Nobel Prize-winning poet Wislawa Szymborska writes, “When I pronounce the word Future, / the first syllable already belongs to the past." How does our vision of the future impact the way we live now? Do we have any control over what the future holds, or is the future inherently unknowable? In this thematic collection we've gathered texts that address these questions and others as they imagine the future.
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Climate Change
The Peripheral is a 2014 science-fiction novel by William Gibson. Gibson has been writing science fiction works since the 1970s and is considered one of the founding fathers of the cyberpunk genre. His debut novel, Neuromancer, is one of the genre’s foundational texts and is the only novel to win the Nebula, Hugo, and Philip K. Dick awards. Since then, Gibson has written several bestselling science-fiction trilogies. The Peripheral is the first novel of The... Read The Peripheral Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery
Tags Business / Economics, Inspirational, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Self Help, Psychology
Publication year 2008
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Politics / Government, History: World, Business / Economics, Sociology
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy
The Postmortal by Drew Magary is a science fiction thriller that follows a man named John Farrell in the decades following the “postmortal cure,” a type of genetic engineering that stops aging. The novel grapples with the human experience amid technological advantages, religious zeal, and increasingly human-driven crises. Magary, whose legal name is Andrew Schuyler Magary, is a journalist, humor writer, and novelist. He has written for magazines such as GQ and is the co-founder... Read The Postmortal Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Future, Identity: Femininity
Tags Gender / Feminism, Science / Nature, Politics / Government, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Influenced by the dystopian futuristic vision of Margaret Atwood’s landmark 1985 feminist work The Handmaid’s Tale, Naomi Alderman’s 2016 novel The Power fuses genre elements of speculative fiction with the traditional historical novel. Part allegory, part satire, the novel depicts a near-contemporary world in which women move into positions of real power through an inexplicable genetic anomaly: they develop an extra braid of muscle along their collarbones that enables them to shoot devastating jolts of... Read The Power Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Climate Change
Publication year 2022
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Revolution, Military / War, History: World, Biography
Publication year 1942
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Satire, Christian literature, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
The Screwtape Letters, first published in serial format in The Guardian and then as a single volume in 1942, is an epistolary novel by British author C. S. Lewis; its epilogue, “Screwtape Proposes a Toast” was published in 1959. Like much of Lewis’s work, the novel is a work of Christian apologetics, using letters penned by a senior devil named Screwtape to expound on different elements of Christian theology and morality, exploring themes of Human... Read The Screwtape Letters Summary
Publication year 1964
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Future
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Social Justice, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1986
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Education, Education, Christian literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2010
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Science / Nature, Technology, Sociology, Philosophy, Information Age, Education, Education, Technology, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains (2011) is a nonfiction book by writer, editor, and media critic Nicholas Carr. Carr is a prolific nonfiction writer known for his analysis of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and human society. A 2011 Pulitzer Prize Finalist, The Shallows combines elements of personal essay, journalism, and academic research to explore The Impact of the Internet on Cognitive Processes, The Nature of Learning and Media in the... Read The Shallows Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Technology, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Science / Nature, Futurism, Technology, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 1942
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: War, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Play: Drama, Allegory / Fable / Parable, WWII / World War II, Education, Education, American Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Thornton Wilder’s dramatic masterpiece, The Skin of Our Teeth, opened on Broadway in November of 1942, less than a year after the United States entered World War II. On the heels of the Great Depression (1929-1939), the war meant more sacrifice and hardship for the average American family, and another era of fear, loss, and anxiety about the future of humanity. The play is a satirical allegory for the human race’s seemingly indomitable will to... Read The Skin of Our Teeth Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Self Discovery, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Inspirational, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 1855
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Fairy Tale / Folklore, American Literature, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Agriculture, History: U.S., Science / Nature
Publication year 2022
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, History: World, Technology
Publication year 1996
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Language
Tags Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Anthropology, Anthropology, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art
Publication year 1984
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: War, Relationships: Family
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Action / Adventure
The Talisman is a 1984 novel co-written by Stephen King and Peter Straub. It is a fantasy novel with horror elements and has connections to the works in King’s Dark Tower series. The Talisman is a road trip book that tells the story of Jack Sawyer and his quest to save his mother. The Talisman examines themes of lost innocence, coming of age, friendship, the corrupting nature of power, and more.The Talisman has a sequel... Read The Talisman Summary