The Future

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