The future is closer than you think.

The future is closer than you think.

Many of my books have been lost over time, comics too, some lost to an unscrupulous landlord, some to flood, some to moving home, some I have read online and some are still on loan.

Some were borrowed from public libraries, some from school, some from college; some for my kids’ one or two are still on loan.

 I would have an eclectic collection, Hawkins: A Brief History of Time, through the Bible, art history, and classics like those of Thomas Hardy, the Bronte sisters, poetry, comedy, philosophy, cookery, autobiographies, psychology, romantic fiction, encyclopaedias, science and science fiction.

A lot of Wikipedia, Google, 

Penelope Leach: Children FIRST, What society must do- and is not doing-for children today (1994) ISBN 0-14-023812-3.

Jasvinder Sanghera: SHAME, Forced into marriage-rejected by those she loved (2007) ISBN 978-0-340-92460-0

Etcetera, Etceteras and Etcetera.

Science Fiction it is perhaps popular culture, but, since the earliest authors; H. G. Wells:  The Ironclads (1903), Frank L. Pollack: Finis (1906) decade after decade, through two world wars bestselling authors and lesser known ones have prophesised dystopian futures. Aldous Huxley:  Brave New World (1931) and George Orwell: 1984 (1949). Issac Asimov: The end of eternity (1959) Robert A. Heinlein: I will fear no evil (1972) Simak: Catface (1978) William Gibson : Burning Chrome (1982)

Arthur C. Clarke predicted geo-stationary satellites.

Gene Roddenberry: Star Trek predicted mobile phones and i-pods

William Gibson: Neuromancer (1995) cyber-space and virtual reality

Michael Stewart: Prodigy (1989) Genetics and IVF

Artificial limbs for injured soldiers, almost cyborg.

Artificial organs, as a Russian journalist told me.

Cloned animals for intensive farming methods, ‘Dolly the sheep’.

Nano technology, genetically modified crops, supercomputing, atomic power, solid state HDD’s, talking elevators.

Steampunk, Zero emission coal, 100 years worth still in the ground, and perhaps Cold fusion.

 Then there are also the movies...