Science Fiction When There's Spaceships Already?

Yes. It's fun to look at some of the older sci-fi stuff (you don't even have to go very far back) to notice things like cathode ray tubes in what is meant to be the year 2500 or some such. I was just watching "Alien" the other night and the graphics technology presented is nowhere near what we have now, much less what we would have at a time when we have giant mining vessels travelling to other worlds (aka the Nostromo).I am fascinated with the things that sci-fi has either consistently overestimated (flying cars, bases on the moon and mars) or almost completely overlooked ... the ONLY example that comes to mind immediately on that second point is the internet...Although I'm sure there are other examples of older sci-fi predicting the internet (or some similar planet-wide information sharing technology), the ONLY example of such that I can think of is A Logic Named Joe - Wikipedia - from the March 1946 edition of Astounding Science Fiction - and adapted into a radio play on the brilliant (albeit dated) old-time-radio programme "X-Minus 1". It imagined a calculating machine that could be asked any question and it would give an answer. Of course the controversy came when someone asked it for advice on killing someone and it responded with a poison formula or something like that... my memory fails me.If anyone has examples of pre-1960's sci-fi that predicted the internet, I'd love to give it a read.

Good point, and a fantastic series of novels. It's been a while since I read it but I don't remember any specificity with regard to networked communication, but I don't doubt that it was there - it would sorta be a prerequisite to the types of calculations the "psychohistorians" needed to do.I'm slightly disappointed with our complete lack of solar-system-wide bases that appear in tons of old sci-fi stuff. I mean, 2001 had as with moon bases and manned expeditions to Jupiter for crying out loud.I suppose the thing to keep in mind there is that we HAVE had the capacity to do these things for many years, just not the funding or motivation. Not to mention that there's been no real NEED to send humans to these places when we have sent very efficient intelligence gathering probes instead.

A valid point, hadn't thought about it that way.

And... to apologise for getting off topic a bit... here's a comment relating to the OP... I would guess that the science fiction of such a world would, as sci-fi has always done, explore the further consequences of what is now known or knowable.... i.e. in a world with faster-than-light engines and holodecks, science fiction would spend more time poking into other universes, alternate realities, the micro world, and so forth.And to venture slightly off topic again, is it just me or is the entire notion of "galactic empire" simply not feasible regardless of the state of technology due to time dilation effects? I mean, I'm no physicist but... haven't we proven that there is no such thing as simultaneity on an interstellar scale? In other words, even if we could travel faster than light, and zip from one star to another in minutes... wouldn't we all be way out-of sync with one another rather quickly? i.e. those departing, upon return, would find thousands of years had passed and everyone they ever knew was dead?Edited by Briterican, : typo

Outstanding. You've peaked my curiosity, and thanks for the heads-up.

Outstanding, thanks for that. Wasn't aware of this website either, looks like a good source. I shall use my netbook to read these I seem to recall reading Nine Billion Names ages ago, but not sure about Power.Thanks again.