![]() ![]() To name but a few of those works, a ‘tasting-list’ if you like, these include Thomas More’s ‘Utopia’ (1516), John Bunyan’s ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ (1678), Jonathan Swift’s ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ (1727), H.G. This sort of work, sometimes called ‘speculative fiction’, is found in a range of genres: science fiction science fantasy and futurism/futurology are probably the most obvious. Today, many achieve this ‘escape’ from the daily drudge of reality through video games and virtual reality, but books (and comics and graphic images!) are the foundation of many of these ideas, whether it is from much older sources, or, those that are far more recent. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” (Lewis Carroll) “When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. ![]() “I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “Alice laughed: “There’s no use trying,” she said “one can’t believe impossible things.” We all need dreams and visions, fantasies, escapism into other worlds and universes! It has always held a fascination for me personally, but I’d guess that is true for many people. ![]() The range of utopian/dystopian, futurological literature is immense. They are also created through some sort of symbiotic process of evolution, using building blocks ‘borrowed’ or ‘appropriated’ from other creative minds. ![]() Most are influenced and conceived within the context of the social, economic and political times of their creation. Very few ideas, books, films, music, scientific inventions arrive fully-formed. “…A dream will always triumph over reality, once it is given the chance…” (Stanislaw Lem) ‘News from Nowhere’ by William Morris (1890)Īlan Dearling considers some of the mythic ideas and concepts of ‘Nowhere’, ‘Utopia’, ‘Erewhon’ and ‘Nusquama’ (Thomas More’s imaginary island, ‘Nowhere’), that have provided rich inspiration for generations of musicians (and other writers). Inspirational (but, somewhat uneven ‘reads’) providing visions of utopian and dystopian futures: ![]()
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