Modern Speculation

Nuclear meltdown
"Nerves," Lester del Rey (1942, 1956)
Atomic bomb
"Deadline," Cleve Cartmill (1944)
Artificial intelligence
I, Robot, Isaac Asimov (1940-1950)
He, She and It, Marge Piercy (1991)
Terraforming
Mars trilogy, Kim Stanley Robinson (1992, 1994, 1996)

Three Laws of Robotics:

  1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
  2. A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
  3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.