‘Prediction or Influence?’, Books of the Past That Forecast the Future

Printer Inks created a compelling infographic illustrating futuristic ideas in books of the past that came true, as well as the time difference between each book’s publication and the time in which the idea became fact.

Many writers of the past have predicted the facts of our present society with a level of detail that seems impossibly accurate. Some of them were even derided in their times for what were called outlandish and unbelievable fictions. Yet their imaginations were in reality painting portraits that would eventually be mirrored by history books a century later. Which seems to beg the question, Where does inspiration come from?

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, for example, predicted in 1735 that Mars had two moons. It wasn’t until 142 years later (1877) that Mars’ two moons were discovered. John Brunner‘s Hugo Award-winning Stand on Zanzibar is the clear front-runner among the group of books with eight predictions, including the decriminalization of marijuana, on-demand television shows, and the European Union.

image via Printer Inks