Early piece of techno-fiction?

Late Victorian readers seem to have read the book as an early piece of techno-fiction.* What examples can you find of this and to what extent can the novel be seen as an exploration of science and western civilization versus savagery and the east?
 
[#1 from the Reading Guide]
 
*Techno-fiction: Fiction that makes use of and explores contemporary scientific developments and discoveries. For example, in Dracula we see phonograph recordings used as evidence, and Van Helsing attempts several blood transfusions on Lucy. It is different to science-fiction, which involves imaginative speculations based on current or, most often, future developments in science or technology.