I do go on about Charles Stross’ postings – but he is pretty good. As such, more comment from the Autopope on what constitutes near-future SF:
In my view, near-future SF isn’t SF set n years in the future. Rather, it’s SF that connects to the reader’s life: SF about times we, personally, can conceive of living through (barring illness or old age). It’s SF that delivers a powerful message — this is where you are going. As such, it’s almost the diametric opposite of a utopian work; utopias are an unattainable perfection, but good near-future SF strive for realism.