In this article I will tell you about science fiction writers who unknowingly predicted the future and the present.
1. Gary Steingart
In 2010, Gary Steingart published his novel "The Super Sad Story of True Love." And although he was not so far from modernity and did not write science fiction novels, predictions appeared in his work about what has now become an ordinary thing.
Gary mentioned dating services, digital stalking, and the disappearance of paper books. Coincidence? We don't think so.
2. David Brin
Perhaps this writer shared his developments with scientists - it is not for nothing that he is a consultant to NASA with a degree in physics professor.
In 1990, Brin's novel Earth was released, which takes place in 2038. At the moment, his predictions about the emergence of social networks and inexpensive digital cameras have already come true. Also in the work, Brin pointed out an event that is very much like the accident at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. In fact, it happened in 2011 after a devastating earthquake.
3. Bernard Werber
Werber's work in itself is rather unusual and challenging: in his works he always tries to mix mysticism and exact sciences, fiction and real achievements, religion and metaphysics. His novel "Star Butterfly" deserves special attention.
It tells the story of how one slightly insane, but believing in his dream, an engineer came up with a plan to resettle humanity to another planet. To realize it, he gathered recruits, designed a starship, and then very belligerently opposed the authorities, the media and the security forces and still flew into space. Doesn't it remind anyone?
4. HG Wells
Wells can rightfully be considered the most prolific predictor. In the book People are Gods (1923) he talked about wireless communication, in When the Sleeper Wakes (1899) - about audiobooks, television and airplanes. The Isle of Dr. Moreau (1896) revolves around genetic engineering experiments and demonstrates what can happen if done carelessly. In the novel "World Liberated" (1914), we are talking about atomic bombs and the consequences of their invention.
And the work "War of the Worlds" (1989) formed the basis for the well-known film about the conflict between humanity and an extraterrestrial race. It was H. G. Wells who invented the laser device used by the Martian invaders. In England, they even installed a sculpture of a tripod, referring to the activities of not only the writer, but also Steven Spielberg.
In The New World Order (1940), Wells devoted one chapter to reflections on human rights. The author paid special attention to this text, because with its help he wanted to "set out as compactly, clearly and sensibly as possible the essence of what he happened to learn about war and peace throughout his life." In 1947, the UN included the writer's project in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
5. George Orwell
Even those who have not read the writer's works know that the world - and especially Russia - is developing according to Orwell. The most predictive novel was 1984 (1949), which describes the high-tech observation “Big Brother”, who always watches over the freedom of thought and outlaws individuality. Any truth and historical facts are adjusted to the whims of the ruling party.
The main character of the book is a man named Winston Smith. It got its name in honor of Winston Churchill, the leader of the British Conservative Party, whose views Orwell despised. The character's surname is equally important. Smith is one of the most common surnames in English-speaking countries. The author wanted to emphasize the simplicity of the character and the lack of individuality in him, saying that he is just a cog in the system. When Winston committed several betrayals against the authorities, he was tortured and brainwashed, after which he willingly joined the members of the party from which he had previously tried to escape.
Orwell envisioned flying drones, employers who check social media, cameras and screens almost everywhere. I would like to hope that sex on cards will not become another come true prediction of a genius.
6. Jules Verne
Jules Verne is one of the most famous French writers, who is rightfully called the father of science fiction. In his arsenal there are many events and discoveries that have taken place: the use of hydrogen as a fuel source and space travel - from the novel From the Earth to the Moon in a Direct Way in 97 Hours 20 Minutes (1865), electric submarines - from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870).
In 1889, Verne published the story One Day of an American Journalist in 2889. It mentioned television news broadcasts, video conferencing, and skywriting advertising techniques that were spread by airplanes. Released in 1887, "Robur the Conqueror" predicted the appearance of helicopters - the first of them was built in 1939 by Igor Sikorsky, who noted that he was really inspired by Jules Verne.
Sikorsky said:
7. Morgan Robertson
Morgan Robertson, a native of New York, presented the book Futility, or Death of the Titan in 1898. In it, he talked about a giant ocean liner, which was considered unsinkable. According to the plot of the story, "Titan" sets sail in April, after which it collides with an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean. Together with the ship, 2,987 passengers and crew members drown. All of them die due to the fact that the ship did not have enough lifeboats.
On April 14, 1912, the largest ocean liner Titanic, which was called unsinkable, repeated the fate of the literary ship. In reality, 1,533 people died due to the lack of boats. Despite the fact that Robertson's work does not completely coincide with the Titanic disaster, the main technical characteristics are almost identical: the crash time is midnight in April; the cause of the disaster - high speed in the ice area and severe damage to the starboard side; the reason for the huge number of deaths is the lack of the required number of boats and the confidence of shipowners in the strength of the ship.
Also in 1914, Morgan Robertson published the story "Off the Spectrum", in which the Japanese attack the US Navy in Hawaii, which happened on December 7, 1941.
8. John Brunner
English science fiction writer John Brunner in 1968 released the novel "Everybody Stand on Zanzibar", which won the Apollo, Hugo and 1970 British Science Fiction Association Best Novel awards. Its name refers to research on planetary overpopulation, according to which the entire population of the Earth (at that time - more than 3.5 billion people) could be located on the Isle of Man. In his novel, Brunner describes the events of 2010 that take place when the island of Zanzibar, which is three times the size of Maine, is already needed for the same calculation.
The book also mentions gay marriage, global terrorism, drug decriminalization, video chats, greed and consumerism. And in the United States, the presidency is held by a black man named Obomi. It all sounds creepy enough and makes you think.
