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.

Oedipus at Colonus

by Sophocles

Publication year 401

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Grief, Guilt, Regret, Aging, Death, Future, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Community, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Classical Period, Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece

Oedipus at Colonus is an ancient Athenian tragedy composed by Sophocles in (it is widely believed) the last year of his life, approximately 406 BC. His grandson, who was named Sophocles after him, first produced the play in 401 BC at the Festival of Dionysus, also known as the Great Dionysia. Along with Oedipus Rex and Antigone, it is one of three surviving tragedies by Sophocles, known as the Theban plays, that retell episodes from... Read Oedipus at Colonus Summary

Omeros

by Derek Walcott

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Indigenous Identity, Language, Masculinity, Mental Health, Race, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Climate, Environment, Plants, Place, Friendship, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Literature, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Narrative Poem, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Postmodernism

Omeros (1990) by Derek Walcott is an epic poem that reimagines The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer on the island of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean. Walcott explores themes of post-colonial identity and trauma while linking life on the island to Homer’s legendary characters, such as Achilles, Helen, and Hector. Omeros has been celebrated as a foundational work of post-colonial fiction and has won numerous awards. This guide refers to the 1992 Farrar, Straus... Read Omeros Summary

One Day

by David Nicholls

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Grief, Memory, Nostalgia, Regret, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Marriage, Fate

Tags Romance, Drama, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

... Read One Day Summary

One Last Stop

by Casey McQuiston

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Memory, Future, The Past, Sexual Identity, Trust & Doubt, Gender Identity

Tags Romance, LGBTQ+, Science Fiction, Humor, Magical Realism, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read One Last Stop Summary

One Today

by Richard Blanco

Publication year 2013

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Language, Hope, Future, The Past, Community, Politics & Government, Equality

Tags LGBTQ+, Politics & Government, Immigration & Refugeeism

... Read One Today Summary

On the Shortness of Life

by Seneca

Publication year 49

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes The Past, Future, Death, Nature Versus Nurture

Tags Classical Period, Philosophy, Ancient Rome, World History, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Self-Improvement, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

... Read On the Shortness of Life Summary

Onyx Storm

by Rebecca Yarros

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Loneliness, Love, Sexual Identity, Death, Future, The Past, Fathers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, War, Good & Evil, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult

... Read Onyx Storm Summary

Origin

by Dan Brown

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Conflict, Revenge, Future, Politics & Government, War, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

Origin, by mystery/thriller author Dan Brown, is the fifth novel in the Robert Langdon series. Published in 2017, the novel extends the style, content, and subject matter established in prior books in the series. Origin deals heavily with the conflict between science and religion, as well as conservatism and liberalism in modern Spain. The novel also explores the role of technology in the evolution of humanity and what technology lends to the future. Brown is... Read Origin Summary

Pines

by Blake Crouch

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Mental Health, Future

Tags Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy

Pines is the first book in Blake Crouch’s Wayward Pines trilogy. Published in 2012 by Thomas & Mercer, it was quickly followed by Wayward in 2013 and then the final book in the series, The Last Town, in 2014. The trilogy has attracted acclaim for its genre-bending combination of science fiction and action thriller, with the protagonist, Ethan Burke, using his Secret Service skills to solve the mystery of the strangely idyllic Wayward Pines. In... Read Pines Summary

Prometheus Unbound

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Publication year 1820

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Future, Environment, Objects & Materials, Space, Art, Equality, Literature, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Politics & Government

Tags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Drama, Mythology, Romanticism, British Literature

Prometheus Unbound (1820) is a four-act lyrical drama by Percy Bysshe Shelley, a celebrated English Romantic poet best known for his poems like “Ozymandias” (1818) and “Ode to the West Wind” (1819). The work is adapted from the play cycle Prometheus Bound (456 BCE), Prometheus Unbound and Prometheus the Fire-Bearer, traditionally attributed to the ancient Greek tragedian Aeschylus. Shelley rewrites the myth of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods for humans and was severely... Read Prometheus Unbound Summary

Promises to Keep

by Sharon Robinson

Publication year 2004

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Hope, Race, Future, The Past, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Fame, Justice, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Biography, African American Literature, Sports, US History

... Read Promises to Keep Summary

Queen Mab

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Publication year 1813

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Place, Environment, Future, Politics & Government, Power & Greed, War

Tags Narrative Poem, Christian, Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Mythology, Fantasy, Philosophy, Politics & Government, Military & War, World History, Science & Nature, Religion & Spirituality, Grief & Death, Romanticism, British Literature, Health, Philosophy, Food, Classic Fiction

... Read Queen Mab Summary