Top Science Fiction Novels That Have Managed To Predict The Future
Oct 04, 2013 22:40
For those of you who've read any of these titles, then you've pretty much been offered a glimpse as to what the future will be like. Here's a list of the top science-fiction novels that have managed to predict the future correctly:
"Paris in the Twentieth Century" by Jules Verne (1863) predicted the development of the submarine and lunar landing.
"An Express of the Future" by Michel Verne (1888) predicted Elon Musk's recently proposed Hyperloop.
"The World Set Free" by H.G. Wells (1914) outlined the possibility of atomic weapons almost 100 years before they were invented
"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley (1932) depicted a society in which people escape through the use of mood-enhancing drugs. Antidepressants only came out in the 1950s, and now everyone seems to be hooked on them.
"1984" by George Orwell (1948) depicted the government as a "Big Brother" who knows exactly what you're doing and when, and can punish you for it. Recent reports of the NSA's controversial involvement in wiretapping, data-mining, and collecting domestic emails with no ties to terrorism, this plot might not seem so far-fetched after all.
"Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert Heinlein (1961) predicted the creation of water beds and the plan to colonize Mars.
"2001: A Space Odyssey" by Arthur C. Clarke (1968) provided a realistic depiction of space travel which included little luxuries and amenities that were similar to today's iPads and online newspapers.
"Time is the Simplest Thing" by Clifford Simak (1977) featured characters who mastered the ability to make artificial meat. Could this have been the inspiration behind the recently-developed test tube burger?
"Neuromancer" by William Gibson (1984) was published during a time when the internet was still relatively new and the World Wide Web still didn't exist. Gibson coined the term "cyberspace" and introduced the concept of "cyberhackers" who were not only using it, but hacking it and stealing data.
"Stand on Zanzibar" by John Brunner (1969) is probably the most accurate depiction of the future ever contained in a book, and this excerpt below explains why:
Super creepy isn't it? What other good sci-fi titles you've read that you think will predict what the future is going to be like?
"Paris in the Twentieth Century" by Jules Verne (1863) predicted the development of the submarine and lunar landing.
"An Express of the Future" by Michel Verne (1888) predicted Elon Musk's recently proposed Hyperloop.
"The World Set Free" by H.G. Wells (1914) outlined the possibility of atomic weapons almost 100 years before they were invented
"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley (1932) depicted a society in which people escape through the use of mood-enhancing drugs. Antidepressants only came out in the 1950s, and now everyone seems to be hooked on them.
"1984" by George Orwell (1948) depicted the government as a "Big Brother" who knows exactly what you're doing and when, and can punish you for it. Recent reports of the NSA's controversial involvement in wiretapping, data-mining, and collecting domestic emails with no ties to terrorism, this plot might not seem so far-fetched after all.
"Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert Heinlein (1961) predicted the creation of water beds and the plan to colonize Mars.
"2001: A Space Odyssey" by Arthur C. Clarke (1968) provided a realistic depiction of space travel which included little luxuries and amenities that were similar to today's iPads and online newspapers.
"Time is the Simplest Thing" by Clifford Simak (1977) featured characters who mastered the ability to make artificial meat. Could this have been the inspiration behind the recently-developed test tube burger?
"Neuromancer" by William Gibson (1984) was published during a time when the internet was still relatively new and the World Wide Web still didn't exist. Gibson coined the term "cyberspace" and introduced the concept of "cyberhackers" who were not only using it, but hacking it and stealing data.
"Stand on Zanzibar" by John Brunner (1969) is probably the most accurate depiction of the future ever contained in a book, and this excerpt below explains why:
"Stand on Zanzibar" is set in the year 2010 in the U.S., under the administration of President Obomi. Written in bits and fragments of the characters' lives in real time — public service announcements, obituaries, advertisements—amidst a chaotic and dystopian society: terrorist threats and attacks are an everyday occurrence, and violence in schools is old news. Detroit, in his world, is akin to a ghost town.
But Brunner also makes a lot of positive predictions about life in the 21st century. Hookup culture and gay lifestyles are widely accepted in the 2010 of his novel, and people have satellite TV, TiVo-type viewing, and electric cars. Brunner got a lot of things right, both the good and the bad.
But Brunner also makes a lot of positive predictions about life in the 21st century. Hookup culture and gay lifestyles are widely accepted in the 2010 of his novel, and people have satellite TV, TiVo-type viewing, and electric cars. Brunner got a lot of things right, both the good and the bad.
Super creepy isn't it? What other good sci-fi titles you've read that you think will predict what the future is going to be like?
