Skip to main content

Retrofuturistic predictions

Science fiction is full of predictions about future technology. While some of the predictions sounded wild at their time many of the inventions predicted in early sci-fi from late 19th and early 20th century has already become real. In some cases we have even surpassed those predictions by centuries while other inventions might still be another century or two away.

The interesting thing is when this concept is applied retroactively. A story set on 1950's written today can inject those predictions into it's dialogue. A good example of this is the movie The Vast of Night where the characters discuss such predictions which in the story's context sound wild and imaginative. The funny thing is out of three predictions given the two the characters think might be plausible are only now starting to become reality (Hyperloop like transport and self-driving cars) while the one we've had for decades already is unimaginable to them (mobile phones).

It was a nice detail and the movie itself is also a nice throwback to the cinematography of the early science fiction in the big screen in 70's and 80's. Especially it plays a lot of homage to one particular cult classic, but revealing what would spoil too much of the plot.

Category