Isaac Asimov insisted that Orwell would be “proved wrong” about computers and space travel, neither of which happen to feature in the book. An ad for Olivetti Computers had a similarly nonsensical take: “According to Orwell, in 1984 man and computer would have become enemies. But his pessimistic outlook was wrong.” In fact, Orwell wasn’t even trying to foresee technological progress in functioning democracies. But you’d need to have read the book to know that.
