Science Fiction: Our Crystal Ball

While Arthur C Clark wrote about orbital satelites long before Sputnik, he did have an unfair advantage. He was part of the early space program and was instrumental in putting up one of those early permanently orbiting satellites.

Lucian (500AD) is considered by some as the first SF writer when he wrote about people traveling to the moon. It took a while to accomplish (1969) but we did it. I don't remember the first to write about the space station we now have, but by the golden age of SF it was standard.

Ray Bradbury wrote about landing on Mars. Lois McMasters Bujold wrote about genetic engineering.

Robots have long been a part of science fiction although I can't remember who coined the phrase, Asimov took them from the BEM (bug eyed monster) category and set them to being assistants to mankind. "Metropolis" -- a movie from the silent era -- actually portrayed one on screen. They are now so taken for granted that many don't realize where they are! The vacuum cleaner that scuttles around the floor is an example of one.

Asimov described a GPS in "Foundation", written a half century ago. He also wrote about mob psychology, profiling, 3D imaging, and video conferencing in that same book!

Star Trek, predating the moon landing by 3 years, showed dozens of "firsts". Although many of them were social firsts, the medical bed is a technology that is just beginning to come into hospitals, and the miniaturization of the phone was there as well in the device that Uhura wore on the bridge. The emergency alert tone is used in some hospitals as an emergency signal as well.

Many mainline readers have a low opinion of science fiction books and writers but they doubtless have no idea how integral the mind of the SF writer leads the technology of the future.