Let's not forget the science fiction novel which actually did inspire an entire generation of activists: Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy. As a novel, it's not very good, and Bellamy's naive faith in the government is laughable today, but the vision of a post-capitalist future, in the middle of the Robber-Baron era no less, inspired millions. "Bellamy" and "Nationalist" clubs popped up all over the country. They were the training grounds for activists in the Progressive era, from Women's Suffrage, to Labor, to Socialists. His influence even extended into our (at least my) lifetime - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was heavily influenced by Bellamy's writings. His novel also inspired better-written stories, such as the Oz series and Star Trek, with a vision of a world with no need for money.