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What is Coming? A Forecast of Things after the War
Prophecy may vary between being an intellectual amusement and a serious occupation; serious not only in its intentions, but in its consequences. For it is the lot of prophets who frighten or disappoint to be stoned. But for some of us moderns, who have been touched with the spirit of science, prophesying is almost a habit of mind.
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First published January 1, 1916
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About the author
H.G. Wells
5,085 books11k followersHerbert George Wells was born to a working class family in Kent, England. Young Wells received a spotty education, interrupted by several illnesses and family difficulties, and became a draper's apprentice as a teenager. The headmaster of Midhurst Grammar School, where he had spent a year, arranged for him to return as an "usher," or student teacher. Wells earned a government scholarship in 1884, to study biology under Thomas Henry Huxley at the Normal School of Science. Wells earned his bachelor of science and doctor of science degrees at the University of London. After marrying his cousin, Isabel, Wells began to supplement his teaching salary with short stories and freelance articles, then books, including The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898).
Wells created a mild scandal when he divorced his cousin to marry one of his best students, Amy Catherine Robbins. Although his second marriage was lasting and produced two sons, Wells was an unabashed advocate of free (as opposed to "indiscriminate") love. He continued to openly have extra-marital liaisons, most famously with Margaret Sanger, and a ten-year relationship with the author Rebecca West, who had one of his two out-of-wedlock children. A one-time member of the Fabian Society, Wells sought active change. His 100 books included many novels, as well as nonfiction, such as A Modern Utopia (1905), The Outline of History (1920), A Short History of the World (1922), The Shape of Things to Come (1933), and The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1932). One of his booklets was Crux Ansata, An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church. Although Wells toyed briefly with the idea of a "divine will" in his book, God the Invisible King (1917), it was a temporary aberration. Wells used his international fame to promote his favorite causes, including the prevention of war, and was received by government officials around the world. He is best-remembered as an early writer of science fiction and futurism.
He was also an outspoken socialist. Wells and Jules Verne are each sometimes referred to as "The Fathers of Science Fiction". D. 1946.
More: http://philosopedia.org/index.php/H._...
http://www.online-literature.com/well...
http://www.hgwellsusa.50megs.com/
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/t...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells
Wells created a mild scandal when he divorced his cousin to marry one of his best students, Amy Catherine Robbins. Although his second marriage was lasting and produced two sons, Wells was an unabashed advocate of free (as opposed to "indiscriminate") love. He continued to openly have extra-marital liaisons, most famously with Margaret Sanger, and a ten-year relationship with the author Rebecca West, who had one of his two out-of-wedlock children. A one-time member of the Fabian Society, Wells sought active change. His 100 books included many novels, as well as nonfiction, such as A Modern Utopia (1905), The Outline of History (1920), A Short History of the World (1922), The Shape of Things to Come (1933), and The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1932). One of his booklets was Crux Ansata, An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church. Although Wells toyed briefly with the idea of a "divine will" in his book, God the Invisible King (1917), it was a temporary aberration. Wells used his international fame to promote his favorite causes, including the prevention of war, and was received by government officials around the world. He is best-remembered as an early writer of science fiction and futurism.
He was also an outspoken socialist. Wells and Jules Verne are each sometimes referred to as "The Fathers of Science Fiction". D. 1946.
More: http://philosopedia.org/index.php/H._...
http://www.online-literature.com/well...
http://www.hgwellsusa.50megs.com/
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/t...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 7, 2021
This book was insightful! His vision for The League of.Nations or U.N was ahead of his time and be did see Germany coming back stronger as well as the possibility of a 2nd world war. On the other hand…be was a socialist through and through and a man of questioning character with numerous womanizing affairs and two children from a woman not his wife.
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September 26, 2020H.G. Wells' look into the future of the world. I won't divulge anymore because it would spoil everything. After all you can't know the future when you are in the present LOL
July 31, 2014
H G Wells, the prominent British writer of early 20th Century, turns out to become a prophet in this book, prophesying and forecasting the future of Great Britain and other countries that are just about to enter into the Second World War.
This book comes out just at the time when the Allied Forces of Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia and Japan were on the verge of getting at war against the so called cruel and power thirsty Germany. The author foresees a need for a common World Peace maintained by a Common State having a Common Peace agenda for all the countries of the world to avoid future wars. As per him there is a need for coming together of world super powers to form a supreme lawful organization that ensures world peace. The author strongly rebukes the blood thirstiness of Germany to attack and conquer its weak counterparts and at the same time praises their abilities to create a strong military, scientific, industrial and social solution for the world to learn. He very clearly elicits how the British at large and other countries at war have suffered and would suffer for decades even after the war, that would result in a major change in the thinking and living pattern of all classes of the society. Bankruptcy of people and nations at War, depreciation of currency, rise in prices, and destruction of valuable properties has been prophesied after the war ends. Emergence of socialism, huge changes in the industrial policies, political shift from feudal lords to the masses, empowerment and creation of modern woman, decrease in birth rate, emergence of collective power of middle class and strengthening of free Press in bringing about social changes were some of the great forecasts of the author. The author also forecasts a revolution in Germany against the tyrant Hohenzollern and dynastic systems and unfolding of a democratic republic after the War. Finally, he concludes that Nations going at war achieve nothing in the end but have to resort to reconciliation of their so-called supremacies that have been destroying the faith of their people on them and also humanity as a whole.
Positives: The reader gets to know the reasons and ills of Second World War. The woes of Allied Forces against Germany and the forecasted aftermaths of various changes that could take place in these countries and also on the countries dependant on them have been precisely jotted down. The author’s intelligence on the future scenario of Great Britain, America, Russia, France, Japan and other Third World countries after the war ends many years later, when this book was written is outstanding. If one observes, almost more than eighty percent of his forecast has turned out to be true.
Negatives: There is an influence of the British arrogance in the author’s work. His demeaning language about German internal affairs and life styles of other Third World countries like Africa, Middle East and India depicted his attitude with respect to how the British treated other people of the world before the Second World War. The failure of the author in recognizing the sovereignty of countries like India on the basis of its diverse culture and languages and his forecast that it can never become a super power has turned out to be false in today’s world. Many other forecasts like the exponential rise of America in the world economic and military strength over European union could not be assessed accurately, though some of his points are valid. His repeated criticism of German policies and kingdom could not clearly counter the argument as to why the British occupied many so-called ‘barbaric’ countries across the world. Why there were still holding on to many countries under their tyrannical rule and at the same time going at war and also simultaneously seeking peace with Germany that wanted some of the territories of Great Britain and its surrounding countries. The double standards of Great Britain have been clearly exposed here.
My rating is 4 out of 5
This book comes out just at the time when the Allied Forces of Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia and Japan were on the verge of getting at war against the so called cruel and power thirsty Germany. The author foresees a need for a common World Peace maintained by a Common State having a Common Peace agenda for all the countries of the world to avoid future wars. As per him there is a need for coming together of world super powers to form a supreme lawful organization that ensures world peace. The author strongly rebukes the blood thirstiness of Germany to attack and conquer its weak counterparts and at the same time praises their abilities to create a strong military, scientific, industrial and social solution for the world to learn. He very clearly elicits how the British at large and other countries at war have suffered and would suffer for decades even after the war, that would result in a major change in the thinking and living pattern of all classes of the society. Bankruptcy of people and nations at War, depreciation of currency, rise in prices, and destruction of valuable properties has been prophesied after the war ends. Emergence of socialism, huge changes in the industrial policies, political shift from feudal lords to the masses, empowerment and creation of modern woman, decrease in birth rate, emergence of collective power of middle class and strengthening of free Press in bringing about social changes were some of the great forecasts of the author. The author also forecasts a revolution in Germany against the tyrant Hohenzollern and dynastic systems and unfolding of a democratic republic after the War. Finally, he concludes that Nations going at war achieve nothing in the end but have to resort to reconciliation of their so-called supremacies that have been destroying the faith of their people on them and also humanity as a whole.
Positives: The reader gets to know the reasons and ills of Second World War. The woes of Allied Forces against Germany and the forecasted aftermaths of various changes that could take place in these countries and also on the countries dependant on them have been precisely jotted down. The author’s intelligence on the future scenario of Great Britain, America, Russia, France, Japan and other Third World countries after the war ends many years later, when this book was written is outstanding. If one observes, almost more than eighty percent of his forecast has turned out to be true.
Negatives: There is an influence of the British arrogance in the author’s work. His demeaning language about German internal affairs and life styles of other Third World countries like Africa, Middle East and India depicted his attitude with respect to how the British treated other people of the world before the Second World War. The failure of the author in recognizing the sovereignty of countries like India on the basis of its diverse culture and languages and his forecast that it can never become a super power has turned out to be false in today’s world. Many other forecasts like the exponential rise of America in the world economic and military strength over European union could not be assessed accurately, though some of his points are valid. His repeated criticism of German policies and kingdom could not clearly counter the argument as to why the British occupied many so-called ‘barbaric’ countries across the world. Why there were still holding on to many countries under their tyrannical rule and at the same time going at war and also simultaneously seeking peace with Germany that wanted some of the territories of Great Britain and its surrounding countries. The double standards of Great Britain have been clearly exposed here.
My rating is 4 out of 5
June 20, 2016
Wells' proves it is hard to forecast the future. He gets several important things right, the war ending through exhaustion rather than a defeat of the enemy in the field; the creation of the League of Nations; the changing relationship between the sexes and the inevitable end of colonialism.
That said, he greatly mistaken and hopelessly naive in the benign power of government (wanting government to control the press and means of production); the great potential of Russia to solve the world's problems; the willingness of America after the war to assume more responsibility due to its unique position; a just peace treaty and the innate goodness of man (educated people of good will will solve our problems in the future.)
It is an interesting snapshot of 1916 and the views of a socialist in the midst of the Great War.
That said, he greatly mistaken and hopelessly naive in the benign power of government (wanting government to control the press and means of production); the great potential of Russia to solve the world's problems; the willingness of America after the war to assume more responsibility due to its unique position; a just peace treaty and the innate goodness of man (educated people of good will will solve our problems in the future.)
It is an interesting snapshot of 1916 and the views of a socialist in the midst of the Great War.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2012
Great read if you're interested in primary source accounts of World War I. Wells does an eerily good job of predicting some of the changes that occurred in global society years in advance. That having been said, don't bother with this one unless the geopolitical machinations of the 1910's are interesting to you.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews