Imagined Futures: Writing, Science, and Modernity in the To-Day and To-Morrow Book Series, 1923-31

The To-Day and To-Morrow series of 110 books, published by Kegan Paul Trench and Trübner from 1923 to 1931, offers a comprehensive history and analysis of this influential series. The study explores the series' key concerns, tropes, and influence, focusing on science and technology as a method and source of metaphors for other disciplines. It also discusses war, technology, cultural studies, and literature and the arts, establishing the series as a vital contribution to modern writing and reappraising modernism's relation to the future.

Format: Hardback
Length: 448 pages
Publication date: 22 October 2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press

This extensive study presents the first comprehensive historical analysis of the renowned To-Day and To-Morrow series, consisting of 110 books published by Kegan Paul Trench and Trübner (and E. P. Dutton in the USA) from 1923 to 1931. The series invited writers to explore a specific topic, examine its current state, and predict its future trajectory. Renowned contributors such as J. B. S. Haldane, Bertrand Russell, Vernon Lee, Robert Graves, Vera Brittain, Sylvia Pankhurst, Hugh MacDiarmid, James Jeans, J. D. Bernal, Winifred Holtby, André Maurois, and numerous others participated in this project.

The study seamlessly combines a comprehensive account of the series' interest, history, and wide-ranging themes with a thoughtful exploration of its central concerns, tropes, and profound influence. The central argument revolves around science and technology, not only as the subject of numerous volumes but also as a methodological approach, particularly through the human sciences paradigm, applied to other disciplines. Furthermore, the series serves as a rich source of metaphors for representing various domains beyond science and technology.

In addition to chapters dedicated to science and technology, the book also delves into war, technology, cultural studies, and literature and the arts. Its primary objective is to re-establish the significance of the To-Day and To-Morrow series as a vital contribution to the writing of modernity. It aims to reappraise modernism's relationship with the future, establishing a progressive body of writing that moves beyond the discourses of post-Darwinian degeneration and post-war disenchantment. Instead, it projects human futures, offering a vision for a better future rather than relying on mythic or classical pasts.

Furthermore, this study reveals the unique nature and practices of modern futurology through the lens of the To-Day and To-Morrow series. As a cohesive body of futurological writing, the series provides valuable insights into the field's development, trends, and challenges. By examining the series as a whole, readers gain a deeper understanding of the past, present, and potential future of futurology, contributing to the ongoing discourse and exploration of this dynamic field.

Weight: 844g
Dimension: 163 x 239 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198829454