A Century of Tomorrows

Reviews

Adamson builds his history like a patchwork quilt, sourcing examples from different intellectual and political traditions (including some from Europe) to create a breathtaking assemblage that showcases how today’s ideas about the future, be they hopeful or fatalistic, have precedent in the themes, visions, and feelings that inspired those of the past. An illuminating look at past and present efforts to gaze into the crystal ball. Glenn Adamson has collected a jewel box of thoughtful stories about the past's possible futures; reading about the varied thinkers and doers in this wise narrative is a revelation. Adamson’s ingenious study show us how much the ways we think about the future can tell us about who we are, what our desires and preconceptions are, and what we value or overlook. This book has made me see today’s cultural and political forecasters in a whole new light. A Century of Tomorrows will shift how you understand yourself and your own future. A brilliant and absorbing book. A masterful cultural history, revealing how imagining the future has long been a way of remaking the present, not only for religious prophets, scientific thinkers, and science fiction writers, but in struggles for Native American sovereignty, civil rights, women's rights, environmental justice, and more. In a moment when the future can seem too dark to contemplate, A Century of Tomorrows advances the liberatory possibilities of thinking about the days to come. It's been forever since tomorrow held such appeal. Brimming with astonishing insights and lyrical prose, A Century of Tomorrows is addressed to dreamers, but it is the rare book that belongs on everyone’s bookshelf. Expand reviews