2025: What Science Fiction Got Right… And Wrong

One of the many great things about Science Fiction, the genre can allow us to attempt to predict the future. Trying to guess at anything from technology to culture to social shifts, it’s always interesting to see what kind of wonderful (or terrible) futures we can imagine for ourselves.

With countless years of literature and films produced in the years leading up to now, there have been a fair few takes on just what 2025 could look like. And while in the past there are some writers who have been bang on the money when it comes to predicting the future, there have also been plenty who have gotten things gloriously wrong.
Here, we examine Sci-Fi’s best and worst predictions about the world today, showcasing just how prophetic (or laughable) our favourite authors, filmmakers, and creators can be. So let’s take a look at six who got things right and nine who got things wrong (and quite terribly in many cases).

Predictions That Feel Close To Home In 2025

These are the predictions that while not uncannily accurate, have hit on something close to an aspect of our existence in 2025.

1. The Shockwave Rider (John Brunner, 1975) – Book
When it’s set: Early 21st century

What it got right: Brunner foresaw a world dominated by freely flowing information—and the rise of cyberattacks and hacking. His vision closely mirrors today’s internet-driven society, where cyber warfare and data breaches are part of daily life. You can even make a career out of cyber security now.

2. 1984 (George Orwell, 1949) – Book
When it’s set: 1984

What it got right: Orwell’s dystopia, where Big Brother monitors everything, feels disturbingly familiar. With widespread CCTV surveillance and governments monitoring online activity (as well as websites themselves so they can push you ads when you talk about anything), Orwell’s cautionary tale remains relevant.

3. Feed (M.T. Anderson, 2002) – Book
When it’s set: Near future (2020-2025)

What it got right: Anderson’s world of brain implants feeding people endless streams of information closely resembles today’s smartphone addiction. Targeted ads, digital overload, and a constant need for connectivity make this a chillingly accurate prediction.

4. Snow Crash (Neal Stephenson, 1992) – Book
When it’s set: Early 21st century

What it got right: Stephenson’s “Metaverse” was decades ahead of its time, predicting shared virtual spaces much like today’s VR platforms, such as Meta’s Horizon Worlds. His cyberpunk vision laid the groundwork for modern digital worlds.

5. Minority Report (Philip K. Dick, 1956) – Short Story
When it’s set: 2022

What it got right: From motion-controlled technology to predictive policing, Dick’s story envisioned tools that are now real. Gesture-based tech exists, and while we’re not pre-arresting people for crimes they haven’t committed, predictive algorithms do raise ethical concerns.

6. Parable of the Sower (Octavia E. Butler, 1993) – Book
When it’s set: 2024

What it got right: Butler’s vision of a world ravaged by climate change, economic inequality, and societal collapse hits close to home. Her exploration of community and resilience offers a sobering reflection of current global challenges.

Those That Were Off The Mark

Here we have a selection of bold predictions of the future that were far off. Were they too ambitious, or simply reflections of parallel worlds?

1. Back to the Future Part II (1989) – Film
When it’s set: 2015

What it got wrong: We were promised hoverboards, dehumidified pizzas, and flying cars, but gravity still holds sway. While we have electric vehicles and “hoverboards” with wheels, the future Doc Brown imagined remains a dream. DeLoreans are still cool, though.

2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – Film                                                                                                                            When it’s set: 2001

What it got wrong: Stanley Kubrick imagined luxurious space vacations and sprawling lunar colonies by the early 2000s. While space travel is a reality, it’s far from accessible to the average person, let alone glamorous.

3. The Running Man (Stephen King as Richard Bachman, 1982) – Book
When it’s set: 2025

What it got wrong: In King’s book, one desperate man is on the run for his life for a big cash prize as he’s hunted down, all while the masses watch on telly. While reality TV has become more exploitative, it hasn’t descended into dystopian death matches. Yet, the media’s hunger for sensationalism does echo King’s grim vision. The ending, however, was rather prophetic of a particularly bleak world event. You might want to look that one up though.

4. The Sheep Look Up (John Brunner, 1972) – Book
When it’s set: Early 21st century

What it got wrong: Brunner predicted a world brought to its knees by ecological collapse. Gas masks are a daily necessity and generally, everything that isn’t already ruined is in a bit of a torrid state. Generally, it’s miserable all round. While climate change is a pressing issue, his apocalyptic scenario hasn’t come to pass—yet.

5. The Forever War (Joe Haldeman, 1974) – Book
When it’s set: 1990s-2025 (relativistic time dilation included)

What it got wrong: In his terrific galaxy-sprawling novel, Haldeman imagined humanity waging wars across the cosmos that played with the very rules of time and distance itself. All of this by 1997 as well! Disappointingly, instead, our space-faring efforts are still limited to unmanned probes and the occasional Mars rover.

6. The Stars My Destination (Alfred Bester, 1956) – Book
When it’s set: Early 21st century 

What it got wrong: Bester’s “jaunting,” or personal teleportation, remains firmly in the realm of fantasy. Instead, we’re stuck in traffic, dreaming of faster trains and cheaper flights (and trains as well, to be fair).

7. Timecop (1994) – Film
When it’s set: 2004

What it got wrong: Jean Claude Van Damme is a copper who uses a time machine to stop a corrupt politician. According to the film, by 2004, we should have had time machines and rules on how to properly use them all regulated by the government. Not even close. At this point, the only time travel we have is a flight to the Far East.

8. RoboCop (1987) – Film
When it’s set: 2020s (implied)

What it got wrong: RoboCop predicted robotic police officers patrolling the drug and crime-riddled streets of Detroit. While drones and robots assist in some law enforcement tasks, we’re a long way away from human’s becoming cyborg law enforcers. Still, a great film though.

9. Blade Runner (1982) – Film
When it’s set: 2019

What it got wrong: Arguably one of the greatest films ever made, featuring terrific performances by Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer, it isn’t quite an accurate depiction of the world future. While corporations ruling the world isn’t necessarily wrong, and the multiculturism is pretty much spot on, the big glaring inaccuracy is the presence of ‘replicants’, artificial humans that have since become illegal and in need of hunting down by Ford’s character. We’re a long way off human-like artificial lifeforms, we’ve not even mastered an AI version of Will Smith eating spaghetti just yet.

In 2025, Sci-Fi’s ability to predict the future remains part of what makes it so captivating. Sometimes it’s astonishingly accurate, giving us a glimpse of what’s to come. Other times, it’s wildly off the mark—but that’s half the fun. Whether it’s brain implants, flying cars, or AI taking over, sci-fi gives us that ability to dream big and wonder ‘What if?’. And who knows, there’s a slight chance that by the end of the year, a few of these incorrect predictions could come true. Let’s just hope they’re the good ones.