Yeah, I think that list overemphasises the role of fiction in individual inventions. Most significant inventions have messy histories of iterative development and multiple sources of inspiration with varying degrees of influence. Here is a patent for a taser-like devices that predate the taser and don’t use that name: www.freepatentsonline.com/3523538.html. it was also invented by a Japanese guy who probably never read the electric rifle book. The later company and commercial product just used the book as loose inspiration for the name.

On the other hand, that last paragraph in the long post undersells the role of fiction in how people’s worldviews are shaped and how it can influence their everyday decisions. I think that’s way more significant than any one invention, but it’s even messier and hard to trace conclusively.