The future is now...make up an SF story from 1983 set in 2003

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.

I was thinking more along the lines of something that could really happen in todays world that would seem far-out to someone from 1983.

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.

George Lucas is only now finishing up his second trilogy, which really isn’t very good at all.

Michael Jackson could be exposed as being the weirdest freak to ever walk the planet, rather than a superbly talented musical artist.

Naah, too far out.

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.

IMHO, I think the misconception of what the OP asked for was a more interesting thread. Then again the ‘correct’ stuff was neat. IMHO.

Attack of the clones. You know, Dolly and stuff.

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).

West and the east Friends in war in the middle east agaist a mad man with evil chemicals that could kill us all!!!

Soviet Union? …What Soviet Union?

That would be seam like sci-fi back in 1983,No Soviet Union,no Beriln wall,no evil commies for the usa to fight and the usa its self being attacked!

1983: A book about a 'sixties TV series that has been made into ten movies by 2003 is dismissed as ridiculous.

One word: Viagra.

<nitpick>

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.

</nitpick>

AND he would have children. That could never happen.

The Brit who wrote the music for “Jesus Christ Superstar” would completely change world wide musical theatre.

ABBA would still be popular, and a show with their music would be a hot ticket.

Against all logic, reason, and sanity, there actually was a '70s revival.