Echoland: A Comprehensive Guide to a Nonexistent Place

by Nathan J. Robinson

Echoland is a stunning illustrated tour through the World of Tomorrow, a delightful look at what a world transformed by artificial intelligence might look like. In the tradition of speculative utopian fiction, Current Affairs editor in chief Nathan J. Robinson imagines a fully automated socialist society where deprivation, militarism, and inequality have disappeared. Like a modern version of Edward Bellamy’s hugely popular 19th century utopian novel Looking Backward , Echoland explores how human society could radically change for the better—if we make it. Echoland is not just a discussion of the possible changes that generative artificial intelligence could contribute to, but it is a radical and novel demonstration of AI’s capacities. The book is illustrated with nearly 1000 AI-generated images; to speculate on the world of the future, Robinson has used cutting-edge AI image-making programs to show everything from imaginary train tickets and movie posters to stuffed animals and coffee shops. The result is a spellbinding look at the radical possibilities that these new technologies hold. This beautiful, mesmerizing book makes a major contribution to the discussion about the risks and promises of technology, and the various paths human society could take. Echoland is not “techno-utopian”; instead it offers a stark warning that, uncoupled from humane social values, we are just as likely to destroy ourselves as to bring about a world of abundance for all. This one-of-a-kind, beautiful book is essential for anyone interested in big questions about the human future.

269 pages, Paperback

Published April 19, 2023

Reviews

[Joan Grossman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one-of-a-kind book is a testament to the need for imagination, if we are going to design a livable future. Nathan J. Robinson's prior work is a rigorous critique of progressive politics and corrupt power structures. Here he ventures into wildly new territory with AI-generated images that are strikingly beautiful and tremendously evocative as he explores imaginary futures in which human needs, democratic principles, and the pleasure of beauty and art come first. It's a tour de force work that you won't easily put down.