Will we go too far?

[Oskuro]

I hear a lot of Scifi authors are highly religious?

I don't think it's a matter of the author's own religiosity, but more of how religion has impacted and shaped our culture, to the point that we have certain recurring themes ingrained in our psyche.

[speaker-to-trolls]

Why the 1940s? Sure, nuclear weapons are really good at what they do, but conventional bombing and normal conquest managed to completely wreak Europe. If you want wars that don't destroy countries, you are going to have to go back to before the French Revolution.

Countries, yes, but I think the invention of nuclear weapons was probably the first time when it became really feasible that a war could destroy civilisation. Before anybody tries to enlighten me about the USA and USSR's plans to survive a nuclear exchange, note that I said could destroy civilisation, obviously it did not and whether it would even if it had gone ahead is really down to specifics, the point is as far as I am aware the potential was there.
Anyway, it might have been more accurate for me to talk about mid-20th century industrialisation, since some predictions say that could destroy civilisation without any kind of malice even being necessary.

[General Zod]

I hear a lot of Scifi authors are highly religious?

I don't think it's a matter of the author's own religiosity, but more of how religion has impacted and shaped our culture, to the point that we have certain recurring themes ingrained in our psyche.

The point I was getting at is the author's own prejudices and religious propaganda can make the difference between a reasonable "what if" and bonafide luddite wankery.