"Jacques Ellul wrote about a perceived takeover of humanity by technology in The Technological Society way back in 1954. This book is still worth reading by anyone interested in the things that orthodox mass-media advertisements for progress don't tell us about technology, but you have to steel yourself for an uncompromising and bleak perspective. If you think of this book as a forecast of the late nineteen nineties, written by a visionary of the 1950s, it's more than enough to give you the willies."

More on Ellul, and yet more...

"The Unabomber borrowed heavily, says Foster, especially from the writings of Jacques Ellul. It was in February 1965 that American readers were first introduced to Ellul's Technological Society in that magazine. Kaczynski wrote his brother David that he was deeply impressed by Ellul's writings which closely mirrored his own beliefs. These ideas pop up all over Kaczynski's writings, letters and manifesto..."

Ellul is also referenced in the first memo of The Illuminatus Trilogy... hmmm....

Some of Ellul's writing is available online here