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 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Magical Realism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Humor, British Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Slam (2007) is a young adult novel written by Nick Hornby. It tells the story of Sam Jones, a skateboarder who finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant when they are both 16 years old—his mother’s age when she had him. The novel explores themes such as Navigating Teenage Parenthood, How a Few Seconds Can Change Everything, and Relationships, Wisdom, and Growing Up.Nick Hornby is a renowned English writer known for his humorous fiction about... Read Slam Summary
Publication year 1956
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Birth, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Lyric Poem, Education, Education, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 2025
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Masculinity
Tags Memoir / Autobiography
Publication year 1986
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Speaker for the Dead (1986) is the second book in the Ender sextet written by Orson Scott Card. Card is a renowned American science fiction author and has won numerous awards for his writing, including four for Speaker of the Dead—the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the Science Fiction Chronicle Reader Award for Best Novel, and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.Speaker for the Dead is set... Read Speaker for the Dead Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Environment, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy
Tally Youngblood has been transformed many times over. First, she was an ordinary Ugly, awaiting the cosmetic surgery that will make her into a more socially acceptable Pretty. Now, Tally has become a Special, or a surgically enhanced super-human, as well as a member of an elite group that call themselves the Cutters. In Scott Westerfeld’s Specials, a young adult novel published in 2006, Tally is tasked with upholding the conventions of her socially stratified... Read Specials Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure
Lissa Price’s Starters is a young adult science fiction novel set in the near future after the Spore Wars, during which biological weapons were used against the United States and wiped out much of the unvaccinated middle-aged population. As a result, many teens were left without families, and the elderly feared for their place in society. Starters without grandparents were barred from essentially every type of work. This led to teens being rounded up to... Read Starters Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Business / Economics, Technology, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography
Steve Jobs (2011) is an authorized biography written by Walter Isaacson about the life of the late Apple founder and tech revolutionary. Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs, the book is an in-depth exploration of who Jobs was, from the story of his birth and subsequent adoption to his massive success at the helm of Apple. Jobs himself personally requested that Isaacson write his biography on a phone call in 2004. By the... Read Steve Jobs Summary
Publication year 1961
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Cold War, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) is considered a classic of the science fiction genre. Heinlein, along with Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov, is regarded as one of the Big Three writers of science fiction’s Golden Age. Stranger in a Strange Land examines themes of cultural otherness, the role of religion in public life, and the link between love and spirituality. Despite mixed reviews upon its release, the novel was awarded the... Read Stranger in a Strange Land Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Christian literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Magical Realism, Japanese Literature, Fantasy
Publication year 1989
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future
Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Aug 1989) by Stephen R. Covey is one of the most influential self-help books of the late twentieth century. To date, the title has sold over 40 million copies and has been a New York Times bestseller. Covey was named as one of Time Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Americans of 1996. His book is classified under the categories of Business Management, Organizational Behavior, and Personal Success in Business... Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Technology, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, Class, War On Terrorism / Iraq War, Information Age, Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science / Nature, Technology, Philosophy, Psychology, Futurism, Technology, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 2007
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Business / Economics, History: World, Finance / Money / Wealth, Politics / Government
The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World is a 2008 nonfiction book by historian Niall Ferguson. As its title implies, the book covers the rise of money and financial systems (in the West) throughout history. Ferguson argues that some aspect of finance lies behind all great events in history and that financial innovation has been as important to progress as scientific and technological innovation. Chapter 1 discusses the nature of money and... Read The Ascent of Money Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Relationships, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Education, Philosophy
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Climate, Society: Class, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism
The Bone Clocks (2014) is a work of literary fantasy and the sixth novel by English author David Mitchell. It was longlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize, and also received the 2015 World Fantasy Award.Spanning nearly 60 years and featuring five different narrators, The Bone Clocks follows Holly Sykes, a young woman from Kent, England, who becomes embroiled in a secret war between two groups of immortal beings called the Horologists and the Anchorites... Read The Bone Clocks Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Climate, Society: Community
Tags Science / Nature, Philosophy, Self Help, Animals, Philosophy, Biography