Buzz
Throughout history, there have been remarkable stories of people seemingly predicting the future, some that were shockingly accurate, while others missed the mark. From Nostradamus foreseeing the Great Fire of London in 1666 (which, according to some, did happen) to the Mayans' prophecy about the world's end in 2012 (which, well, didn’t), history has been full of strange premonitions.
Premonitions, it turns out, are more common than one might expect. It’s not just ancient doomsday predictions and medieval texts that capture this phenomenon; many contemporary prophecies have appeared in works of fiction. While most literary predictions are dismissed as coincidence or educated guesses, some are so eerily accurate that they can't be ignored. Let's explore them.
10. Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
Gary Shteyngart’s 2010 novel, Super Sad True Love Story, takes readers into a near-future dystopian New York where the lives of Lenny Abramov and Eunice Park are heavily influenced by technology and overwhelming debt. In this world, credit scores are publicly displayed via “apparats,” devices that bear an uncanny resemblance to the iPhone 4.
In the story, economic turmoil takes over. The U.S. faces massive debt to China, the dollar has lost its value, America defaults on its obligations, and China publicly criticizes the country. This situation became a reality when, less than a year later, China stated that Washington must ‘cure its addiction to debt,’ a sentiment echoed across international news outlets.
Shteyngart also foresaw the rise of the Occupy Wall Street Movement in 2011. While his portrayal of events is undeniably satirical, many of his predictions have actually materialized, suggesting that perhaps fiction is simply a mirror to the real world.
9. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
Although often regarded simply as a film, 2001: A Space Odyssey was also based on a book, written simultaneously with the screenplay by Arthur C. Clarke, inspired by his short story ‘The Sentinel.’
The novel closely follows the script's revised version, differing from the film’s final direction. However, both versions feature the ‘newspad,’ a device providing instant access to global news and publications. It resembles an iPad in both appearance and function.
The book was released in 1968, and the iPad was introduced in 2010, a full 42 years after the film and novel were made. Given this gap, it's no surprise that Kubrick is often regarded as the sci-fi visionary of his era.
Then again, could it be that it wasn’t Kubrick who foresaw the future, but rather Steve Jobs who took inspiration from Kubrick’s vision?
8. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
In the iconic Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift leads readers on extraordinary journeys to remote corners of the Earth. In these adventures, Lemuel Gulliver encounters the tiny Lilliputians in a distant land, faces giants in Brobdingnag, and visits the floating city of Laputa, where Swift’s remarkable foresight begins to unfold.
It was discovered by Laputa’s astronomers that Mars has two moons, a revelation made 150 years before Asaph Hall confirmed it in 1877. The fact that Hall's prediction was based on mere conjecture, yet still remarkably accurate in terms of the moons' proximity and orbit, is far more impressive than a calculated guess backed by knowledge.
Hall gave the names Phobos and Deimos to the moons. In homage to Jonathan Swift, a crater on Deimos was named Swift, a tribute that is as extraordinary as the foresight that led to the naming.
Edward Bellamy’s 'Looking Backward: 2000–1887' is set in a time of intense social and economic upheaval in the late 19th century. Bellamy became frustrated with the slow progress of labor unions, the violence against the working class, and the animosity towards the privileged elite. His novel outlines his views and vision for the future.
The story follows Julian West, who, after falling into a deep, hypnotic sleep, awakens a century later in the year 2000, only to find that America has transformed into a socialist utopia where resources are evenly distributed among the people. Bellamy was also the first to introduce the concept of credit cards, long before they existed, as he depicts a scene where his character is handed a card resembling a modern debit card.
In Bellamy's novel, Julian West discovers a radically transformed society where goods are shared equally among all citizens. Bellamy not only envisioned this socialist paradise but also introduced the futuristic concept of credit cards, which were integrated into the narrative long before their actual invention.
They acquire all the goods and services needed for a comfortable life, tailored to the buyer’s specific needs. While not identical to today’s system, Bellamy's foresight in creating this concept was extraordinary—now implemented by financial institutions globally. To have predicted such a system in the late 1880s required a visionary mind, or perhaps, a time traveler.
6. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Although personal stereos didn't exist until 1977, Ray Bradbury envisioned earphones designed to isolate one's mind from the outside world in his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451, published in 1953. In the world of Fahrenheit 451, people use “seashells” and “thimble radios,” which bear a striking resemblance to today’s earbuds and Bluetooth headsets.
When the novel was published, headphones were bulky and unwieldy. Nevertheless, Bradbury anticipated these smaller, in-ear headphones that would play music to Montag’s wife while she slept. These “seashells” transitioned from science fiction to reality in 2001, when Apple designer Jonathan Ive introduced the first earbuds.
When Ray Bradbury was asked if he envisioned the future resembling the grim one depicted in Fahrenheit 451, he replied, 'I don’t try to predict the future. All I want to do is prevent it.'
5. From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne
It’s not unusual for science fiction to make its way onto this list, as the genre is inherently ahead of its time—or in many cases, ahead of any time. Sci-fi often explores futuristic cities, societies, technologies, and transportation methods, all of which are part of the genre’s inherent charm. The visionary minds behind these stories often unknowingly foresee events that later become reality.
However, to predict something a full century before it actually came to pass—especially in 1865, when plumbing was not yet a common feature in most homes—is a truly remarkable feat. This remarkable foresight can be attributed to Jules Verne, the pioneer of modern science fiction. In his book From the Earth to the Moon, Verne predicted the Moon landing, igniting global interest in space exploration. Beyond the sheer improbability of such a prediction during the early days of human technology, some of the parallels to reality are downright eerie.
In Verne's tale, the protagonist is confident he can fire a cannon that will reach the Moon. Despite doubts, he manages to gather sufficient funds to build the rocket. Remarkably, the design resembles the real-life Apollo capsule, with enough room for three individuals—just like the actual one that would be created a century later. The cannon, named Columbiad by the protagonist, has a curious similarity to the real-life Columbia command module, which is likely a tribute to Verne's visionary work.
Verne's foresight extends to the location of the launch. In a scenario almost mirroring reality, Texas and Florida battle over the privilege of hosting the cannon's launch. Eventually, Florida is chosen as the launch site, while Texas takes on the role of the command center.
4. Debt of Honor by Tom Clancy
When Condoleezza Rice, who was serving as the national security adviser under the Bush administration, claimed after the 9/11 attacks that no one could have predicted an aviation-related assault, she found herself in an awkward position. Long before the events of September 11, Tom Clancy had already foreshadowed such a terrorist act in his 1994 novel, Debt of Honor.
In the story, a terrorist takes control of a jetliner and deliberately crashes it into Washington D.C.'s Capitol Building, aiming to eliminate the entire government and its hierarchical structure. While this scenario closely mirrors the real-life events of the September 11th attacks, in the book, these events set the stage for a drastic political transformation.
The book might appear eerily prescient, but few seemed willing to highlight the parallels, and even Clancy himself quickly rejected the idea of being viewed as some kind of modern-day prophet. Whether prophetic or not, Clancy explained that the similarities stemmed from his ability to carefully observe facts and analyze human behavior based on his research.
Exactly.
3. The Wreck of the Titan: Or, Futility by Morgan Robertson
The sinking of the Titanic remains one of the most discussed events in human history, and this is not even considering the numerous news stories, documentaries, films, and, of course, hit songs that have been inspired by the fateful tragedy of the passenger liner. Yet there is one Titanic tale that particularly stands out. This is because it was written before the Titanic actually sank.
That’s correct! A mere 14 years before the iconic ship collided with an iceberg on a cold April evening in 1912, Morgan Robertson wrote a story that bears such a striking resemblance to the real-life event that one might wonder if he was a clairvoyant, rather than just a writer with a wild imagination.
In 1898, The Wreck of the Titan: Or, Futility was published across the United States and Europe, captivating readers with a chilling tale of a catastrophic maritime disaster, in which only a few survived. The narrative follows John Rowland, a downcast deckhand aboard the Titan, the world’s largest cruise ship at the time, a vessel considered unsinkable by both experts and the general public.
Does that ring a bell?
The name of the ship alone should make you stop and think, but there’s more to it. In the novel, the Titan is described as an engineering marvel—far ahead of its time, even the largest ship ever built. The physical similarities between the Titan and the Titanic are uncanny. The Titan measured 244 meters (800 feet) in length, while the Titanic was only 25 meters (82 feet) longer. While the Titanic carried 20 lifeboats, the Titan carried 24. These physical resemblances are so striking that it almost feels like the White Star Line may have used Robertson’s fictional ship as a model for the Titanic’s design. But the similarities don’t end there—both the Titan and the Titanic collided with an iceberg on the starboard side in the North Atlantic.
In April.
Robertson dismissed the idea of being able to foresee the future, instead attributing the eerie coincidence to his vast experience as a seaman. While this could explain the Titan’s similar dimensions and the shortage of lifeboats, the fact that the Titan was struck in nearly the exact same location in the North Atlantic—during the same month—is undeniably a striking coincidence.
2. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allen Poe
Next on our list is the story of Richard Parker. There was once a time when Edgar Allen Poe wasn't as widely known as he is today, when his name didn’t evoke dread or fascination in those who stumbled upon his (at the time unpublished) works. Essentially, he didn't generate much buzz except among the few fortunate enough to know him. However, his first—and only—full-length novel, published in 1838, transformed his reputation from an unknown writer to an enigmatic author (though that label didn’t last long, as you probably know).
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket was an unusual story, differing from Poe’s more famous short stories, as it lacked ghosts, vengeful spirits, or any ravens. Instead, the plot centered on the maritime adventures of Arthur Pym, a man who transformed from mutineer to murderer over a series of illicit boat trips across the Atlantic.
Any story involving cannibalism is bound to have a grim ending, so it’s no surprise that the Grampus sinks, leaving its crew stranded at sea without food or water. In their desperation, the crew members draw lots to determine who will make the ultimate sacrifice—and offer their flesh to sustain the others. Unfortunately, it was 17-year-old Richard Parker, one of the mutineers aboard the ship, who drew the unlucky lot.
Forty-six years later, the last cannibalism trial in Britain sparked a sensation in the English courts, with the chilling details of the gruesome events horrifyng all who heard them.
Edgar Allen Poe’s tale took on new life when the Mignonette, a small yacht en route from England to Australia, sank at sea, leaving the four-man crew stranded on a tiny wooden dinghy. On the brink of death from starvation and dehydration, the captain and first mate killed a young crew member who had succumbed to a saltwater overdose, using his body as their only source of nourishment. The doomed lad's name? Richard Parker.
Two days later, the remaining survivors were rescued by a passing German vessel.
Irony at its finest? Absolutely. A perverse twist of fate? Without a doubt.
If Poe truly possessed some form of clairvoyance, it was never openly acknowledged. In fact, after his short stories began to gain recognition in literary circles, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket was relegated to obscurity. Perhaps the harsh realities of life were harder to stomach than the fictional ravens he wrote about…
1. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
Philip Roth’s 2004 masterpiece, The Plot Against America, stands out not only because of its literary excellence, although that alone would make it noteworthy. What makes the novel truly remarkable are the eerie parallels between its protagonist’s presidential campaign and Donald Trump’s actual election, which occurred 12 years after the book’s publication.
In Roth’s alternate reality, he illustrates how a demagogic celebrity could launch a presidential campaign—initially dismissed as a joke by the opposition—and still emerge victorious. Though he wasn’t named Trump, Charles Lindbergh (a real historical figure), a celebrated aviator, defeated Roosevelt in the 1940 election by securing the votes of many Republicans and right-wing supporters.
Similar to Trump’s campaign, which relied on highlighting the other party's flaws rather than focusing on his own policies, Lindbergh’s shocking campaign wins by a wide margin and is seen as the “end” of democracy. This was once thought impossible, given that both Lindbergh and Trump faced opponents who were better-funded, more qualified, and better educated, raising fundamental questions about the nature of politics.
Both the fictional and real-life presidents’ values are deeply distorted: Lindbergh endorses Hitler’s ideology and openly blames the Jewish community for their “innate” tendency toward war and disaster, a sentiment that mirrors Trump’s scapegoating of Muslims and Mexicans. Whether Roth was predicting a future presidency or not, there are undeniable parallels between Lindbergh and Trump, especially in their fearmongering speeches about foreign threats.
