I was trying to think about things in my life that would seem science-fictional 20 years ago. I could come up with a few, but I couldn’t think of how they would work into a story written in 1983. About the only thing I could think of off the top of my head would be a story about a professional video game player (there are a few now who make their living solely from endorsements and playing in tournaments). Maybe something about a stealth fighter pilot in Afghanistan or something…hmm.
What can you come up with? Write a paragraph or two if you like, or just give a plot outline.
Taking into account the concerns of the world in 1983:
There has been a nuclear war. Gangs of punk-rockers live in burned out cities while those who survived in orbiting stations (Russian and American) try to save what’s left of humanity.
All the girls have feathered hair and pink jumpsuits. The men all look like members of the Human League.
Some out of the way village/trailer-park was sheltered enough from the nukes to have plenty of survivors. The young kids play video games. That eventually helps them for ariel combat later in the story.
I don’t know… somebody take off with it.
Luckily for the soundtrack, Vangelis survived the carnage.
Computers now cost less than $2,000 and have almost a megabyte of memory. Also, the hero has had a vaesectomy and VD can be cured with a shot, so no need to use a condom.
In fact, things would be great, if only Pac-Man and Ms Pac-Man hadn’t somehow gained sentiousness, mated, and created a gigantic city eating electric spawn. Luckily, superstar Burt Reynolds might be able to save the day.
Both towers of the World Trade Centre are felled by hijacked airplanes. The planes were hijacked by members of an international terrorist syndichate known as Al-Qaeda. When it’s found out that the leader, a man named Usama bin Laden, is known to be hiding out in Afghanistan, the United States and all her allies declare war on the country.
And the people are kept updated on the progress of the war on their personal computers that are hooked up on an international network of connected by phone lines and cables of glass that transmit information by light*.
*I’m referring to fiber-optic cables here. I’m not too sure if that’s exactly how the they work.
People sit at computing machines MILLIONS of time faster than the olden time ones. The people where t-shirts and jeans and have PRE-MARITAL SEX! Flashing boxes of COLOR consume the lives of the faithful citizens. But one man dares to strike back. He is, the LUDDITE! Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnn…
Yes I do realize that pre-marital sex and color tv existed in 1983, but I’m going from more of a 1930s horror movie perspective.
You could probably come up with a lot of stories about how we’re interconnected electronically. They would be boring now, but the stories would probably interest somebody in 1983.
Night vision is a lot better now.
How about getting free porn movies and rock songs from your computer?
Pills to grow hair. Relatively easy breast enhancements and reductions. Bacterial injections to remove wrinkles. Laser surgery galore. Gastric bypasses every time you turn around (at least according to my television).
BoTox isn’t the bacteria themselves, it’s the super-deadly toxin that the botulism bacteria produce. Which they inject into your skin. I swear I’m not making this up.