Killer Robot Police and 2010

A little over 10 years ago, The Onion had one of their spoof articles, titled: We Can Put a Man on the Moon, But We Can’t Make Killer Robot Police?

It was one of those articles that my husband and I still reference now and again, usually whenever some incredible bit of technology is announced. Because that’s great and all — but where are the killer robot police?

And I was thinking of it again when I was linking to my 2010 releases on Amazon … because we’ve been in 2K for a while now, but there’s something about that double-digit at the end that is totally surreal. 2009? No big deal. 2010? That’s heading into science fiction territory. It’s the kind of date I expect to see on a movie screenshot, in some computer-y font. Like so:

But, seriously — where are my flying cars (especially flying cars that run on garbage)? We should totally have some right now. Levitating chairs? Still only a concept. Pffft.

I’ve probably been ruined by sci-fi. My expectations of 2010 are totally out of whack. I really hoped that I’d be able to eat Big Macs all day but not gain a pound, thanks to some magical pill. The wrinkles starting to show around my eyes? Should be gone. I don’t live in a tiny white apartment made out of curves, with a toilet that self-cleans and retracts into the wall. Why?

Think back, twenty or twenty-five years ago to, say, 1984 (always a good sci-fi year). What did you think we’d have in 2010 that we don’t? And is there any tech that you wouldn’t trade for all of the killer robot police (or flying cars) in the world?

And can you think of anything they got right? Something that, as soon as it came out, you turned to someone and said: “Holy crap, that’s just like in [movie or book] !”