In the Days of the Comet
by H.G. Wells
In this 1906 novel, H.G. Wells constructs a societal transformation that results from an altering of the earth's atmosphere. As a result, mankind moves from a dystopian to a utopian state.
I have not had the pleasure of reading this book, but I find the premise interesting. Like many other writers of his era, Wells had socialist leanings. The striking thing about this book is that the change toward a utopia does not occur through a political system ( something that I personally believe is hopelessly naive), but because everyone is changed, including the politicians. "The Change" results in a better society because everyone is a better person and there is no need for political institutions (or armies, etc).
I find that to be an interesting and important distinction. People that criticize capitalism and "corporatism" for the human foibles of selfishness and greed often call for political solutions without taking into account the fact that the politicians that would supposedly rescue them are not only afflicted with the same human weaknesses but are often also attended by additional character flaws and a megalomaniacal drive for power and recognition.
Table of Contents
Return to the H.G. Wells library.