This scientist (1) proposed a novel propulsion system (2) (for spacecraft covering interstellar distances). This eventually turned out to be infeasible, but it was still an extremely interesting concept. It captured the imagination of the sci-fi community, which picked it up immediately. It soon became a staple of Big sci-fi. For example, the author in (3) made use of these propulsion systems extensively in his books.

Identify 1, 2 and 3 :-)

Cracked by: udupendra , duriel , madhur , shenoyvarun86 , Ganesh Prasad , Dibyo , prasanth , shivathilak , gammafunction , jayanth , shashank and varuns88.

udupendra, duriel, madhur, shenoyvarun86, Ganesh Prasad, Dibyo, prasanth, shivathilak, gammafunction, jayanth, shashank and varuns88