Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Futurism.
Write For OMNI Today
OMNI has now joined the Vocal platform, letting fans from all over the world contribute to the iconic brand. A staple in the science fiction, fantasy, and hard science community for the past 40 years, OMNI enables dreamers of today to become thought leaders of tomorrow.
Futurism StaffPublished 4 years ago in Futurism
Interview with 'Floaters' Creator Jeremy Solterbeck
Space: the Final Frontier. Or... is it? While space travel has consistently been depicted in science fiction and popular culture as an exclusivity attainable by elite scientists, engineers, and air force pilots, Floaters poses an interesting predicament: what if ordinary people went to space?
Natasha SydorPublished 4 years ago in Futurism
Can Science Fiction Predict the Future?
"Well, you know, William Gibson was writing about that in 1984." It's become a running joke among my friends that I say something like this every few months, usually when discussion turns to the increasingly science fictional resonances of our everyday world. Science fiction writers can be a prescient lot, by trade. But William Gibson, in particular, has a remarkable track record for what seems like genuine prophecy, starting with his very first short stories, published in—surprise—OMNI magazine.
Glenn McDonaldPublished 4 years ago in Futurism
As You Know Bob - I Don’t Exist
As you know Bob, I don’t exist—but I am, for all intents and purposes, immortal. You must have wondered many times of course just what is meant by the word "self." Certainly there is conscious awareness, but where does that awareness stand? What is its platform? Personality, as we understand it, is a combination of memory and action—declarative memory of the sort that tells you that Paris is the capital of France and it is procedural memory that enables you to ride a bicycle. Personality though? Well then, think of a unit of memory and a single star and personality is a vast and dense constellation of memories in the galaxy of your brain. Stars are born, the age, they flare and they die and as they orbit the center; those constellations change their form and spread… and there can be many constellations in that neural galaxy.
Brett DavidsonPublished 4 years ago in Futurism
Irving Wallace Predictions of That Came True
Irving Wallace is a name from the past. If you are a Gen-X kid, you may have grown up in a world where every bathroom featured The Book of Lists, Wallace’s book (with kids Amy Wallace and David Wallechinsky—he had to take the old man’s Ellis Island name, huh?) that updated to The Guinness Book of World Records in the hip 70s. Why, just yesterday, before I wrote this article, I posted for friends Irving Wallace’s mind-blowing 1972 movie The Man, in which a fateful plane accident causes president pro tempore of the Senate James Earl Jones to become the President. A black President?! 1972 America’s collective mind is blown. Halfway between the Dr. Strangelove airplane and Darth Vader, JEJ is, of course, a magnificent voice and a majestic avatar of human dignity. Burgess Meredith—you know, Rocky’s trainer—plays the evil sculduggerous Southern teabagger who plots President Vader’s ruin.
Matthew WilderPublished 4 years ago in Futurism
The Third World War by Sir John Winthrop Hacket
Over 6,200 paperbacks line shelves in my apartment. My wife is an artist, and uses our apartment as her gallery. There was a fight for wall space and I recently lost a skirmish. My solution was logical. Consolidate and toss books that I have read which honestly I think is about 500 - 600. Part of my cathartic process is to write a quick review of the books I remember. Sometimes a quick skim ignites a memory of something particular I liked about the book. The Third World War by Sir John Winthrop Hacket was a sort of alternate reality novel, I remember reading in 1986 as a freshman in college. I must say there are some very detailed sections of, military briefings that can be skimmed through with no real impact. It seems still relevant these days with such uncertainty in American ideology and political stability.
Arnold SeleskeyPublished 4 years ago in Futurism
Franz von Paula Gruithuisen's Venus Science Fiction
The fascinating story of Franz von Paula Gruithuisen, a German astronomer who became prominent early in the nineteenth century, has inspired sci-fi writers to ponder exploring distant worlds like Mars and Venus. His attempts at explaining the wonders of space were filled with promise of mystery and awe. He was a fairly good observer who concentrated on the moon and the planets, but his imagination was, somewhat vivid. For instance, he discovered what he believed to be an artificial structure on the moon and described it as a collection of dark, gigantic artistic ramparts.
Izzy ErlichPublished 4 years ago in Futurism
Garrett Brown's SkyCam History
You've seen the view from high above a football stadium before. But have you ever flown through the goalposts like a football? With SkyCam, a computerized camera originated in the 1980s, that soars through the air on steel cables. Its applications went far beyond sporting arenas, including skiing and other non arena based sports as well as the making of movies, television commercials, and even music videos.
Eddie WongPublished 4 years ago in Futurism
Mental Time Travel: Is the Plot of Arrival Coherent?
Time travel is a bit of a trope in sci fi. The device has been used in literature since ancient times, with Hindu mythology portraying people going far into the future. This kind of travel isn’t logically impossible – in fact, with Einstein’s discovery of relativity, we must accept this discrepancy between personal and external time as a necessary feature of reality. The faster an object travels, the slower its time moves: ISS astronauts returning from missions have aged slightly less than had they remained on earth (due to different accelerations).
Ed VenablesPublished 4 years ago in Futurism
Thrilling 'Star Wars' Audio Books
Travel to a galaxy far, far away and never leave the comfort of your sedan. Any commute can be improved with a little help from the soothing sounds of a Wookiee. Audio books are a great way to immerse yourself in the alternate universe that has captured generation after generation. These Star Wars audio books offer the intense action of a movie with the in-depth narrative of a novel that can be enjoyed almost anywhere. Imagine you are sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on your way home from a long day at the office, only to have the speakers of your car blaring the the struggle of Yoda trying to instill peace on Djun, an inventive tale of good versus evil or a narration that follows Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker as the rebels' last hope. Your favorite Star Wars moments are now reimagined and reinvented in an advancement that is the way of the future. Dread traffic no more with the most thrilling Star Wars audio books.
James LizowskiPublished 4 years ago in Futurism
Your Guide To A Techie Christmas: Mice and Keyboards
Tis the season! It can be hard to shop for a techie or you are new to this. Yes, this is a guide for a Techie Christmas. This is a list of items to buy for those techies in your life. They are a special breed. This year, do not go last minute shopping for that perfect gift. Let me do the hard work for you! Let’s get started!
Brett DeisterPublished 4 years ago in Futurism
The Mightiest Motion Picture of Them All
After several years of production, design and location shooting, Walt Disney released his first Hollywood produced live-action motion picture in 1954. If the advertising was to be believed, it was in fact the mightiest motion picture of them all. Considering that the film was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, this is a credible claim.
Cory GrossPublished 4 years ago in Futurism
