Technological prophecies that came true

Science fiction writers are the creative artists of the writing world. They imagine things that are unbelievable at the time of writing, but a century, or less, later, lo and behold, their thoughts have been transformed into science fact.

eBooks

Jules Verne

Jules Verne prophesied eBooks in Paris in the Twentieth Century (1863).

“Michel searched for literature… but nothing but technology was available in bookstores.”

(Interestingly, Verne locked the original manuscript in a safe after his editor scorned it and the novel wasn’t discovered until 1994. The editor claimed the book was too fantastical, writing “No-one today will believe your prophecy”. The novel also predicted gasoline-powered vehicles, pocket calculators and a ‘worldwide telegraphic communications network’.)

Stansilaw Lem predicted eBooks, perhaps Amazon too, in Return from the Stars (1961)

“I spent the afternoon in a bookstore. There were no books in it. None had been printed for nearly half a century… The bookstore resembled, instead, an electronic laboratory… all my purchases fitted into one pocket, though there must have been almost three hundred titles.”

Isaac Asimov predicted eBooks in The Fun They Had (1951)

“‘Gee,’ said Tommy. ‘What a waste. When you’re through with the book, you just throw it away… Our television screen must have had a million books on it and it’s good for plenty more. I wouldn’t throw it away.'”

iPads and Laptops

Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur C Clarke predicted iPads in the iconic 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

“When he tired of official reports and memoranda and minutes, he would plug in his foolscap-size newspad into the ship’s information circuit and scan the latest reports from Earth. One by one he would conjure up the world’s major electronic papers.”

James P. Hogan described a laptop in Inherit the Stars (1977)

“Rob Gray … sat with an open briefcase resting on his knees. He studied the information being displayed on the screen built into its lid… Gray addressed the [microphone] grille, located next to the tiny lens just above the screen.”

iPhones

H.G. Wells

H.G. Wells predicted iPhone technology in When the Sleeper Wakes (1910)

“He became aware of voices and music, and noticed a play of colour on the smooth front face. He suddenly realised what this might be, and stepped back to regard it. On the flat surface was now a little picture, very vividly coloured, and in this picture were figures that moved. Not only did they move, but they were conversing in clear small voices. It was exactly like reality viewed through an inverted opera glass and heard through a long tube.”

Nikola Tesla in an issue of Popular Mechanics magazine (1909)

“An inexpensive instrument, not bigger than a watch, will enable its bearer to hear anywhere, on sea or land, music or song… it will be possible for a business man in New York to dictate instructions, and have them instantly appear in type at his office in London or elsewhere.”

Computers/The Internet

Murray Leinster

Murray Leinster wrote in A Logic Named Joe (1946)

“You know the Logic’s set-up. You got a Logic in your house. It looks like a vision-receiver used to, only it’s got keys instead of dials and you punch the keys for what you wanna get… you punch “Sally Hancock’s Phone” an’ the screen blinks an’ sputters an’ you’re hooked up with the Logic in her house an’ if someone answers you got a vision-phone connection.”

“The Tank is a big buildin’ full of all the facts in creation and all the recorded telecasts that ever was made – an’ it’s hooked in with all the other Tanks all over the country – an’ everything you wanna know or see or hear, you punch for it an’ you get it.”

 
Hat tip to Sophie Lamble.

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