Ray Bradbury said that science fiction is an idea that does not exist yet but soon will and, when it does, will change everything for everyone. The history of science fiction is ripe with visions of a future where technology is limited only by the human imagination. Some of the most influential sci-fi writers have proven to be some of our greatest futurists.
Arthur C. Clarke
It is no wonder that the author of “2001: A Space Odyssey” is often referred to as a futurist as well as an writer. Clarke is known for blending solid science with world visions that tilt the imagination ever so gently. In his stories, technology was always a tool to bring out the human condition. This is somewhat unsurprising when we realize that Clarke was educated as a scientist and worked as an engineer before becoming famous as an author. Specifically, his specialty was in communications.
Because of his knowledge base, it is difficult to tease apart the science from the fiction. Clarke was instrumental in the development of the geostationary orbit of satellites, writing in both technical journal and in fiction. To this day, the geosynchronous motion of communication satellites is called the Clarke Orbit. Likewise, the use of lasers as weapons and communication devices was predicted by Clarke in his 1955 novel, “Earthlight.” Sixty years later, satellites make cellular communication possible and laser sighting devices can be purchased on the Internet.
Robert Heinlein
In his novella “Waldo,” Robert Heinlein created the name for a then-fictitious device that enabled a sensor-covered glove to control a robotic arm that could either perform tasks of strength or fine microscopic work. Though Heinlein published this story in 1942, it was not until 1962 that General Motors used the first robotic arm (reverently called a waldo) in its automated manufacturing process. Of course, now we can find programmable and remote mechanical digital extensions on assembly lines and hospitals.
Robert Heinlein had a long and successful writing career with more than 100 novels, stories or anthologies published in his lifetime. In his novel “Friday,” Robert Heinlein introduced a female protagonist who seemed to use the Internet like we do now. Of course, “Friday” was published in 1982, 13 years before America Online began offering dial-up service. Yet somehow Friday knew to “set her terminal to ‘research,’ ” and let it do all the work.
Isaac Asimov
The most prolific of the Big Three, Asimov has nearly 500 works under his name. Like Clarke, Asimov was a scientist before becoming a writer. He earned a doctorate in biochemistry and sat as faculty at Boston University School of Medicine. One of his best-known works is the “I, Robot” series.
In the first book, a sentient android helps a human detective solve a murder on a colony planet off of Earth. Asimov carefully creates a distinction between the crowded Earth and the sparsely populated off-worlds by highlighting their use of video chat and wearable technology. In short, Asimov predicted Skype and the entirety of the webcam culture. He even included cyber-disinhibition, where people are more apt to do or say things via a computer screen than in real life — for example, they are comfortable being unclothed in front of a webcam, though they would not consider doing so in real life.
