I'm currently reading Ray Kurzweil's The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. It's a non-fiction book that looks at trends in technology and makes predictions about the future. In essence, the author believes at the current rate of innovation (which he claims is increasing exponentially) we are headed for a technological singularity before the end of the century which will fundamentally change the course of human history by turning the economy into a post-scarcity economy and basically eliminating biological death, food shortages, disease, etc. etc. We will become a cybernetic species capable of pretty much anything within the laws of physics.*
*This is what the book is about, not necessarily what I, personally, believe.