The term "android" appears in US patents as early as 1863 in reference to miniature human-like toy automatons. The term "android" was used in a more modern sense by the French author Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam in his work "Tomorrow's Eve" (1886). This story features an artificial humanlike robot named Hadaly. As said by the officer in the story, "In this age of Realien advancement, who knows what goes on in the mind of those responsible for these mechanical dolls." The term made an impact into English pulp science fiction starting from Jack Williamson's "The Cometeers" (1936) and the distinction between mechanical robots and fleshy androids was popularized by Edmond Hamilton's Captain Future (1940–1944).