You would be astounded at how often science fiction authors have foreseen technological advancements. Their fascination with social and technical advancements has led to some amazing forecasts about what the future holds for the planet.
Forecasting the Future of Technology
Though they are seldom scientists, science fiction authors often have a keen interest in human psychology. I believe they are thus well-suited to foresee what we will be employing going forward. Three tendencies are followed by technology: communication, convenience, and warfare. The wildly imaginative thinking of a science fiction writer allows for the making of some startlingly precise predictions about the direction of technology.
I should note that although they aren't the first technological notions to be foreseen in science fiction, I believe they are among the most significant.
H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds (1898) included laser and toxic weapons
Even though the use of laser technology to combat is still relatively new, it is evident from the Aliens from War of the Worlds. The cyclopean creatures' penetrating killing beams rip through both people and structures.
H. G. Wells' story about the Martians' "enormous clouds of a black and poisonous vapour" is a precursor of chemical warfare. Just sixteen years later, this terrible weapon was being employed to even more destructive effect on battlefields around the continent during the First World War.
The video conference featuring tales from Isaac Asimov's Foundation (1950+)
A vast amount of time and space are covered by the Foundation series. Asimov is able to develop a number of fresh concepts across the Robots and Foundation series in the process. The idea of video calling is one that recurs often in his writings.
Asimov's Mother Earth novella has the best illustration of a video conversation, since it shows two individuals using the same technology to converse over great distances. In several aspects, the 3D pictures are a little bit better than what we now have. Though separated by a chasm of space, two individuals are seated in the same room in this futuristic image, which may be more akin to virtual reality than video conversations.
Arthur C. Clark, "Space Stations: Islands in the Sky" (1952)
If anybody should be recognized with anything like to the prediction of Space Station technology, it is none other than the great Arthur C. Clarke. "Islands in the Sky," one of his first works, mentions a space station 500 miles above Earth. I wonder whether he thought that, only fifty years later, this would really happen.
Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1953), Earbuds and ATMs
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a dystopian and horrifying planet. is recognized for having foreseen a wide range of technological advancements. Long before Sony's collective thought even considered the idea of earphones, we find individuals wearing "Seashells" in their ears, which are unmistakably earbuds. It seems a touch too realistic for the modern world when the protagonist's wife utilizes them as a technique to block out the outside world and distance herself from reality.
ATMs have to be the second technological prediction made in this science fiction book. The line "he had visited the bank, which was open all night every night with robot tellers in attendance" from Bradbury's description of these all-night tellers obviously refers to an ATM. While the concepts of microchips, computer programming, and automation were not fully understood, the notion of a self-sufficient robot distributing funds is almost perfectly accurate.
Philip K. Dick, "Facial Recognition," The Minority Report (1956)
Philip K. Dick's short tale is a key work that foreshadowed more than simply the technology mentioned in the title. Spielberg's film Minority Report, which was eventually released, foresaw numerous sociological observations as well as the surveillance state, face recognition software, and targeted advertisements.
Facial recognition is utilized to identify the culprits in a world where prediction is employed to prevent crime before it occurs. Currently in use, this technology is widely used in security systems worldwide. Frequently even before they have committed any crimes, suspects are located and pursued. It is a grim forecast of reality, much like many science fiction prophecies of the future.
H.G. Wells, "The World Set Free" (1914) - Atomic Bomb
I'm attempting to stick to H.G. Wells's main forecasts about technology, although I could easily compose this whole list using just his predictions. An 'Atomic Bomb' is revealed to us in The World Set Free being tossed from an aircraft like a hand grenade. Interestingly, this is employed during a war that the Germans initiated starting in 1950. Another eerie hint from H.G. Wells that seemed far too real.
The cities below are destroyed by the atomic bomb that H.G. Wells uses in his tale. Though it was based on uranium research at the time, science fiction's depiction of the bomb's future technological state falls short. H.G. Wells has a perpetually burning flame that never really burns out, leaving puffs of deadly vapors behind instead of a single catastrophic explosion.
Churchill was an avid admirer of Wells and took great pride in having read every one of his works at least twice. Clearly, the prophecies in the narrative did not stop him from accepting the reality of devastation.
Frank Herbert's Drones from Dune (1965)
These small drones, despite their name, Hunter Seekers, are a representation of modern drone technology. In the novels, they may be remotely controlled and used for observation and even quiet killing. They are a deft use of the science fiction genre to forecast the future. Even though the drones we have now are considerably bigger, their range is much greater and their killing capacity is much greater. Check out our suggestions for more novels that are similar to Dune.
Virtual Reality - Neuromancer (1985) - William Gibson
Gibson is without a doubt one of my favorite contemporary authors. He creates some really innovative and engrossing worlds with his use of fast-paced, dramatic, and intricate storylines. Beyond just foretelling technological advancements, Neuromancer is a staple of contemporary science fiction for a variety of reasons.
It is often accepted that Neuromancer served as the model for The Matrix, the notion of "Cyberspace," and the knowledge of the internet long before it was ever created. In his novel Neuromancer, William Gibson provides a startling glimpse into the future of the digital and online world while also painting a vivid image of the internet as it exists now.
It's amazing how much of what Gibson foresees in this book and many of his others. For the sake of this section, however, virtual reality will be examined. Hackers may enter Cyberspace and navigate its many networks by using headsets and neurolinks. Although this isn't the first virtual reality picture, I think it's one of the most intriguing from a cultural standpoint.
Submarine - Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (1870)
Maybe removing this off the list of science fiction predictions is the fact that Jules Verne really drew a lot of inspiration from the technology available at the time. Nonetheless, I believe The Nautilus from 20,000 leagues is a must-have for the list. The book's submarine is a living, breathing figure that travels with the frail folks within to ensure their survival.
Verne's submarine was inspired by research he conducted on the actual Nautilus, which Robert Fulton created in 1800. He also traveled to France in 1867 to study Plongeur at the Exposition Universelle. A 6-by 2-meter coffin was the initial iteration of the Submarine, whereas the Plongeur was considerably closer to the ship from 20,000 leagues. Simply said, I'm glad he chose the 1800 name instead of the very ridiculous French one.
Douglas Adams, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (1979)
- Live TranslationThough humorous and full of absurd ideas, the notion of the Babel Fish turned out to be a very accurate forecast of science fiction's technological future. The world was before the smart phone, wireless internet had very limited uses, and the majority of translation services still relied on books when I first started reading this book. Live translation was still just a pipe dream.
Thanks to the advancements in technology, earphones that can translate words for you in real time are now available. Thankfully, Adams's prediction about the fish living in your brain is untrue. If this is accurate, maybe he is also right about how humans fly. Just don't remember to strike the ground.
We have more fantastic science fiction that is appropriate for both young people and older readers .