The Battle of the Books
Jonathan Swift worked for William Temple during the time of the controversy, and Swift's "A Tale of a Tub" (1703/1705) takes part in the debate. From its first publication, Swift added a short satire entitled "The Battle of the Books" to the "Tale of a Tub." In this piece, there is an epic battle fought in a library when various books come alive and attempt to settle the arguments between moderns and ancients. In Swift's satire, he skilfully manages to avoid saying which way victory fell. He portrays the manuscript as having been damaged in places, thus leaving the end of the battle up to the reader.
Tom Swift
Many of Tom Swift's fictional inventions describe actual technological developments or predate technologies now considered commonplace. "Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers" (1911) was based on Charles Parsons's attempts to synthesize diamonds using electric current. "Tom Swift and His Photo Telephone" was published in 1912. Sending photographs by telephone was not fully developed until 1925. "Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera" (1912) features a portable movie camera, not invented until 1923. "Tom Swift and His Electric Locomotive" (1922) was published two years before the Central Railroad of New Jersey began using the first diesel electric locomotive. The house on wheels that Tom invents for 1929's "Tom Swift and His House on Wheels" pre-dated the first house trailer by a year."Tom Swift and His Diving Seacopter" (1952) features a flying submarine similar to one planned by the United States Department of Defense four years later in 1956. Other inventions of Tom's have not happened, such as the device for silencing airplane engines that he invents in "Tom Swift and His Magnetic Silencer" (1941).