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'Paris in the Twentieth Century' (1863) - Jules Verne -

Verne's dystopian 'Paris in the Twentieth Century' predicted inventions almost 100 years before they were made. They include the submarine and the technology needed to land on the Moon.

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'Paris in the Twentieth Century' (1863) - Jules Verne -

Verne mentioned these inventions in some of his other books, but 'Paris in the Twentieth Century' was the first work where they were seen.

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'An Express of the Future' (1888) - Michel Verne -

Jules Verne's son wrote 'An Express of the Future' 25 years after 'Paris in the Twentieth Century.' The short story describes a theoretical transatlantic tunnel in which trains are propelled through pneumatic tubes by pressurized air. It might remind you of Elon Musk's Hyperloop, which could get you from one part of California to another very quickly.

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'Nostradamus: The Complete Prophecies for the Future' (2005) - Mario Reading -

The book is an interpretation of the prophecies of the 16th-century French astrologer Nostradamus. One part says "Queen Elizabeth II will die, circa 22, at the age of around 96." The book's sales grew tremendously after her passing in 2022, at the age of 96.

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'1984' (1948) - George Orwell -

Orwell's '1984' describes a dystopian future, 36 years after it was written. The term "Big Brother," which refers to abuse of government power and surveillance, was originated in the book.

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'1984' (1948) - George Orwell -

Orwell described multiple technological advancements that now exist, such as a screen that monitors people's lives and identifies a person based on their facial expressions and heart rate. Or, as we would call it today, facial recognition software.

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'The Sultana’s Dream' (1905) - Rokeya Sakhawat Hussain -

A Muslim feminist and social reformer from Bengal, Hussain's book was set in a place called Ladyland, in which men were locked away to prevent violence and war. And while this hasn't happened, she did predict some technologies, such as solar power and video calls.

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'The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket' (1838) - Edgar Allan Poe -

The only complete novel written by Edgar Allan Poe, sailors are adrift and starving in the ocean after their vessel is hit by a storm. Desperate, they decide to sacrifice sailor Richard Parker.

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'The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket' (1838) - Edgar Allan Poe -

Nearly 50 years after Poe had written about such atrocities, a real-life Richard Parker was killed and eaten by his shipmates after their ship, the Mignonette, sank in a storm.

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'2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968) - Arthur C. Clarke -

Developed simultaneously with the Kubrick film, Clarke's '2001: A Space Odyssey' became a cult classic for its realistic depiction of space travel.

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'2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968) - Arthur C. Clarke -

But it was the little luxuries and amenities on board the shuttle that Clarke predicted. Described as "newspads," one could say he envisioned the iPad.

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'Brave New World' (1932) - Aldous Huxley -

Set in London in 2540, 'Brave New World' depicts a society in which people escape through the use of mood-enhancing drugs.

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'Brave New World' (1932) - Aldous Huxley -

It wasn't until the 1950s when scientists would first experiment with antidepressants. But Huxley managed to predict it even back in the '30s.

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'The World Set Free' (1914) - H.G. Wells -

Even if people knew the power of radioactivity at the time, Wells anticipated its destructive usage before anyone else.

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'The World Set Free' (1914) - H.G. Wells -

Written in the wake of World War I, 'The World Set Free' outlined the possibility of atomic weapons almost 100 years before they were invented, and then dropped.

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'Gulliver’s Travels' (1726) - Jonathan Swift -

In Jonathan Swift’s satire, he ridiculed many aspects of British life, including scientists and their research. He wrote that they found two moons with relatively short orbital periods around Mars, 150 years before they were actually discovered.

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'Gulliver’s Travels' (1726) - Jonathan Swift -

Swift also accurately described the moons' behaviors. Now, several craters on Mars’ moon Phobos are named after his characters.

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'Earth' (1990) - David Brin -

Set in the year 2038, 'Earth' is packed with predictions, such as email inboxes filled with spam, a nuclear meltdown, and global warming. Brin said that he exaggerated the extent of greenhouse heating. But experts have stated that he's not far off.

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'Fahrenheit 451' (1953) - Ray Bradbury -

When the book was published in 1953, television was already a popular form of entertainment. But most programming consisted of game shows, scripted comedies, and news programs.

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'Fahrenheit 451' (1953) - Ray Bradbury -

However, 'Fahrenheit 451' featured what sounds a lot like modern reality TV. In his book, Bradbury imagined a world in which wall-sized televisions involved viewers directly in the programs.

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'Neuromancer' (1984) - William Gibson -

Published in 1984, the Internet was still relatively new and people were still figuring out how to use it. However, Gibson's character wasn't only using it, but also hacking it and stealing data.

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'Neuromancer' (1984) - William Gibson -

Gibson even coined the term cyberspace in his previous book, 'Burning Chrome' (1982). But it was in 'Neuromancer' that it was popularized.

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The Foundation trilogy - Isaac Asimov -

Published between 1951 and 1953, the trilogy predicted a science called "psychohistory," which could predict the future by accurately measuring current developments and trends in human behavior and life.

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The Foundation trilogy - Isaac Asimov -

Although statistics existed back then, they were very basic compared to today’s surveys, which can measure everything from consumer behavior to voting preferences—just like in Asimov's novels.

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'The Machine Stops' (1909) - E.M. Forster -

In 'The Machine Stops,' Forster imagined a future in which people live and work exclusively in their own rooms, communicating with each other entirely through electronic devices.

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'The Machine Stops' (1909) - E.M. Forster -

And while the telephone did exist at this point, radio was virtually unknown and television was not yet invented. In a time filled with video chats and home office, Forster hit the nail on the head with this one.

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The Parable series - Octavia E. Butler -

Though she passed away before completing the third book in the trilogy, Octavia E. Butler created a dystopian world in 'Parable of the Sower' (1993) and 'Parable of the Talents' (1998). Her books featured the rise of a populist demagogue, as well as global warming, extremely influential corporations, and social inequality.

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'Stand on Zanzibar' (1969) - John Brunner -

Probably the most accurate depiction of the future ever described in a book, 'Stand on Zanzibar' is set in the year 2010 in the US. Brunner didn't only predict terrorist threats and school violence, but also an accepted hookup culture and LGBTQ lifestyle. In his novel, people also have satellite TV and electric cars.

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'The Wreck of the Titan' (1898) - Morgan Robertson -

Originally published under the title 'Futility,' Robertson's novel tells the tale of a passenger ship named Titan, which hit an iceberg and sank in the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

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'The Wreck of the Titan' (1898) - Morgan Robertson -

Like the Titanic, the Titan was also described in Robertson’s book as the largest ship of its time. And like in the real tragedy, thousands of people died as well.

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'Stranger in a Strange Land' (1961) - Robert Heinlein -

Heinlein described the modern-day waterbed in his 1961 science fiction novel. He wrote it in such accurate detail that the eventual inventor of the device, Charles Hall, had his original patent denied in 1968. 

Sources: (Insider) (Mental Floss) (Reader's Digest)

See also: Read up on the world's rarest and most valuable books 

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