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.

Voyager

by Diana Gabaldon

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Love, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Race, Sexual Identity, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Environment, Family, Marriage, War, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction

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Watchmen

by Alan Moore, Illustr. Dave Gibbons

Publication year 1986

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Teamwork, Nostalgia, Future

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure

Watchmen is a limited series of comic books written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, published serially from 1986 to 1987 and then republished as a single volume in 1987. Set in an alternate 1985 in which masked vigilantism has been banned, Watchmen follows a cadre of “costumed heroes”—some of whom work for the government—who uncover a plot hatched by one of their own to stop global nuclear annihilation by killing a significant... Read Watchmen Summary

Water Moon

by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Hope, Joy, Love, Memory, Regret, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Romance

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We

by Yevgeny Zamyatin

Publication year 1921

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Future, Politics & Government, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Russian Literature, World History, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

We is a 1921 science fiction novel by Russian writer Yevgeny Zamyatin. In the future authoritarian society of the One State, the novel’s protagonist D-503 is the chief builder of a new rocket, the Integral, which is designed to integrate other planets into the One State’s mathematically perfect happiness. However, this plan is subverted when D-503 meets I-330, a woman who encourages him to break the One State’s rules.This guide uses a 2022 independently published... Read We Summary

Welcome to the Monkey House

by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Publication year 1968

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Future, Politics & Government, Equality

Tags Science Fiction, Satirical Literature, Love & Sexuality, Postmodernism

“Welcome to the Monkey House” is a short story written by Kurt Vonnegut that was originally published in Playboy Magazine in 1968. It was republished in a short story collection entitled Welcome to the Monkey House that same year. Set in a not-too-distant dystopian future, Vonnegut uses science fiction to darkly satirize the moral restrictions on birth control in 1968. The characters of Nancy McLuhan, a suicide hostess responsible for administering lethal injections, and Billy... Read Welcome to the Monkey House Summary

We the People

by Jill Lepore

Publication year 2025

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Future, The Past, Place, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice

Tags US History, Politics & Government, Political Science, Crime & Law

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We Used to Live Here

by Marcus Kliewer

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Memory, Mental Health, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Objects & Materials, Place, Self Discovery, Fate, Good & Evil, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, LGBTQ+, Religion & Spirituality, Horror & Suspense

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What Comes After

by JoAnne Tompkins

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction

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What the Constitution Means to Me

by Heidi Schreck

Publication year 2017

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Hope, Nostalgia, Femininity, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Family, Grandparents, Mothers, Politics & Government

Tags Drama, Comedy & Satire, Politics & Government, Women`s Studies, Immigration & Refugeeism, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature

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When Breath Becomes Air

by Paul Kalanithi

Publication year 2016

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Future, Death

Tags Health, Science & Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography

When Breath Becomes Air is a memoir by Paul Kalanithi. It was published in 2016. Kalanithi tells the story of his battle with cancer while being a practicing neurosurgeon. The book is organized chronologically, following the trajectory of his life from childhood to death, and is laced with deep philosophical thought and literary prose. His meditations combine the expertise of a professional with the experience of a patient, resulting in a book that communicates extremely... Read When Breath Becomes Air Summary

When He Was Wicked

by Julia Quinn

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Guilt, Love, Memory, Nostalgia, Femininity, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Future, The Past, Marriage, Self Discovery, Colonialism

Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, Regency Era

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When You Reach Me

by Rebecca Stead

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Future, Appearance & Reality, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Bullying, Parenting, Race & Racism, Relationships, American Literature, Children`s Literature, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

When You Reach Me (2009) is a middle-grade novel by Rebecca Stead. It won the Newbery Medal and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for fiction and has been included in numerous best book lists for young adult readers. Stead's Liar and Spy won the 2013 Guardian Children's Fiction Award. She is also the author of Goodbye Stranger (2015) and The List of Things That Will Not Change (2020), and co-authored The Lost Library (2023) with... Read When You Reach Me Summary

Where the Library Hides

by Isabel Ibañez

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Future, The Past, Place, Family, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Economics, Globalization, Politics & Government, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History

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White Teeth

by Zadie Smith

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Future, Fate

Tags British Literature, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

White Teeth is an award-winning novel by Zadie Smith, published in 2000. The novel, which was developed into a four-part miniseries for British audiences in 2002, follows two men from different backgrounds who meet and become friends during World War II.Plot SummaryWhite Teeth opens on New Year’s Day, 1975, with the attempted suicide of a middle-aged Englishman named Archie Jones. Following his failed marriage, and in despairing of his generally mundane existence, Archie flipped a... Read White Teeth Summary