OddThinking

The Electric Crocodile by D.G. Compton, was first published in 1970.

When I read the book in high-school, I read the 1973 paper-back edition with this cover.

It was a largely forgettable science-fiction story. It had a story line about paranoia-inducing future with a super-computer running the entire economy, government, world, whatever..

As you can see, the front cover showed an artist’s depiction of what this futuristic computer might look like. The standard Star-Trekesque version of a computer interface comprising of largely of knobs and buttons.

I think my attention was drawn to the weirdly cropped finger.

Is this supposed to be attractive? Excessive photo re-touching to imply a thinner model? Surely not. So perhaps the artist is suggesting that, in the future, we will evolve pointed finger-tips?

I soon was distracted from this line of thought. What is that behind the finger? Why does it look vaguely familiar. Wait a moment!

I turned the book upsided-down and looked more closely.

That, my friends, is no super-computer.

That is the centre-console of the dashboard of an old Volvo!

The top row contains a green rear demist switch, a red hazard light switch and an unlit red seatbelt light. The second row contains the air-conditioning controls, with the fan knob on the right turned to setting 2. The bottom row is the cigarette lighter knob on the left and ashtray to its right.

I have seen the future of super-computing, and it is much like the present, except ruled by upside-down Swedes with over-clocked cars.

I bet those bloody Volvo drivers won’t install on Windows Vista.

We should have seen the warning signs of our impending doom, when Intel released the new ^o^l^o^ chipset.

Okay, that’s it, I have it out of my system now. Thank you for your patience.

Oh wait, just one more…

I, for one, welcome our new inverted car-part masters.