The Langston Field is a fictional device featured in the CoDominium series of science-fiction novels, initiated by SF writer Jerry Pournelle. The (fictional) Langston Field generator creates a spherical shield around an object (usually a spacecraft, but cities have been known to deploy them) which absorbs energy. Since the shield absorbs all wavelengths of light, it is completely black in normal use, like a black hole. It is necessary to raise sensors through the Field to see anything, much like a periscope. These sensors can be destroyed since they are outside the Field, so there are usually many backups on a warship. As the Field absorbs energy it reradiates it over its entire surface, acting as a perfect black body; the colour of the Field moves from infrared to red and through the visi