The science fiction genre is full of amazing technology, interesting devices, and fascinating predictions.
In fact, sci-fi writers have actually predicted many of the technologies that we use in our everyday lives.
Throughout the genre’s history, there have been countless predictions that were thought impossible to come true, but somehow they have become a reality.
If you are looking to determine which technologies were originally predicted by sci-fi writers, you have come to the right place.
So what technologies were originally predicted by sci-fi writers?
Here’s a list of some:
- video phone calls
- organ transplant
- atomic and nuclear bombs
- Bluetooth earbuds
- anti-depressants and mood-enhancing medications
I’ll unpack these more in the following sections.Â
Technologies Originally Predicted by Sci-Fi Writers
As we know, the sci-fi genre is full of unique technology.
Since the genre’s inception, writers have made predictions about technology and its future uses.
Many of these predictions turned out to be true, and now, we use them in our day-to-day life.
Check out the technologies below.
Though some of them were once thought to be far-fetched or impossible, they are a reality now.Â
Video Phone Calls
Many sci-fi writers predicted the ability to speak to another person via video chat, but do you know who the first writer was to dream up this seemingly impossible technology?
Huge Gernsback is the author of Ralph 124C 41+, a science fiction novel from 1911.
This novel was published long before cell phones and video calls were even possible.
This technology simply did not exist at that time.
While there were many technological predictions in this novel that did eventually come true, the most surprising one is video calls.
Gernsback is credited with being the first author to come up with this idea.
We now have countless options for video calling and video communication.
How would we have survived the COVID-19 pandemic without being able to use video communication?
It is a technology that is vital to our society today, but one that was impossible within the last century.
Organ Transplant
Can you believe that there was once a time when organ transplants were not possible?
These life-saving procedures are in use now.
But they were not always so commonplace.
Mary Shelley is the author of Frankenstein, which is arguably the first true science fiction novel.
Published in 1818, this novel and the monster within are very well known in today’s day and age, but the technology within its pages is not always discussed.
Shelley writes of many futuristic technologies, the most impressive being organ transplant.
The Creature that Dr. Frankenstein creates in the novel is a collection of limbs and other body parts from cadavers and other human sources.
Though Dr. Frankenstein creates a monster, this is the first indication of transplants in literature.
Organ transplants are still being perfected to this day, but they have come a long way in recent years.
The transplants in Shelley’s novel may not be exactly what we experience today, but it is certainly a bold and exciting prediction from the author.
Atomic and Nuclear Bombs
Before the dark days of World War II and the horrific bombings on Japan, The World Set Free by H.G. Wells depicts uranium bombs.
The bombs in this 1914 novel drop from planes, much like the bombings that would not drop for another 30 years on Japan.
In 1914, research was already being conducted on the effects of radioactivity, and World War I was just beginning.
The world was prepared for war, but new and unheard-of weapons were still developing.
A bomb had not been created that had the power of death and destruction like the one in Wells’ novel, but that didn’t last for long.
The neutron was discovered in 1932, which started the development of nuclear bombs.
Though many of the technologies that science fiction writers have predicted have been a great benefit to our society, the atomic bomb is not one of them.
This is a prediction that we could certainly live without.
Bluetooth Earbuds
Bluetooth earbuds are almost as common as cell phones in today’s world.
They are something that many adults carry around with them at all times to connect to their various devices to listen to music, podcasts, audiobooks, and so on.
Before these wireless earbuds existed, we used headphones with cords that connected directly to a device.
But before headphones existed, there was really no way to listen to anything privately.
It required a speaker that the whole room would be able to hear.
Though Bluetooth earbuds may not seem like the most exciting or interesting invention on this list, it is certainly one that shapes how we live today.
In Ray Bradbury’s 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451, he very accurately predicted the existence of Bluetooth earbuds. This was even before the existence of headphones.
Bradbury writes of small seashells that could fit into the wearer’s ears so they could hear both talk and music.
Though these seashells were considered to be tiny radios, it does not diminish the fact that he wrote about a technology that simply did not exist at the time.
Anti Depressants and Mood Enhancing Medications
What would the world look like without antidepressants?
They are one of the most common medications, and they make life much more enjoyable and bearable for countless people around the world.
This is definitely a technology that is a great addition to our world.
Aldous Huxley writes about a drug that exists within the population in his novel Brave New World.
In the novel, citizens take the drug to ensure that they do not have any negative feelings or feelings of discontent.
They love the calming and relaxing effects of this drug and they all rely on it heavily.
Luckily, Huxley’s prediction about the government mandating the use of antidepressants has not come true.
However, he was right on target with the use of mood-boosting medications.
These medications are a lifeline for many people, but they also indicate the heavy reliance that many societies have on prescription medications.
It is a great thing to have, but too much of a good thing can become a terrible thing.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading this article about which technologies were originally predicted by sci-fi writers.
Perhaps when you pick up your next sci-fi novel, you will discover new technologies that may become a reality someday.Â
Also, if you want to read more about sci-fi on this website, then check out:
