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 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Environment, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Class, Disability, Depression / Suicide, Leadership/Organization/Management, Military / War, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Politics / Government
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is a horror fiction novel by Max Brooks published in 2006. The book was a critical and commercial success, generally receiving positive reviews and spending several weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. It has sold millions of copies around the world and was subsequently turned into a successful movie starring Brad Pitt, released in 2013, and a highly rated video game, released in... Read World War Z Summary
Publication year 1974
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Survival Fiction
Z for Zachariah (1974) by Robert C. O’Brien is a young adult dystopian novel. It tells the story of Ann Burden, who survives a nuclear war that destroys the world thanks to a natural phenomenon that keeps her valley safe from radiation. After over a year alone, she awakes one morning to a column of smoke, and John Loomis—a scientist who has traveled for weeks in a protective suit—arrives and disrupts her life of solitude... Read Z For Zachariah Summary