"Insightful. A Century of Tomorrows is not an examination of The Future; it is an examination of examinations of the future. Adamson tells a story about a special class of storytellers, the future-telling people. Adamson, having exposed various strains of failed futurology, suggests nonetheless that we will and should continue to make our best guesses, competing with one another, always remembering that every prediction is a statement about the present." -- James Gleick, New York Review of Books "A sweeping survey of future predictions, from 19th-century science fiction to Grace Jones at Studio 54." -- Wall Street Journal "Adamson accords [these visionaries] a place in his book because they expanded America''s sense of the possible . The conclusion that [he] draws from his illuminating forays into cultural history is that any claim to be able to control the future is an illusion; the more scientific it sounds, the more dangerous it can be." -- The Atlantic "A hurtling history of the art, science and big business of looking ahead.
" -- New York Times Book Review, Editors'' Choice " A Century of Tomorrows cannot clarify the future, but it provides a confident, learned guide to the present." -- Apollo "An illuminating look at past and present efforts to gaze into the crystal ball." -- Kirkus 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." -- Booklist "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." -- Julia Cooke, author of COME FLY THE WORLD "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." -- William Egginton, author of THE RIGOR OF ANGELS " A Century of Tomorrows will shift how you understand yourself and your own future. A brilliant and absorbing book.
" -- Katherine Turk, author of THE WOMEN OF NOW "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." -- Louis S. Warren, Bancroft Prize winning author of GOD''S RED SON "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." -- Alex Zamalin, author of COUNTERCULTURE box of thoughtful stories about the past''s possible futures; reading about the varied thinkers and doers in this wise narrative is a revelation." -- Julia Cooke, author of COME FLY THE WORLD "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.
" -- William Egginton, author of THE RIGOR OF ANGELS " A Century of Tomorrows will shift how you understand yourself and your own future. A brilliant and absorbing book." -- Katherine Turk, author of THE WOMEN OF NOW "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." -- Louis S. Warren, Bancroft Prize winning author of GOD''S RED SON "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." -- Alex Zamalin, author of COUNTERCULTURE d 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." -- Louis S. Warren, Bancroft Prize winning author of GOD''S RED SON "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." -- Alex Zamalin, author of COUNTERCULTURE box of thoughtful stories about the past''s possible futures; reading about the varied thinkers and doers in this wise narrative is a revelation." -- Julia Cooke, author of COME FLY THE WORLD "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." -- William Egginton, author of THE RIGOR OF ANGELS " A Century of Tomorrows will shift how you understand yourself and your own future.
A brilliant and absorbing book." -- Katherine Turk, author of THE WOMEN OF NOW "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." -- Louis S. Warren, Bancroft Prize winning author of GOD''S RED SON "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." -- Alex Zamalin, author of COUNTERCULTURE box of thoughtful stories about the past''s possible futures; reading about the varied thinkers and doers in this wise narrative is a revelation." -- Julia Cooke, author of COME FLY THE WORLD "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." -- William Egginton, author of THE RIGOR OF ANGELS " A Century of Tomorrows will shift how you understand yourself and your own future. A brilliant and absorbing book." -- Katherine Turk, author of THE WOMEN OF NOW "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." -- Louis S. Warren, Bancroft Prize winning author of GOD''S RED SON "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.
" -- Alex Zamalin, author of COUNTERCULTURE d 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." -- Louis S. Warren, Bancroft Prize winning author of GOD''S RED SON "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." -- Alex Zamalin, author of COUNTERCULTURE d 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.
" -- Louis S. Warren, Bancroft Prize winning author of GOD''S RED SON "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." -- Alex Zamalin, author of COUNTERCULTURE box of thoughtful stories about the past''s possible futures; reading about the varied thinkers and doers in this wise narrative is a revelation." -- Julia Cooke, author of COME FLY THE.