ALL SCI-FI

Robert (Butch) Day · Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2016 8:02 pm Post subject: The Retro-Future Thread

I'm creating this because

A) It's interesting in itself;

B) Part of our history: how our ancestors viewed the future;

C) It'll be fun for budding writers to extrapolate alternate timelines.

First up, a monorail instead of the Golden Gate Bridge.

_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common

Brent Gair · Mission Specialist Joined: 21 Nov 2014 Posts: 466

By 1973, we'll all be flying at 2100mph.

The Boeing 2707 would have been an incredible 306' long.

Robert (Butch) Day · Posted: Mon Feb 29, 2016 12:57 am Post subject:

Thank you, Brent!

THIS is what I want to see, more memories from the past.

Postings can range from what Brent has posted to Victorian concepts. Example; Robert A. Heinlein wrote a short story, The Roads Must Roll, which featured moving slidewalks he called "the roads". He probably got the idea from this:

A good site to explore is http://paleofuture.com/ where you can find retro-future from the silly:

to the strange:

to the potentially frightening:

This is from a January 7, 1899 newspaper article about English sailors saving French soldiers who were transported by submarine in a failed invasion of the UK!

I'm certain that there are many places to find these nifty dreams of tomorrow-past!
_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common

Robert (Butch) Day · Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 12:43 pm Post subject:

A french concept. Buses that double as ski-lifts tramways for large parties of skiers (and presumably snowboarders, etc.)

A strange train from Poland that was very popular, the Fablok Luxtorpeda;

Both are from the 1930s.
_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common

Custer · Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 1:32 pm Post subject:

Why have air ports on the ground? As we enter the brave new adventure of travel by air, how about having the air craft travelling between "islands in the air"? As well as the wonders of science wonder stories, Uncle Hugo also looked forward to the wonders of air travel...

My copy of that magazine is in less than mint condition, but so would you be if you were almost 87 years old! Wink

Robert (Butch) Day · Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 7:53 pm Post subject:

From Pye-rate, the 1956 Golden Dolphin Viberti from Italy.

You had to duck to get in!

_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common

Robert (Butch) Day · Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 3:15 pm Post subject:

Interesting monorail concept. Under the rail is for passengers, beside the rail is the drive motors, etc., and above the rail is for cargo, baggage, etc.

_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common

scotpens · Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 12:41 am Post subject:

Pye-Rate · Starship Navigator Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 598

This article claims some old retro future, 7,000 years.

http://www.ewao.com/a/1-airplanes-and-interplanetary-travel-described-7000-years-ago-in-india/
_________________
The road to tomorrow runs through yesterday.

orzel-w · Galactic Ambassador Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 1865

Pye-Rate · Starship Navigator Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 598

This is actually future retro.

http://www.techinsider.io/chinese-ghost-town-2016-1?utm
_________________
The road to tomorrow runs through yesterday.

Robert (Butch) Day · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 3:53 am Post subject:

Talgo Industries —a Spanish company which still exists — made this in the late 1930s.

I just love this rear car!

(The pictures are from November 15, 1942.)
_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common

Bud Brewster · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 5:13 pm Post subject:

________________________________

The sad story of the Chinese city of Ordos that was built and now can't attract enough residents is a kind of "retro-futuristic"!

Like the other "futuristic" designs on this thread, the city isn't being used and appreciated as it should have been. That's a sad tale indeed. It reminds me a little of Tomorrowland, the movie in which a futuristic city begins to crumble away because of neglect!

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Robert (Butch) Day · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 5:25 am Post subject:

When you cut your grass this Summer, make sure you use the appropriate lawn mower!

_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common

Custer · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 2:22 pm Post subject:

I thought all American lawnmowers looked like that?

Anyway, moving on a month with Air Wonder Stories (and not a scan from my collection - a bit too clean to not have been smoothed out a bit, yes?), a look at what a retro-futuristic jumbo jet equivalent ought to look like, once anti-gravity has been sorted out...