[ColonyDrop orbital drop bombs anywhere on the planet]].

* The short story [[https://space.nss.org/settlement/MikeCombs/bridge.htm "The Bridge to Space"]] is about the Sky Bridge, a somewhat similar idea. It's essentially an electromagnetic train/cannon that extends diagonally rather than straight up, more than a hundred kilometres in length. Held up by solar balloons, it can shoot bullet-shaped capsules into space. The first version is too short to safely shoot people (who'd be crushed by the massive g-forces), but it works fine for cargo. It's later extended until it's long enough to shoot people.
* In ''Literature/{{Bounders}}'', the planet Gulaga is connected to its space dock via an elevator shaft hundreds of kilometers long. The elevator is made out of clear plastic, and Jasper and Lucy are so afraid to enter it that they cause a bottleneck at the door. It doesn't help that the elevator descends at a terrifying speed.
* ''Literature/TheMurderbotDiaries'': On seeing a lift tower attached to a low orbit space dock orbiting an abandoned colony world, someone mentions that a shuttle system would be more cost-effective. It's pointed out that the colonists were probably in IndenturedServitude, and if they wanted to escape the planet it would be a lot easier to seize a shuttle than ride the 'drop box' to the top of the elevator and try to seize a spacecraft before it had time to detach from the space dock.

* In ''{{Series/Cybervillage}}, ''Mars has one which the heroes take to catch a space train. A ten hour elevator ride.

* These are called [[https://orionsarm.com/eg-article/460c36d777da6 "beanstalks"]] in ''WebOriginal/OrionsArm''. They're used on most developed worlds as a cheap method of accessing space. It's also mentioned that the breaking of a beanstalk would cause significant damage, but this has rarely happened in the history of the setting.

* Creator/ArthurCClarke

* In "Foundation's Triumph", we learn that Trantor (a planet-wide city) apparently used a network of space elevators to transport people and supplies to and from Trantor, at least until the Great Sack.

** The novel ''The Web Between the Worlds'' was published almost simultaneously with Clarke's, and bears some close similarities, including a near miss with the name of the protagonist. However in a foreword to Sheffield's novel, Clarke discounts any suggestion of plagiarism, pointing out merely that the space elevator was an idea whose time had come.
** ''Literature/{{Summertide}}'', in the ''Literature/HeritageUniverse'' series provides us with a retractable space elevator, the ''Umbilical'', strung between two planets that, of course, share a [[ForScience barycenter]] - ''Quake'' and ''Opal'' - in orbit around the stellar focus of their planetary system.
* Mentioned in Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/{{Friday}}'' (the title character complains about how riding one nauseates her).

** Sir Pterry must have liked the concept, because it also showed up in [[Literature/TheLongEarth The Long Mars]], which he co-wrote with Stephen Baxter.
* Kim Stanley Robinson's ''Literature/{{Red Mars|Trilogy}}'' features a space elevator on Mars [[spoiler:and the effect of bringing one down]]. And by ''Green Mars'' there are several on Earth.
* ''Literature/OldMansWar'' by Creator/JohnScalzi has a space elevator. Interestingly, it's gratuitously unrealistic ''in universe''-- even though Space Elevators are compatible with the laws of physics, this particular one isn't (its center of mass isn't far enough from the surface.) That it works anyway is one of the first indications that the Colonial Union, who built it, is hiding technology up its sleeve.
* In ''Literature/{{Accelerando}}'' by Creator/CharlesStross, space elevators are used to [[TheSingularity disassemble the inner solar system into computronium]].

* ''[[Literature/RevelationSpace Chasm City]]'' by Creator/AlastairReynolds has a space elevator on the planet Sky's Edge, which is severed as the main character is riding it into orbit. The elevator is so long he actually has time to realise what's happening and take action to save himself.

* The Great Glass Elevator enters space in ''Literature/CharlieAndTheGreatGlassElevator'' (the sequel to ''Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory''), though not on a cable. It uses a cable with "skyhooks". One end is hooked to the elevator, the other to... [[LookBehindYou Hey! Look!]] A [[WeNeedADistraction convenient distraction]]! That's more Wonka deflecting the question by {{handwav|e}}ing the Elevator's support/propulsion mechanism than a genuine explanation. Essentially, the book does not contain an explanation. The elevator also has "rockets" which the illustrations depict as nothing more than an exhaust bell underneath, attached to the outside of the glass, with no sign of the rest of the rocket engine or the fuel tanks. Really the thing works by something between AppliedPhlebotinum and [[AWizardDidIt magic]], and it is [[WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief not useful to try and explain it rationally]].

* In the ''Literature/WingCommander'' novel ''Action Stations'', recounting the initial events of the Terran-Kilrathi war the [[CatFolk Kilrathi]] target, as part of their attack on the Confederation base at [=McAuliffe=] (Pearl Harbor [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE]]), the skyhook that supports the base, using [[spoiler:torpedoes with the newly developed capability of bypassing the massive shielding on bases and capital warships, against which fighters were otherwise mostly useless, relegating them to scouting or other supporting roles]].
* In Creator/JohnCWright's ''[[Literature/TheGoldenOecumene Golden Age]]'' trilogy, there is a space elevator on Earth. [[MeaningfulName Phaethon]] zooms up the space elevator [[spoiler: after getting back his spiffy armor, to face his trial.]] On his return from the spoiler, since he [[spoiler: was exiled from the Golden Oecumene, he has to take the long way down. The stairs.]]
* Creator/IainMBanks

** In one of Bank's short stories, terrorists give the protagonist a powerful [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Culture]]-built handgun that only he can use, and try to blackmail him into taking out a government target with it. While contemplating what the weapon is capable of, the protagonist imagines using it to destroy the planet's Space Elevator, trying to picture the resulting destruction and idly wondering whether it would come crashing to the ground or simply spin off into space.
* A space elevator enables the premise of Frank Schätzing's novel ''Literature/{{Limit}}''. (Which is: The worthwhile mining for Helium-3 on the moon.)

* In ''[[Literature/{{Boundary}} Threshold]]'' the Indian government decides to finance construction of a space elevator. The logic is that they are to far behind to be able to effectively compete with the other nations in building interplanetary ships to try and find more alien bases but by building the first space elevator they can get a solid lock on providing orbital lift capability for other nations.
* ''Literature/{{Deepsix}}''. The protagonists are surprised to find a BigDumbObject orbiting an apparently uncivilized planet. They eventually work out it's a 'skyhook' an alien race built for a planetary evacuation of the world's less advanced inhabitants.

* In Creator/DavidBrin's ''The Ancient Ones'' most civilized planets have conventional space elevators, but demmies prefer something called "slurry transport" that liquefies organic material (including passengers) and shoots it down a miles-long hose attached to the front of their ships and reconstitutes them at the other end. Their human advisors often would prefer to take a shuttle, [[spoiler: some Spertin prisoners claim it would be a war crime if they were forced to slurry to orbit.]]

* ''Literature/TheMurderbotDiaries''. On seeing a lift tower attached to a low orbit space dock orbiting an abandoned colony world, someone mentions that a shuttle system would be more cost-effective. It's pointed out that the colonists were probably in IndenturedServitude, and if they wanted to escape the planet it would be a lot easier to seize a shuttle than ride the 'drop box' to the top of the elevator and try to seize a spacecraft before it had time to detach from the space dock.

* ''Lierature/YakitoriSoldiersOfMisfortune'': The AndTheAdventureContinues ending of Season One has Unit K-321 rescue hostages from the mid-level platform of a space elevator. Unfortunately the ground terminal hadn't been captured yet so they couldn't use it to carry them back up to their spacecraft. Given a choice between trying to climb up the space elevator or making a high-altitude parachute jump off the platform into a war zone, they take the easy option...and jump.

** One shows up in the prologue to ''[[TheMovie Project EDEN]]''; [[DestructiveSaviour it doesn't last long]].

* ''Anime/BubblegumCrisis Tokyo 2040'' has a skyhook.

The best materials science we have today tells us that the only known material with a high enough strength-to-weight ratio would be carbon nanotube cable. We so far don't have the ability to manufacture it in the lengths needed. Other theoretical methods include dynamic-support, essentially a stream of magnetized bullets whose momentum pushes up the cable. The idea is surprisingly plausible from a physics standpoint, is evident in medium-hard sci-fi, and would, once the construction cost was paid off, reduce the cost of putting payloads into orbit. [[Creator/ArthurCClarke It's been said]] that we could have a working space elevator about 50 years after everyone stops laughing. Most of them have.

* ''Anime/YakitoriSoldiersOfMisfortune''. The AndTheAdventureContinues ending of Season One has Unit K-321 rescue hostages from the mid-level platform of a space elevator. Unfortunately the ground terminal hadn't been captured yet so they couldn't use it to carry them back up to their spacecraft. Given a choice between trying to climb up the space elevator or making a high-altitude parachute jump off the platform into a war zone, they take the easy option...and jump.

* ''Literature/TheMurderbotDiaries''. On seeing a lift tower attached to a low orbit space dock orbiting an abandoned colony world, someone mentions that a shuttle system would be more cost-effective. It's pointed out that the colonists were probably IndenturedServitude, and if they wanted to escape the planet it would be a lot easier to seize a shuttle than ride the 'drop box' to the top of the elevator and try to seize a spacecraft before it had time to detach from the space dock.

* In ''Literature/HeavyObject'' Volume 18, the Capitalist Enterprise constructs the Mother Lady, a carbon nanotube space elevator based in Africa. The Enterprise initially uses it to [[MundaneUtility allow for orbital drop delivery anywhere on the planet]], but Legitimacy Kingdom attacks out of fear that it can be used to [[ColonyDrop orbital drop bombs anywhere on the planet]].

* In ''Series/Foundation2021'', the CityPlanet Trantor has one called the Star Bridge, allowing it to manage the immense cargo and passenger loads required to be the capital of the Galactic Empire. This is one of many technical ideas that did not exist when Creator/IsaacAsimov wrote ''Literature/{{Foundation}}'', but was incorporated by the showrunners. [[spoiler:The Star Bridge is destroyed by terrorists in the pilot episode, causing catastrophic destruction and 100 million deaths when the elevator falls to the surface and wraps itself around the planet "like a garrote"]].

** In ''Anime/DirtyPairFlash'', they also have an orbital ring to which the elevators connect at the top.

* The ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode "Rise" has Tuvok and Neelix trapped on a space elevator in a DeathInTheClouds plot. The fact that space elevators have not appeared in ''Star Trek'' other than this one time may be related to the fact that [[FridgeBrilliance that region of the Delta Quadrant never discovered transporter technology]].

** He did not invent the idea, but his novel ''The Fountains of Paradise'' was among the first to promote the concept to the general public.

* One appears at the Corbulo Academy of Military Science in ''Film/Halo4ForwardUntoDawn''. [[spoiler: When the Covenant attack it's used to evacuate cadets. Unfortunately as it's carrying out groups of people to orbit, it gets destroyed near the base. Minutes later [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome everyone aboard falls to the ground]].]]

* ''LightNovel/DirtyPair'':

* In ''LightNovel/HeavyObject'' Volume 18 the Capitalist Enterprise constructs the Mother Lady, a carbon nanotube space elevator based in Africa. The Enterprise initially uses it to [[MundaneUtility allow for orbital drop delivery anywhere on the planet]], but Legitimacy Kingdom attacks out of fear that it can be used to [[ColonyDrop orbital drop bombs anywhere on the planet]].

* In Niven & Barnes's ''Literature/TheBarsoomProject'', Cowles Industries host a major conference to recruit nations' and other megacorps' support of a Mars-terraforming program that would use this in its operation. The possibility of building one on Earth after a Martian version has been proven safe and reliable is also discussed.
** In the sequel ''Literature/TheCaliforniaVoodooGame'', the villain's corporate espionage is suspected to have been committed on behalf of the Ecuadorian government, which has a vested interest in learning Cowles' Space Elevator designs, because Ecuador is one of the best sites for it: the highest point on the equator is in Ecuador.
* In ''[[Literature/GreatShip Marrow]]'', the eponymous world at the [[HollowWorld core]] of the [[PlanetSpaceship Great Ship]] is connected to the rest of the ship by a small space elevator, which moves extremely quickly to pass through the containment fields surrounding [[DeathWorld Marrow]].

* [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] has a big list of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevators_in_fiction Space Elevators in fiction.]]

* ''LightNovel/AccelWorld'' has the addition of a space elevator to Japans's social camera network be a big deal, as it opens up space itself to the accelerated world's players. In fact, it becomes a massive event, featuring the various legions fielding racing teams in an effort to make it to the top of the virtual version. [[spoiler: It also allows for the proper return to the Accelerated World of legendary player, Sky Raker.]]

* In a short story by Creator/IainMBanks, terrorists give the protagonist a powerful [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Culture]]-built handgun that only he can use, and try to blackmail him into taking out a government target with it. While contemplating what the weapon is capable of, the protagonist imagines using it to destroy the planet's Space Elevator, trying to picture the resulting destruction and idly wondering whether it would come crashing to the ground or simply spin off into space.
* ''Literature/FeersumEndjinn'' by Creator/IainMBanks is set in a giant castle-like structure which used to be the Earth terminal of a space elevator.

* ''Literature/TheMurderbotDiaries''. On seeing a lift tower attached to a low orbit space dock orbiting an abandoned colony world, someone mentions that a shuttle system would be more cost-effective. It's pointed out that the colonists were probably IndenturedServitude, and if they wanted to escape the planet it would be a lot easier to seize a shuttle than ride the 'drop box' to the top of the elevator and try to seize a spacecraft before they detached from the space dock.

* The TV speculative documentary titled ''2057'' predicts several of these by, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin 2057]]. Unfortunately, they screw it up by [[CriticalResearchFailure placing the base station only 300 kilometers up]]. Even more bizarre as they had a prominent physicist (Michio Kaku) as host.

Physics dictates the placement. It would need to be placed on the equator, and stretch up in such a way that the center of mass for the system was beyond the geosynchronous orbit level. That means at least 22,000 miles up. Hope the [[TheElevatorFromIpanema music]] doesn't suck.[[note]]To be honest, you could do worse than one of the great classics of bossa nova, but some variety would be nice...[[/note]]

[[folder:Film]]