Series Four
This episode of The New Abnormal podcast features the renowned futurist Tom Lombardo, Director at the Center for Future Consciousness, Exec Board Member of the World Futures Studies Federation, and Editor at the Journal of Futures Studies. He returns to the series to give an overview of his choices of the top futures books in science fiction (author/topic clustered) which are roughly chronologically sequenced as follows:
Late Nineteenth Century Classics (Future of Human Society): Albert Robida: The Twentieth Century, Jules Verne: Paris in the Twentieth Century, & John Jacob Astor: A Journey in Other Worlds...
Systematic/Philosophical Futures - SF/FS Synthesis: H.G. Wells: The Time Machine, The Sleeper Awakes, Men Like Gods, & The Shape of Things to Come...
Cosmic Futures: Olaf Stapledon: Last and First Men & Star Maker...
Early Twentieth Century Classics: Aldous Huxley: Brave New World, Yevgeny Zamyatin: We, Laurence Manning: The Man Who Awoke, & William Hope Hodgson The Night Land...
Heinlein & Asimov Futures: Beyond this Horizon, Waldo, & The Past through Tomorrow Series & The Foundation Series...
Robot Futures: Isaac Asimov: The Caves of Steel and Jack Williamson The Humanoids...
Alien Futures: Adrian Tchaikovsky: Children of Time, Abraham Merritt The Metal Monster, Sheri Tepper Grass, China Miéville Embassytown & Jeff Vandermeer Annihilation...
Transcendent Poignant Futures: Clifford Simak: City & Walter Miller A Canticle for Leibowitz...
New Wave Futures: John Brunner (Future of Everything): Stand on Zanzibar & Robert Silverberg (Psychedelic Future) Son of Man...
Cyberpunk Futures: Bruce Sterling: Schismatrix & Rudy Rucker The Ware Tetralogy...
Human Futures: Greg Bear: Queen of Angels & Darwin’s Radio, Stapledon’s Odd John, & Alfred Bester The Demolished Man...
Outer Space Futures: Doc Smith: The Skylark and Chronicles of the Lensmen Series, Larry Niven: Ringworld, Vernor Vinge: A Fire Upon the Deep, Alastair Reynolds: Revelation Space , S. A. Corey Leviathan Wakes & Iain Banks Matter...
Future of Everything: Dan Simmons: The Hyperion Cantos (Others See Below)...
Cosmic/Scientific Futures: Stephen Baxter: Vacuum Diagrams (The Xeelee Saga) & The Time Ships...
Philosophical/Scientific/Technological High Powered Futures: Greg Egan: Permutation City, Diaspora, & Schild’s Ladder...
Cultural Futures/Future of Everything: Ian McDonald: River of Gods, Brasyl, and The Dervish House & Cixin Liu The Three-Body Problem Trilogy...
Singularity Hi-Tech Future: Charles Stross: Accelerando & Ernest Cline Ready Player One...
David Brin Futures: Earth, The Uplift War, and Existence...
Ecological/Comprehensive/Utopian Constructive Future: Kim Stanley Robinson: Mars Trilogy/2312 & The Ministry of the Future...
Neal Stephenson Futures: Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, and Seveneves...
So…we hope you enjoy the podcast!
