The Futures that We Wanted, the Futures that We Dreaded

Abstract

The article is a review of Peter J. Bowler’s A History of the Future: Prophets of Progress from H.G. Wells to Isaac Asimov. The book presents the history of chosen inventions — and their pessimistic and/or optimistic presentations in various 1900–1965 media — which were to contribute to the progress of British and American culture of the time. Working with a panoply of sources, i.a., selected works of science fiction and popular science, Bowler strives to discuss how particular inventions were enthusiastically and/or fearfully embraced and shaped the future of British and American society.