Friday, December 09, 2011

Sometimes science fiction writers like Orwell, Bradburry, and Arthur C. Clarke blow me away with the stuff they predict with the worlds they create - advances in technology and trends in modern society that occur thirty years after they write a story.

I'm rereading "A Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley, and aside from the class systems, test tube babies, genetic engineering, pill popping, and other things he was dead on with, here is a passage predicting something I don't think many envisioned:

And around her waist she wore a silver-mounted green morocco-surrogate cartridge belt, bulging (for Lenina was not a freemartin) with the regulation supply of contraceptives.


Yup. He predicted that Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and the rest of TLC would wear condom accessories as part of their wardrobe. Bravo, Aldous. That is probably something he threw in there to exaggerate for effect, but yup, modern society is that stupid.

8 comments:

sybil law said...

Hahaha! I should totally reread some classics. Thanks for the idea, Dr!

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater said...

Sybil: Love the rapid commenting. I need that motivation to keep shooting for 20 posts a month. Popa a "soma" and read that sucker. I'll probably finish it tonight.

Urbanist Chic said...

1984 next!! Big brother IS watching...

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater said...

Chic: I think Orwell already got a lot right in 1984. Those damn cameras busting me running red lights . . .

The Igloo Oven said...

You should check out The Iron Heel by Jack London.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater said...

Igloo: I thought Jack London wrote the ones about the huskies and the sled races, or whatever. I'll look into it, Mr. Igloo . . .

The Igloo Oven said...

He did those too! This one is a wild dystopian, class warfare piece. Lots of revolution going on in it. Believe it or not, congress was corrupt way back when too!

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater said...

Igloo: That may be my next read, bro. I'm into this shit lately.