Invented Futures: Fin de Siècle Fantasies

"As art, as nostalgia, as historical documents and as explorations of the idea of the future (an idea which, as time goes on, becomes more and more important to deal with), these rare images deserve to be seen, so that we can understand how and why we have diverged from these 'futures'. In what ways, we ask, are we truly the refl ections of the people at play in these colourful and attractive dreams?" Andy Sawyer, Science Fiction Foundation, University of Liverpool -- "Looking back at how oddly our present was imagined a hundred years ago or more, the thought arises that we may be similarly in the dark about the futures that loom ahead. Should we worry about this, or try to enjoy it? Depending on which hands it falls into, and at which moments, this book, and the collection that it celebrates, will support both abject trepidation and playful openness to whatever may be over the horizon." - Dominic Rainsford, Professor of Literatures in English, Aarhus University -- Color interior