Who is better at predicting the future: Science fiction writers, or "Psychics"?

Science fiction writers have often held an unacknowledged monopoly in the field of prescience, the ability to predict trends or possess foreknowledge of events that have yet come to pass. When people think of predicting the future, they often conjure images of wrinkled old Gypsy palm-readers, ancient bearded Druids, or Taoist priests divining with the I-Ch’ing or tea leaves. There is an important distinction to make between science fiction visionaries and others in the world of prescience. A science fiction writer’s abilities lay in making projections based on applying imagination to technological and cultural trends past and present, rather than gazing into a crystal ball and gleaning insights and murky revelations from the other side.

So...Who takes the cake? I am obviously for the science fiction writers. After all, H.G. Wells did predict the Atom bomb in 1919, and Star Trek predicted all kinds of technologies that are around today.( I know it is a T.V. show, but to me they do count because the stories are written before they are filmed.)Your thoughts? Any other Science fiction writers that you feel should be mentioned to illustrate this point further? Or, do you disagree and want to show how psychics lead the field of prescience?

The future without the corruption and sabotage by the PTB? The science fiction writers would have been better/correct at/in predicting the future.

The future with the corruption and sabotage by the PTB? The psychics would have been better/correct at/in predicting the future

I wonder when it all went wrong. I guuess back in day when technology began really taking off and somehow, the powers that be won the battle to define the next few hundred years, to keep their power.

Now we're screwed.

[edit on 14-3-2009 by star in a jar]

I'm going with science fiction writers!

Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick immediately come to mind.
Here are a few of Asimov's predictions:

* There will be a steadily increasing equality among the sexes as the only reasonable and humane way of bringing about a permanent reduction in the birthrate--since women busy helping to run the world will have less time for childbearing.

* There will be a steady increase in the age level of humanity as a whole, as medicine advances, and a growing importance will be placed on adult education to retain the mental vigor and creativity of human beings throughout their life.

* There will be a steady decline in racism, war will become increasingly obsolete, and we will witness the growth and slow acceptance of an effective world government as the only way of dealing with problems that are planetwide in scope.

~obviously the last one there hasn't come to pass what with all the wars going on....but notice the world government prediction? Kinda spooky.

Originally posted by star in a jar
The future without the corruption and sabotage by the PTB? The science fiction writers would have been better/correct at/in predicting the future.

The future with the corruption and sabotage by the PTB? The psychics would have been better/correct at/in predicting the future

I wonder when it all went wrong. I guess back in day when technology began really taking off and somehow, the powers that be won the battle to define the next few hundred years, to keep their power.

Now we're screwed.

[edit on 14-3-2009 by star in a jar]

PTB???? What are you referring to?

And dont forget H.G.Wells and George Orwell. Absolutely I would say science fiction writers hands down.

reply to post by mpriebe81


Cool. Thanks for responding with a post like this. This is exactly what I am looking for. No one person could have possibly read every single science fiction writers books or know all of the predictions, but I am sure that there are many specific examples that have stuck in peoples minds throughout the years. I am sure there are many avid Sci-fi readers on this site, and would like some good examples for both sides.

Robert Heinlein was talking about the internet and public access to a global knowledge base in the early 1980's. He was talking about the loss of human rights and NWO type scenarios in the 60's. He had moving walkways, though not restricted to airports.

Arthur C. Clarke came up with the idea of communication satellites set in geosynchronous orbit (among other things).

Unlike psychics, you'd be hard pressed to find a single science fiction writer who claims to "predict" the future. They're in the business of stimulating thought, not prediction.

Here is a list of some of H.G Wells predictions. www.trivia-library.com... Wait !!! I almost forgot one of the very best examples: JULES VERNE ! er.jsc.nasa.gov...

[edit on 14-3-2009 by bluemooone2]

I am going to have to go with the science fiction writers. Only because they have had a better track record at predicting the future than any psychic I have heard of.

I found this excerpt from Philip K. Dick's "A Scanner Darkly" to be of interest: One of the most effective forms of industrial or military sabotage limits itself to damage that can never be thoroughly proven - or even proven at all - to be anything deliberate. It is like an invisible political movement; perhaps it isn't there at all. If a bomb is wired to a car's ignition, then obviously there is an enemy; if public building or a political headquarters is blown up, then there is a political enemy. But if an accident, or a series of accidents, occurs, if equipment merely fails to function, if it appears faulty, especially in a slow fashion, over a period of natural time, with numerous small failures and misfirings- then the victim, whether a person or a party or a country, can never marshal itself to defend itself.

Originally posted by Phage
Robert Heinlein was talking about the internet and public access to a global knowledge base in the early 1980's. He was talking about the loss of human rights and NWO type scenarios in the 60's. He had moving walkways, though not restricted to airports.

Arthur C. Clarke came up with the idea of communication satellites set in geosynchronous orbit (among other things).

Unlike psychics, you'd be hard pressed to find a single science fiction writer who claims to "predict" the future. They're in the business of stimulating thought, not prediction.

Do you remember what books Heinlein wrote about the new world order? Sound interesting.

Clarke is awesome. Don't they call the geosynchronous orbit the "Clarke's orbit"? I recently read "Childhoods End" and it is a good book about singularity.

[edit on 02/21/09 by daeoeste]

Frank Herbert's "Dune" series is an interesting take on a N.W.O. type scenario. It also has some interesting views on climate change, the purpose of religion in society, and the possible trouble we could run into with "thinking machines". When I saw clips of the S.W.O.R.D.S. combat system on youtube, I thought of the "combat mechs" in the series.

reply to post by daeoeste

It's not specifically NWO though; totalitarian, personal ID's, cameras everywhere, etc. Due to Heinlein's libertarian bent, an oppressive government is in the background of most of his stories.

A couple where it is prominent.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress1966
Revolt in 21001953

reply to post by Phage

Thanks.I will go to half price and look those books up. Thank you for the contribution. One question though; are these kind of a progenitor of the author William Gibson? I have heard he was very good at predicting these things as well. Any body else know of any W.G. predictions/best works?

reply to post by daeoeste


I haven't read much Gibson. In what I have read, I don't see any of Heinlein's influence.

Don't forget that science fiction writers also SHAPE the future. Many an idea, invention or concept has come from the dreams and writings of those minds and their readers.

Professional Psychics are just "guessers" imo who prefer a gullible mind to work with. We're all psychic though aren't we? (yeah I know....you KNEW someone was going to say that...lol).

Science Fiction writers tell it as it COULD be, usually far fetched but containing many possibilities.....I think "fiction" is the operative word.
They have much more to work with and their limits are only their imaginations and knowledge. A psychic works with more narrow possibilities usually pertaining to a certain subject or case.

I suppose the answer to your question dear OP is in asking other questions....

Is "prediction" truly possible when imagination is part of the equasion and of the psychics and writers, who is free to use that imagination the most and not stick just to "the facts"?

Science fiction can be predictive from planting it's own seed.

Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep? To find out, we must build one....no psychic could tell you I bet!

Happy reading my friends. Arthur C. Clarke is my personal favorite (was employed by NASA as an advisor I think)

reply to post by nerbot


Very good point about science fiction shaping the future. I remember hearing about many of the engineers and designers of today's robotic weapons systems talking about how their influences came from science fiction.

I find your take on predictions very interesting when put in the philosophical conundrum of "Chicken or the egg: Which came first?" I never really thought of it that way. In fact, I am hard pressed to come up with any outrageous technologies were not imagined by science fiction. I am sure they exist, probably as a result of "Innovations at the verge", but science fiction has provided a fertile ground for innovation itself. I am not trying to say that psychics are not imaginative, (quite the contrary I believe) but it seems that the "pool" of information they are drawing from is less influenced by technology and does not inspire technologies that would substantiate their claims.

reply to post by daeoeste


Good question!!!

I don't think it matters though. Both are pretty much equal I think, which is more evident now. I think most of the writers that seem to be able to predict the future with their science 'fiction' have been informed of what is really going on. It wouldn't be just science fiction, fiction, horror, drama etc, all influenced by people aware of what's to come or what has really happened. I think one of the best fiction stories ever written is the bible by Sir Francis Bacon. Well I should say best selling...

Carl Sagan is a good example. Was he just clued in or was he informed of things? In one of his writings of 1974 he alludes to the human DNA number that was sent out with the SETI signal. This number, which was apparently thought to be an error would later crop up as recently as 2001 with the RETURN signal from the supposed ETs in the Chilbolten crop circle. This return signal used the number that Sagan supposedly misquoted in 1974 and which he reiterated in 1978. It appears that he wanted to show that he had fore knowledge of the Aliens DNA. Roswell? Here's a link if you want to find out about Sagan here...

Arthur Clarke is another example... 2001 Space Oddessy? His two sequels... It's happening now....


As to the psychics ability to predict the future, recently there has been evidence shown that the governments have the ability to make people hear and see things. The ability to have people hear voices of god or an Alien creature CHANNELED through them. Sasha Faal(sp?) is one that is inspired by a being I believe. Also you have Benjamin Creme who is now channeling the new messiah/christ prior to his being a human figure. Here

Very recently the founder of the disclosure attempt, Greer, was said to have guided or 'vectored' alien spacecraft. Did this really happen, did he imagine it or was an image and talk generated in his head to make him believe this? He was flying an aircraft at the time this happened apparently.

These people are being targeted by a group representing the NWO, using technology already available to the US military. Technology already proven in Iraq when they had an entire group of soldiers drop their guns and surrender with no shots fired because they thought that their god was talking to them. I can provide info should you wish to study this further.

So, I think each group within our society has some type of information that the general population will not find out about for decades or centuries. They may be known as prophets like Cayce or visionaries/intellectuals like Einstien, but they still have insight through the groups they associate with and have a purpose within the NWO, which has been in the works for thousands of years.

IMHO of course

S&F
Thanks