When: 1903 Where: 'The Land Ironclads' by H.G. Wells When it came to prophetic science fiction authors, H.G Wells was the king. Many of Wells' works focused on military combat (often against an alien force) and one short story, The Land Ironclads, featured multiple descriptions of tanks in action: "In that flickering pallor it had the effect of a large and clumsy black insect, an insect the size of an iron-clad cruiser, crawling obliquely to the first line of trenches and firing shots out of portholes in its side. And on its carcass the bullets must have been battering with more than the passionate violence of hail on a roof of tin." The first actual tank battle didn't take place until over a decade after Wells' story. There's a strong possibility that Wells was drawing inspiration from the early designs of Leonardo Da Vinci, who had also envisaged armoured battle machines, though Well's description was far closer to modern military tanks. What's the most uncanny prediction you've ever come across? Are there any we should have included here? Let us know in the comments below!
