Product Description

When Dr Philip Raven, an intellectual working for the League of Nations, dies in 1930 he leaves behind a powerful legacy – an unpublished ‘dream book’. Inspired by visions he has experienced for many years, it appears to be a book written far into the future: a history of humanity from the date of his death up to 2105. The Shape of Things to Come provides this ‘history of the future’, an account that was in some ways remarkably prescient – predicting climatic disaster and sweeping cultural changes, including a Second World War, the rise of chemical warfare, and political instabilities in the Middle East.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21548 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 576 pages

About the Author
H.G. Wells was a professional writer and journalist, who published more than a hundred books, including novels, histories, essays and programmes for world regeneration. Wells's prophetic imagination was first displayed in pioneering works of science fiction, but later he became an apostle of socialism, science and progress. His controversial views on sexual equality and the shape of a truly developed nation remain directly relevant to our world today. He was, in Bertrand Russell's words, 'an important liberator of thought and action'. John Clute is the co-editor of The Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction with Peter Nicholls. He has written much sf criticism, and for his criticism in general he has won the Pilgrim Award and the ICFA Distinguished Guest Scholar Award. Patrick Parrinder has written on H.G. Wells, science fiction, James Joyce and the history of the English novel. Since 1986 he has been Professor of English at the University of Reading. John Partington has written widely on H.G. Wells' science fiction and political thought, including his most recent book Building Cosmopolis. He is the editor of The Wellsian, the the annual journal of the H.G. Wells Society.

Customer Reviews

A largely unearthed gem
The Shape of Things to Come is often overlooked when appraisals of the work of H.G. Wells are conducted. This seems to me a shame as this book is a highly capitvating prophecy of the future beginning from the time Wells wrote it in the 1930s.

Whilst ostensibly, Wells vision of the course of the Twentieth Century appears to be inaccurate, on closer inspection, it can be seen that much of Wells' predictions did indeed manifest themselves in some shape or form. This includes a second world war (hardly a revelation considering the rise of nationalism in Germany at the time of writing but accurate nonetheless), the emergence of germ warfare and a proliferation of ethnic conflicts across the globe.

Some of Wells' more ambitious visions of the future of the world, such as the rejection of the American Declaration of Independence and the advent of a World Government were probably not intended to be actual predictions but more a vehicle to convey his political convictions, which strongly advocate the creation of a global level, form of governance.

On the whole, Wells' book is a interesting attempt to extropolate the future of world history. It also serves as a useful counterfactual for those wishing to gain a greater comprehension of international affairs.

Asks blindingly obvious questions which no one ever asks...
This is without doubt one of the major works of speculative fiction of the 20th century, and the fact that it is still so little known and so hard to get hold of is ample fuel for conspiracy theorists the world over - thank God, finally, there is a new edition! It presents itself as a history book written in the 22nd century, covering the previous 400 years; the rise and fall of capitalism and the establishment of a utopian world government. Whilst Wells' own communistic ideology shines through, it is nevertheless a reasoned, accessible attempt to discuss the geopolitical forces which shape our world and to debate the future of our species and our society. Wells is profoundly against the laissez-faire approach to social and political development, and argues for an intelligent, directed interventionism towards a more just and egalitarian future. It's possible to read this book as a counterargument to such dystopian classics as Zamyatin's "We", Huxley's "Brave New World", or Orwell's "1984", but at the same time it's hard to dismiss the suspicion that Wells' political and ideological enemies have happily buried this controversial and deeply thoughtful work whilst championing its "dark vision" contemporaries.

"The Shape of Things to Come" is profoundly anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, and anti-corporate feudalist. It effortlessly exposes and deconstructs the cynical manipulations which drive world politics; in the age of the oil wars and the artificial enemy, it's more relevant than ever.

I would put this book on any O-level or A-level curriculum. I'd challenge any thinking person with hope for the future of our society to read this book and disagree. You might not agree with Wells, but you can't deny that this is a topic we should all be talking about.

The Shape of Things to Come
This book has changed my life with its exsquisite insightfulness and determination to unveil the logic behind featured prophesies. Well's has done, within 500 pages, what many writer's have struggled to find in in their careers as authors. This book should remain in time as the most prominent masterpiece of one the world's greatest ever thinkers and storytellers. 'The Shape of Things to Come' is an outstanding display of thought and imagination working in cohesion to produce H. G. Well's finests ever book.