A Poll!

[marykaykare]

Ok, it's not like it's real content, but it's all I can do right now.

Poll Sci Fi Icons

Comments

[ffutures]

I would have picked cars and jet packs given the option. Also robots, of course.

[brooksmoses]

Either flying cars or nuclear fusion power. Though, IIRC, that was rather more prominent in Popular Science-style predictions rather than fiction as such, whereas the flying cars were a thing in both.

That, and cheap space travel. It sort of blends into the background for some reason, but that was everywhere in early sci-fi.

[post_ecdysis]

I suppose it depends on what you mean by "iconic". I think that an implausibly powerful laser gun is more ubiquitous in science fiction, but not having a flying car is what constantly reminds me that we have yet to be living in the future.

[mrissa]

Yes, exactly: for me a flying car is not iconic of science fiction but of the ways in which science fiction is not predictive. Which is not the same thing.

[okoshun]

I still think (and we actually were discussing it today) that Star Trek and their whole transporter technology has lead to many a comment of "where is my g*d-damn transporter device anyways!".

[brooksmoses]

Oh, and zeppelins. I forgot about the zeppelins. But maybe those are earlier than what you mean.