A Tale of a Tub
Robert Hendrickson notes in his book "British Literary Anecdotes" that "Swift was always partial to his strikingly original "The Tale of a Tub" (1704). On reading the work again in later years, he exclaimed 'Good God! What a genius I had when I wrote that book!'"
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).