

#3175
Mentioned in 11 episodes
Looking Backward
2000-1887
Book • 1888
In 'Looking Backward: 2000-1887', Edward Bellamy presents a vision of a future socialist utopia through the eyes of Julian West, a young Bostonian who falls into a hypnotic sleep in 1887 and awakens in the year 2000.
The novel describes a society where industry is nationally owned, goods are distributed equally, and there is no need for money, police, military, or lawyers.
Bellamy's vision includes advanced technologies such as radio, television, motion pictures, and credit cards.
The novel is a critical examination of 19th-century capitalism and advocates for a society based on equality, cooperation, and the brotherhood of man.
The novel describes a society where industry is nationally owned, goods are distributed equally, and there is no need for money, police, military, or lawyers.
Bellamy's vision includes advanced technologies such as radio, television, motion pictures, and credit cards.
The novel is a critical examination of 19th-century capitalism and advocates for a society based on equality, cooperation, and the brotherhood of man.
Mentioned by




















Mentioned in 11 episodes
Mentioned by 

, as a novel that could have been written by John D. Rockefeller or the utopian socialists.


Richard White

168 snips
Plain History: How the Transcontinental Railroads Built the Modern World
Mentioned by 

as a Gilded Age version of Cabe's Voyage to Acaria, reviving that tradition yet again.


Dorian Lynskey

99 snips
The Birth of Socialism – A Better World is Possible
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when speaking about socialist utopias and using status to encourage workers to take on more ambitious jobs.

Elle Griffin

67 snips
Elle Griffin — Rethinking Ownership and the Future of Work (EP. 287)
Mentioned by 

as a tremendously successful American socialist publication.


Simon James

32 snips
The Time Machine (Archive Episode)
Mentioned by 

as a highly influential 19th-century science fiction novel.


Jonah Goldberg

25 snips
Islands of Separateness
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as an inspiration for the architecture of the Bradbury Building.

Jess Deaver

17 snips
Blueprints for Utopias
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alongside B.F. Skinner's "Walden Two", both inspiring communities attempting to realize their utopian visions.


Nick Gillespie

12 snips
How Elon Musk and DOGE Can Deliver on Smaller Government
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and Jason Amos as a bestselling utopian novel of the 1800s that inspired political movements and architectural designs.

Amanda McGowan

Edward Bellamy's Real-World Utopia
Mentioned as a best-selling book that inspired a social movement and national conversation about the future.

The History of the Future
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as a sci-fi novel portraying a music room where music is transported seamlessly.

Julia Hava

Regime of Convenience
Mentioned by Dr. Evie Kendal as one of her favorite utopian narratives.

Utopia is Boring with Evie Kendal
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regarding its futuristic predictions, including a telephone in every bedchamber.

Christina Panos

Ep 333: Nightmare Whiffletrees, 18650 Safety, and a Telephone Twofer
Mentioned by 

as a utopian science fiction novel, which is utterly forgotten today.


Jonah Goldberg

Tell Me About Henry George | Interview: Mike Bird
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, this book highlights technological progress built into the American mythos.

David Patrick Herry

s07e73 | The Orthodox Option, with David Patrick Harry
Mentioned by 

when comparing Wells's "The Time Machine" to other time travel stories.


Simon James

The Time Machine
Mentioned by 

as the inventor of the Pledge of Allegiance.


Tom Myers
The Making of the Pledge of Allegiance
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in the context of time capsule ideas in fiction.

Nick Yablon

Nick Yablon, "Remembrance of Things Present: The Invention of the Time Capsule" (U Chicago Press, 2019)
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when discussing cultural models that shaped ideas about old age.

Al Zambone

Episode 385: Golden Years
Mentioned as part of William Gaddis's "Literature of Failure" reading list.

A Fan's Notes by Frederick Exley (Book Review)
Mentioned by Peter Seifert as an inspiring literary utopia that was widely read by workers.

Inside Europe 19 June 2025



