7 Science Fiction Predictions That Came True

4. Surveillance Drone

Carefully be extracted from it what seemed to be a crystal marble less than an inch in diameter [...] The little crystal ball stirred, then floated slowly upward like a bubble. Dundonald shifted his careful fingers on the keys, and the pellet paused, hanging motionless in mid- air a little higher than the scientist's head.

Dundonald bent and peered into the eyepieces. Immediately it was as if he saw himself from above [...] He drew back and struck yet a third combination on the keys. The little mote that was his roving viewpoint sped out of the door like a winged diamond...

- Glimpse, Manly Wade Wellman ,1938

Again, published in Wonder Stories, Wellman describes a flying artificial "eye" that can be remotely controlled via a keyboard and transmits its footage back to its pilot in real time.

In other words, a drone.

UAVs have been employed by the military for some time now, but the 21st century has seen an explosion in their popularity with the public. Although, Wellman's flying "eyeball" does sound much cooler than the mini helicopters we all got for Christmas.