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Flight Through Tomorrow
Super warfare has destroyed the old race of man, but elsewhere a new civilization is dawning....
Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Fantasy Book Vol. 1 number 1 (1947). Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.
Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Fantasy Book Vol. 1 number 1 (1947). Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.
- GenresScience Fiction
26 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1947
5 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Stanton A. Coblentz
149 books8 followersStanton Arthur Coblentz was an American author and poet. He received a Master's Degree in English literature and then began publishing poetry during the early 1920s. His first published science fiction was "The Sunken World," a satire about Atlantis, in Amazing Stories Quarterly for July, 1928. The next year, he published his first novel, The Wonder Stick. But poetry and history were his greatest strengths. Coblentz tended to write satirically. He also wrote books of literary criticism and nonfiction concerning historical subjects. Adventures of a Freelancer: The Literary Exploits and Autobiography of Stanton A. Coblentz was published the year after his death.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 31, 2022
The End Is Nigh
Stanton A. Coblentz’s short story Flight Through Tomorrow is written in that preachy, sing-song-like (when you read it aloud) tone that can often be found in apocalyptic writing – provided it is bad apocalyptic writing, but since the story is not too long, it did not wear out my patience completely. It is told by a person who has found a drug that permits a human’s consciousness to travel in space and time, and allows us to accompany the inventor to a trip to the final days of mankind. It ends in a note of hope when the last dozen (!) survivors are visited by some sublime extraterrestrial being, who delivers an equally sublime speech before transferring the survivors to another planet, one that is not wrecked by war.
There is only one interesting thought in this story, and it goes like this:
I’d like to add that in our daily lives, we depend on technologies we hardly even understand and that by employing these technologies and amenities, like search engines, satnavs, convenience food, scientific calculators, automatic translators, we are more and more losing our skills to deal with the world on our own. Instead, we rely on the idea that there will always be progress and that we forgot what Marcus Aurelius put like this, ”The more we value things outside our control, the less control we have.” I hate ending on an apocalyptic note myself here but cannot help thinking that the near future might give us a taste of how much truth lies in these words.
Stanton A. Coblentz’s short story Flight Through Tomorrow is written in that preachy, sing-song-like (when you read it aloud) tone that can often be found in apocalyptic writing – provided it is bad apocalyptic writing, but since the story is not too long, it did not wear out my patience completely. It is told by a person who has found a drug that permits a human’s consciousness to travel in space and time, and allows us to accompany the inventor to a trip to the final days of mankind. It ends in a note of hope when the last dozen (!) survivors are visited by some sublime extraterrestrial being, who delivers an equally sublime speech before transferring the survivors to another planet, one that is not wrecked by war.
There is only one interesting thought in this story, and it goes like this:
”Then, with a great sadness, I knew that man, having become civilized, cannot make himself into a savage again. He has come to depend upon science for his sustenance, and when he himself has destroyed the means of employing that science, he is as a babe without milk.”
I’d like to add that in our daily lives, we depend on technologies we hardly even understand and that by employing these technologies and amenities, like search engines, satnavs, convenience food, scientific calculators, automatic translators, we are more and more losing our skills to deal with the world on our own. Instead, we rely on the idea that there will always be progress and that we forgot what Marcus Aurelius put like this, ”The more we value things outside our control, the less control we have.” I hate ending on an apocalyptic note myself here but cannot help thinking that the near future might give us a taste of how much truth lies in these words.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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July 29, 2024The last page
many title flow at space
under name of LOVE
drug myself to sing with them
and write at sun
and paint at faces what adv can be at ma heart
to understant drug me twice
to see throw cloude
and draw many photo memory
drug me make me bird
tender earthly protectet
chain ma heart to my tender soil
drug me to solve what be after
just love river come
near many tree fields
green as our eyds
druge me to survive my race
to cure what lift from that poison
to lift my bule bed
just drug me profssor
to meea many faces
just joy one
far from cold one
drug me to se wings of peace
throw what left of glory
over many tears and ash
drug me to make all pep know secret of love
my heart at love grow
and for it pray
God how much i love ya
many title flow at space
under name of LOVE
drug myself to sing with them
and write at sun
and paint at faces what adv can be at ma heart
to understant drug me twice
to see throw cloude
and draw many photo memory
drug me make me bird
tender earthly protectet
chain ma heart to my tender soil
drug me to solve what be after
just love river come
near many tree fields
green as our eyds
druge me to survive my race
to cure what lift from that poison
to lift my bule bed
just drug me profssor
to meea many faces
just joy one
far from cold one
drug me to se wings of peace
throw what left of glory
over many tears and ash
drug me to make all pep know secret of love
my heart at love grow
and for it pray
God how much i love ya
January 21, 2012
It is an ok fantasy with a hopeful ending.
The narrators voice is clear and easy to listen to.
The recording quality is clear (no background noise), with plenty of volume and the editing technique is spotless.
The narrators voice is clear and easy to listen to.
The recording quality is clear (no background noise), with plenty of volume and the editing technique is spotless.
August 16, 2014
a hopeful view of the end of the world.
January 22, 2026
Nicely written story. Very poetic and dreamlike in its narrative flow.
And who can't but like a story that uses the word 'ululations'.
"Mingled with the wailing of the blast there was a deep sobbing sound that struck me in successive waves, like the ululations of great multitudes of far off mourners."
Cool. This is the second Sci-Fi story I've read that has used that word.
As for the "story" itself, it is more of a poetic thought excursion into the possibilities that the future may hold for mankind. The story was published in 1947 which would explain much about its obsessive presentment of human self-destruction.
The beginning is fun. It starts with the Tomorrow Traveler claiming that Man is a Psychic Entity, that can be detached from his body, and thus travel about through Time and Space. This he does with a self-administered concoction consisting of Morphine and Adrenaline. Cool Stuff!
The Tomorrow Traveler then takes a Psychic Journey through Time and Space, witnessing the Self-Destruction of Mankind and its eventual Redemption and Future Renewal.
No Spoilers here though. You'll have to read the story itself for the details. But it's worth the Journey.
I recommend this story simply for the experience of enjoying the poetry of its prose.
"Then, with great sadness, I knew that man cannot make himself into a savage again. He has come to depend upon his science for his sustenance, and when he himself has destroyed the means of employing that science, is as a babe without milk. And it is not necessary to destroy all men in order to exterminate mankind; one needs only take from him the prop of his mechanical inventions."
And who can't but like a story that uses the word 'ululations'.
"Mingled with the wailing of the blast there was a deep sobbing sound that struck me in successive waves, like the ululations of great multitudes of far off mourners."
Cool. This is the second Sci-Fi story I've read that has used that word.
As for the "story" itself, it is more of a poetic thought excursion into the possibilities that the future may hold for mankind. The story was published in 1947 which would explain much about its obsessive presentment of human self-destruction.
The beginning is fun. It starts with the Tomorrow Traveler claiming that Man is a Psychic Entity, that can be detached from his body, and thus travel about through Time and Space. This he does with a self-administered concoction consisting of Morphine and Adrenaline. Cool Stuff!
The Tomorrow Traveler then takes a Psychic Journey through Time and Space, witnessing the Self-Destruction of Mankind and its eventual Redemption and Future Renewal.
No Spoilers here though. You'll have to read the story itself for the details. But it's worth the Journey.
I recommend this story simply for the experience of enjoying the poetry of its prose.
"Then, with great sadness, I knew that man cannot make himself into a savage again. He has come to depend upon his science for his sustenance, and when he himself has destroyed the means of employing that science, is as a babe without milk. And it is not necessary to destroy all men in order to exterminate mankind; one needs only take from him the prop of his mechanical inventions."
June 29, 2025
Comparing humanity to the most disgusting of pernicious vermin (like lice) in an incredible insult to the latter. Sorry, but that's my main takeaway. Humans are placed on a planet by angelic beings, soon destroy it, then are "rescued" and relocated to another planet to repeat the process?! Angelic beings my 🫏! Think 👹s!
December 24, 2021
-Gregory Kerkman
June 20, 2023
Not sure why the hate for this story. I enjoyed it a lot. It's stuck with me for years.
I recommend this story.
I recommend this story.
June 19, 2025
using a drug to travel through time
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews