20:
411:
distinguished between two categories of works about the future, "future of prophecy" and "future of destiny". The former is concerned about the present and uses the future as an opportunity to warn about the dangers of the present that should be avoided, often touching upon
591:
442:
concurred with this sentiment, however also noted that "some critics" have pointed to "essential conservatism" and "lack of social relevance" in far future narratives, as contrasted with
39:
has been used as a setting in many works of science fiction. The far future setting arose in the late 19th century, as earlier writers had little understanding of concepts such as
367:
themes also make relatively frequent appearances, as tools of sufficiently advanced, future civilizations; the former theme also marks an overlap with the more epic works of the
303:
is hard to define precisely, but a common element of such stories is to show the society that is "so completely transformed from the present day as to be almost unrecognizable".
262:
336:. Many later works build on this idea, exploring futures in which humans themselves evolve into post-material forms of energy or software, and this theme.
787:
246:
stories (representing the far future fantasy subgenre), with the first work in the series published in 1932, with other influential authors here being
446:, and those realistic predictions of far future are impossible, as humanity in the far future if it exists, is likely to be beyond our comprehension.
281:
374:
Some writers attempt to outline a future history of mankind or even the universe, with one of the first works attempting this being the
400:
genre. At the same time, the relics of a technological past "protruding into a more primitive... landscape", a theme known as the "
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88:
24:
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724:
539:
352:
777:
190:
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19:
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180:
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themes. The latter category is broader and concerned more with exploring philosophical themes such as
475:
170:
782:
695:
272:
217:
195:
134:
As a result, the earliest stories in the genre date to the end of the 19th century, and include
465:
455:
443:
396:. This subgenre is sometimes known as the "far future fantasy" and partially overlaps with the
344:
667:
388:
Sometimes the far future genre moves from science fiction to fantasy, showing a society where
631:
460:
431:
348:
304:
135:
8:
107:
380:
279:
Short stories about far future have been collected in a number of anthologies, such as
239:
160:
63:
154:(1895). Classic examples of the genre from the first half of the 20th century include
754:
675:
643:
596:
592:
The
Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Themes, Works, and Wonders
578:
439:
389:
360:
224:
213:
119:
514:
393:
324:
287:
257:
232:
185:
165:
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99:
53:
707:
397:
315:
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205:
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84:
719:
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392:
to the point where older technologies are no longer understood and are seen as
375:
155:
103:
58:
28:
771:
663:
586:
359:, or god-like beings of pure energy. Where humanity is not being eradicated,
140:
401:
175:
115:
44:
470:
421:
368:
364:
319:
252:
145:
80:
72:
48:
711:
699:
526:
408:
300:
267:
247:
36:
123:
111:
40:
435:
413:
243:
347:, or the suppression of humanity by more powerful beings, such as
404:", have been described as "among the most potent of SF's icons".
333:
308:
122:
tied the emergence of the genre with the more recent concept of
751:
Envisioning the Future: Science
Fiction and the Next Millennium
417:
307:
noted that the common themes in far future works are those of "
68:
106:
argue that the genre could not exist until the true scale of
328:
and its division of the human race into two subspecies, the
672:
Science
Fiction Literature through History: An Encyclopedia
329:
47:. Classic examples of this genre include works such as
434:
observed that this genre has produced "many excellent
694:
79:. Many works also overlap with other genres such as
513:
769:
595:. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 280–282.
67:(1930). Recurring themes include themes such as
642:. Little, Brown Book Group. pp. 481–482.
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567:
565:
563:
561:
559:
557:
509:
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318:is considered a classic theme, harkening to
788:Fiction set in the 7th millennium or beyond
640:The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
554:
492:
238:The far future fantasy subgenre begun with
626:
624:
622:
620:
618:
616:
614:
612:
577:
662:
89:apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
18:
609:
378:, whose 1930 classic work was entitled
770:
748:
223:(2000–), as well as numerous works by
630:
383:: A Story of the Near and Far Future
16:The far future as a theme in fiction
725:The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
540:The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
118:, were fully understood. Likewise,
13:
742:
23:A fictional vision from 1922 of a
14:
799:
407:Dutch historian and sociologist
94:
27:in 10,000 years, illustrating a
339:Another recurring theme is the
174:(1948). Later examples include
688:
674:. ABC-CLIO. pp. 283–285.
656:
1:
753:. Wesleyan University Press.
486:
426:ultimate fate of the universe
114:and its implications for the
77:ultimate fate of the universe
43:and its implications for the
7:
449:
355:, technologically advanced
181:The Long Afternoon of Earth
129:
10:
804:
481:Timeline of the far future
390:civilization has regressed
191:Dancers at the End of Time
476:Technological singularity
294:
171:Against the Fall of Night
353:artificial intelligences
212:trilogy (1997–1999) and
273:The Book of the New Sun
778:Science fiction themes
749:Piercy, Marge (2003).
466:Near future in fiction
456:Far future in religion
32:
22:
461:Hard science fiction
343:one, related to the
194:series (1972–1976),
31:speculative article.
299:The concept of the
116:nature of humankind
112:theory of evolution
45:nature of humankind
579:Blackford, Russell
381:Last and First Men
311:and dissolution".
240:Clark Ashton Smith
161:Last and First Men
64:Last and First Men
33:
760:978-0-8195-6652-2
681:978-1-4408-6617-3
649:978-1-78033-704-3
602:978-0-313-32951-7
515:Stableford, Brian
440:Russell Blackford
438:or moral tales".
345:Dying Earth genre
225:Robert Silverberg
214:Alastair Reynolds
120:Russell Blackford
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444:near future ones
341:post-apocalyptic
325:The Time Machine
263:Sorcerer's World
258:Damian Broderick
233:Michael G. Coney
219:Revelation Space
204:series (1986–),
186:Michael Moorcock
166:Arthur C. Clarke
151:The Time Machine
100:Brian Stableford
54:The Time Machine
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743:Further reading
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720:Sleight, Graham
716:Langford, David
704:Langford, David
696:Nicholls, Peter
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661:
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555:
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535:Sleight, Graham
531:Langford, David
519:Langford, David
512:
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398:science fantasy
316:human evolution
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229:Doris Piserchia
206:Paul J. McAuley
201:Xeelee Sequence
132:
108:geological time
97:
85:science fantasy
17:
12:
11:
5:
801:
791:
790:
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783:Future history
780:
766:
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741:
739:
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728:(4th ed.)
708:"Ruined Earth"
687:
680:
664:Westfahl, Gary
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587:Westfahl, Gary
553:
543:(4th ed.)
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376:Olaf Stapledon
296:
293:
288:One Million AD
196:Stephen Baxter
156:Olaf Stapledon
131:
128:
104:David Langford
96:
93:
59:Olaf Stapledon
29:Hugo Gernsback
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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141:A Crystal Age
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95:Genre origins
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66:
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60:
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55:
50:
46:
42:
38:
30:
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25:floating city
21:
750:
730:. Retrieved
723:
690:
671:
668:"Far Future"
658:
639:
636:"Far Future"
632:Mann, George
590:
583:"Far Future"
545:. Retrieved
538:
523:"Far Future"
430:
406:
402:Ruined earth
387:
379:
373:
361:space travel
338:
323:
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266:, 1970) and
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176:Brian Aldiss
169:
159:
149:
139:
133:
98:
62:
52:
34:
712:Clute, John
700:Clute, John
527:Clute, John
471:Omega Point
436:allegorical
432:George Mann
422:eschatology
369:space opera
365:time travel
305:George Mann
285:(1997) and
282:Far Futures
253:Dying Earth
164:(1930) and
144:(1887) and
136:W.H. Hudson
81:space opera
73:eschatology
772:Categories
732:2023-12-29
547:2020-10-02
487:References
409:Fred Polak
320:H.G. Wells
314:Future of
301:far future
268:Gene Wolfe
248:Jack Vance
210:Confluence
146:H.G. Wells
110:, and the
57:(1895) or
49:H.G. Wells
37:far future
414:dystopian
276:, 1980).
124:deep time
41:deep time
722:(eds.).
706:(2023).
666:(2021).
634:(2012).
581:(2005).
537:(eds.).
521:(2018).
450:See also
334:Morlocks
332:and the
291:(2006).
256:, 1950)
244:Zothique
184:(1962),
130:Examples
589:(ed.).
424:or the
418:Utopias
371:genre.
309:entropy
75:or the
69:Utopias
757:
678:
646:
599:
357:aliens
349:robots
295:Themes
221:series
710:. In
585:. In
525:. In
394:magic
755:ISBN
676:ISBN
644:ISBN
597:ISBN
363:and
330:Eloi
231:and
102:and
35:The
385:.
242:'s
216:'s
208:'s
198:'s
188:'s
168:'s
158:'s
138:'s
87:or
61:'s
774::
718:;
714:;
702:;
698:;
670:.
638:.
611:^
556:^
533:;
529:;
517:;
494:^
428:.
420:,
351:,
322:'
235:.
227:,
178:'
148:'
126:.
91:.
83:,
71:,
51:'
763:.
735:.
684:.
652:.
605:.
550:.
270:(
260:(
250:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
