According to the author of this book, science fiction is the most important literature of our day. Future technology could improve the lives of billions of people but the pitfalls as well as the rewards need to be highlighted and science fiction does just that. The genre can also create disappointment. Thirty years after Back to the Future we still don't have self-drying clothes or hoverboards. However, it is less about prophesying the future than giving an indication of the general feel for how it might turn out. This book compares old science fiction stories with our modern understanding of science.
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All the Wonder that Would Be. Exploring Past Notions of the Future
http://www.springer.com/de/book/9783319517582