Science fiction writers have a long history of predicting the future. Of course, due to our inherent survivor bias – the tendency to remember only correct predictions – we often forget that most of them were wrong. But the best stories tend to focus on the battle between humanity and technology and the scenes they create in our imaginations are often close enough to the present to make you feel slightly uncomfortable about what the future might hold. So we want any budding sci-fi writers among the Idealog audience to explore that future. 

If you have an idea for a short story about the way technology might change our existence in ways good or bad, get out your pen, or your computer or use some other form of storytelling device and send it to [email protected]. Stories must be a minimum of a haiku, and a maximum of 3,000 words. Entries close on Friday 18th August.  

We will publish an array of our favourites on the website and then put them to the vote. The three stories with the most votes will win a magnificent Blunt umbrella worth $119, a subscription to a title of your choice from the Tangible Media stable, and a family-size caramel square from the local bakery.