What do you think?
Rate this book
The Museum of Unnatural History
Highly recommended for people who like the unusual and obscure.
Built by the enigmatic Terence Bumbly in the 25th century, the Museum of Unnatural History was a living catalogue of what humans created after ethical constraints were removed.
A boy who could levitate before he could crawl; tiny implants that induce drug-free euphoria; revolutions described as 'avalanches' of civilization; SIBs (Superior Intelligence Beings) that have disabled their built-in end dates; naturally-occurring biological aberrations; a world where all citizens are required by law to keep at least one prisoner - Bumbly describes a world as real as it is fantastical.
With dry humor and masterful understatement, Bumbly explores the ethical dilemmas and unimaginable extremes of human ingenuity that resulted from unchecked technological, biological and social advances. In a world where change is so rapid and so radical, he shows us how experience is destined to be outplayed by ignorance.
Built by the enigmatic Terence Bumbly in the 25th century, the Museum of Unnatural History was a living catalogue of what humans created after ethical constraints were removed.
A boy who could levitate before he could crawl; tiny implants that induce drug-free euphoria; revolutions described as 'avalanches' of civilization; SIBs (Superior Intelligence Beings) that have disabled their built-in end dates; naturally-occurring biological aberrations; a world where all citizens are required by law to keep at least one prisoner - Bumbly describes a world as real as it is fantastical.
With dry humor and masterful understatement, Bumbly explores the ethical dilemmas and unimaginable extremes of human ingenuity that resulted from unchecked technological, biological and social advances. In a world where change is so rapid and so radical, he shows us how experience is destined to be outplayed by ignorance.
116 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
61 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 30, 2025
Set in the near (or distant?) future the museum curator leads us through creations of genetic, mechanical, and AI creatures. The end result is not a pleasant one.
The cover shows a sketch of a skeleton of conjoined twins from the Mütter museum and is the only image not a poor caricature of modified humanoid creatures. I am disappointed the author chose an example of a human tragedy to decorate the cover.
Overall the books is disappointing.
The cover shows a sketch of a skeleton of conjoined twins from the Mütter museum and is the only image not a poor caricature of modified humanoid creatures. I am disappointed the author chose an example of a human tragedy to decorate the cover.
Overall the books is disappointing.
June 17, 2021
A sci-fi /fantasy imagination that reminds me of Le Guin, Black Mirror, Arthur C. Clarke. Philosophical musings on the human condition, a mordant sense of humour and delightfully creepy illustrations.
July 24, 2017
Skimmed it
Read
August 5, 2011A pretty interesting book. Certainly unusual. Dark, yet humorous. It reads like a factual account, yet it is (obviously) entirely fictional. It is almost as if it has found it's way back to us from some version of our future. A good read to fill in time between books or to pass a lazy afternoon. Anyone with a love of the unusual, or an appreciation of something a little different, will enjoy this book.
May 3, 2012
Didn't really give it a chance. Got up to page 24 and lost interest. Might go back to it at some stage.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews