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Tomorrowland: Ten Stories about the Future
Look to the future...
Welcome to Tomorrowland, where the future can be as distant as Mars, as close as your next heartbeat, or as indelible as last night’s tattoo.
The ten distinguished authors in this stunning collection explore the future through stories with themes as diverse as love, hate, the environment, disease, and the fate of the human race. Each story employs a unique style; all invite us to consider how every choice we make today will reverberate through time and space for years to come.
Welcome to Tomorrowland, where the future can be as distant as Mars, as close as your next heartbeat, or as indelible as last night’s tattoo.
The ten distinguished authors in this stunning collection explore the future through stories with themes as diverse as love, hate, the environment, disease, and the fate of the human race. Each story employs a unique style; all invite us to consider how every choice we make today will reverberate through time and space for years to come.
208 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1999
8 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Michael Cart
42 books33 followersFormer Director of the Beverly Hills (CA) Public Library and a Past President of the Young Adult Library Services Association, Michael Cart is a nationally recognized expert in children's and young adult literature. Now a columnist and reviewer for ALA's Booklist magazine, he is the author or editor of eight books, including From Romance to Realism, a critical history of YA literature; MY FATHER'S SCAR, a young adult novel that was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and the anthology LOVE AND SEX: Ten Stories of Truth, also a Best Book for Young Adults and a Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.
Michael teaches young adult literature at UCLA and is the recipient of the 2000 Grolier Foundation Award. He lives in northern California.
Michael teaches young adult literature at UCLA and is the recipient of the 2000 Grolier Foundation Award. He lives in northern California.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 22, 2015
Tomorrowland by Michael Cart is a series of 10 stories of the future, each with a different theme, yet still a collective whole. These 10 visions of "tomorrow" come from the seeds we plant today; they can be dooming or enlightening. In one story everything that is "real" is not. People remain home inside high tech body suits and interact with others via technology; these suits are so high tech that you can hear, taste, and smell. Thus, will the problems of racial discrimination vanish if everyone lives in a virtual world? Will the one you fall in love with only be so because you were computer generated ideal partners? In another story two brothers land on Mars and bond over driving a $400 million dollar land roving vehicle yet faced with the challenge of creating an earth-like ecosystem to help the human race survive. Yet will it in turn destroy the ecosystem of Mars? Is it a risk they are willing to take? These are just two of the burning issues that we currently ask ourselves when projecting the future. The other eight stories will continue to intrigue your pondering of life in the future.
The series of short stories is perfect for a young adult who sees large books as too overwhelming as each story is approximately 15 pages long. This book does well with highlighting issues of the future. I recommend it.
The series of short stories is perfect for a young adult who sees large books as too overwhelming as each story is approximately 15 pages long. This book does well with highlighting issues of the future. I recommend it.
September 19, 2015
Why are so many books for kids depressing? Anywho, onto the stories themselves.
1) "Homo...Sapiens?" by Jon Scieszka. Depressing, didn't like it at all. 1 star.
2) "The Last Book in the Universe" by Rodman Philbrick. Also insanely depressing. Ended up being expanded into a full length book, which I do own and plan on one day reading. Still depressing. 2.5 stars.
3) "What's the Point?" by Tor Seidler. Kind of a mess with your mind story. Thank goodness for the MC's younger sister. Didn't really like it, but it wasn't horrible. 2.5 stars.
4) "His Brother's Keeper" by Gloria Skurzynski. Written well, definitely kills the reader with emotions. Not my favorite, but written well. 3 stars.
5) "A Robot Doesn't Have a Curve Ball" by Ron Koertge. Cute story. I liked it. 4 stars.
6) "Rage" by Lois Lowry. Depressing. Not my fav. 2.5 stars.
7) "The Last Dog" by Katherine Paterson. I actually liked this one. Depressing view of the future, but good ending. 4 stars.
8) "The Other Half of Me" by Jacqueline Woodson. No matter what I have read by Woodson, it just doesn't speak to me. Maybe it's the stream of consciousness style of writing that doesn't resonate with me. 2 stars.
9) "Night of the Plague" by James Cross Goblin. Infectious disease gets me every time. 4.5 stars.
10) " Starry, Starry Night" by Michael Cart. Not bad. Very realistic and contemporary. I liked it. 4 stars.
Not a great compilation, but not horrible either. I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it, but it isn't one I would not recommend at all. A slightly wobbly 3 stars.
1) "Homo...Sapiens?" by Jon Scieszka. Depressing, didn't like it at all. 1 star.
2) "The Last Book in the Universe" by Rodman Philbrick. Also insanely depressing. Ended up being expanded into a full length book, which I do own and plan on one day reading. Still depressing. 2.5 stars.
3) "What's the Point?" by Tor Seidler. Kind of a mess with your mind story. Thank goodness for the MC's younger sister. Didn't really like it, but it wasn't horrible. 2.5 stars.
4) "His Brother's Keeper" by Gloria Skurzynski. Written well, definitely kills the reader with emotions. Not my favorite, but written well. 3 stars.
5) "A Robot Doesn't Have a Curve Ball" by Ron Koertge. Cute story. I liked it. 4 stars.
6) "Rage" by Lois Lowry. Depressing. Not my fav. 2.5 stars.
7) "The Last Dog" by Katherine Paterson. I actually liked this one. Depressing view of the future, but good ending. 4 stars.
8) "The Other Half of Me" by Jacqueline Woodson. No matter what I have read by Woodson, it just doesn't speak to me. Maybe it's the stream of consciousness style of writing that doesn't resonate with me. 2 stars.
9) "Night of the Plague" by James Cross Goblin. Infectious disease gets me every time. 4.5 stars.
10) " Starry, Starry Night" by Michael Cart. Not bad. Very realistic and contemporary. I liked it. 4 stars.
Not a great compilation, but not horrible either. I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it, but it isn't one I would not recommend at all. A slightly wobbly 3 stars.
March 16, 2020
A really fantastic little collection of stories!
I became aware of ‘Tomorrowland’ after finding out one of my favorite YA novels ‘The Last Book in the Universe’ started off as a short story written for the collection. I figured I’d just read that and maybe skim the other stories to see if there were any other notable ones.
I was happily surprised by the other stories and ended up reading the collection all the way through. Although to some readers the collection might feel dated, to me it feels like a wonderful time capsule, representing all the hopes, fears and aspirations people felt at the beginning of the millennia. Perhaps not coincidentally, many of the same hopes, fears and aspirations we still feel today.
Some stories that stood out in particular are;
‘The Last Book in the Universe’- Rodman Philbrick
‘His Brother’s Keeper’- Gloria Skurzynski
‘Rage’- Lois Lowry
‘The Last Dog’- Katherine Paterson
I became aware of ‘Tomorrowland’ after finding out one of my favorite YA novels ‘The Last Book in the Universe’ started off as a short story written for the collection. I figured I’d just read that and maybe skim the other stories to see if there were any other notable ones.
I was happily surprised by the other stories and ended up reading the collection all the way through. Although to some readers the collection might feel dated, to me it feels like a wonderful time capsule, representing all the hopes, fears and aspirations people felt at the beginning of the millennia. Perhaps not coincidentally, many of the same hopes, fears and aspirations we still feel today.
Some stories that stood out in particular are;
‘The Last Book in the Universe’- Rodman Philbrick
‘His Brother’s Keeper’- Gloria Skurzynski
‘Rage’- Lois Lowry
‘The Last Dog’- Katherine Paterson
March 11, 2020
Note: This is a collection of stories meant for children, not adults.
Note 2: This book was published in 1999 so it is somewhat outdated, especially since several of the stories center around the beginning of the new millenium, the approach to and beginning of the year 2000.
I think this book is also somewhat misnamed: not all of the stories are set in the future; two are set centuries ago. A more accurate title would be "thinking about the past and future." I wasn't a fan of all the stories. The 2 that I quite liked were:
"His Brother's Keeper" by Gliris Skurzynski
"Rage" by Lois Lowry
Note 2: This book was published in 1999 so it is somewhat outdated, especially since several of the stories center around the beginning of the new millenium, the approach to and beginning of the year 2000.
I think this book is also somewhat misnamed: not all of the stories are set in the future; two are set centuries ago. A more accurate title would be "thinking about the past and future." I wasn't a fan of all the stories. The 2 that I quite liked were:
"His Brother's Keeper" by Gliris Skurzynski
"Rage" by Lois Lowry
March 13, 2024
Great for students
April 12, 2012
As with so many collections of short stories, especially those written by multiple authors, this one was hit and miss. A few stories I liked quite a bit. Many stories I didn't care for. Others, while I liked them, just did not fit with the theme (and title) of the book - Tomorrowland: Stories about the future. Additionally, while it may have been apt in 1999, the millennial fever present in so many of the stories is passe in 2012. (Think about it - most young adults in 2012 don't even remember the turn of the millenium. My nephew, who read this for school was all of 2 years old at the time.) While this would not have been my choice for a pleasure read, I can see where it would initiate some interesting discussions in a reading group, and I did promise I would read and review it, so here goes....
"Homo...sapiens" - Too short. Does the man standing behind question the 'wisdom' of man? Does he represent hope for the future of man or an outnumbered minority? Didn't like this one much.
"The Last Book" Naturally, this was my favorite story in the collection. It was like 1984 meets M.T. Anderson's Feed. I liked it - it's about books, or rather, what happens to a world that forgets the magic and power of books, reading, and creating stories - especially one's own story. I like on page 18 where we learn the 'essentials' of being a writer - a brain and an ability to remember. Paying attention, strength, perseverance, and courage. The ideas in this are much bigger than you would expect for a YA short story - ideas of life/death and that everyone has a story.
"What's the Point" eh - not my favorite, although I did like the twist at the end.
"His Brother's Keeper" This one was fairly good. I liked the Cain/Able story with a little Ender's Game thrown in.
"A Robot Doesn't Have a Curve Ball" OK, I guess.
"Rage" This was another story I liked a lot. The characters were good in this one. I also liked Lowry's note after the story. There was a lot of pathos in this story. At the same time, I'm not sure I would have necessarily included this one in a collection of stories about the future.
"The Last Dog" An OK story. Reminded me of a lot of other YA/children's dystopian novels where the outsider, the one who is different, is the one who questions the status quo of society and eventually leaves, or destroys the society, ultimately saving everyone.
"The Other Half of Me" Not a bad story - I really like Jacqueline Woodson, but I totally don't see how it fits in this collection. It is a story of a search for identity, as are many of her novels, but it is not a story about the future.
"Night of the Plague" Another millennial fever one, but this one set a millennium in the past.
"Starry, Starry Night" A decent story to cap things off and I did like it placed after "Night of the Plague." A typical theme of questioning one's beliefs and place in the world - these are the years to figure that out for yourself, rather than relying on parents, teachers, etc.
If you weren't satisfied with this book try other books of short stories and other books about the future - there are some really good ones out there.
"Homo...sapiens" - Too short. Does the man standing behind question the 'wisdom' of man? Does he represent hope for the future of man or an outnumbered minority? Didn't like this one much.
"The Last Book" Naturally, this was my favorite story in the collection. It was like 1984 meets M.T. Anderson's Feed. I liked it - it's about books, or rather, what happens to a world that forgets the magic and power of books, reading, and creating stories - especially one's own story. I like on page 18 where we learn the 'essentials' of being a writer - a brain and an ability to remember. Paying attention, strength, perseverance, and courage. The ideas in this are much bigger than you would expect for a YA short story - ideas of life/death and that everyone has a story.
"What's the Point" eh - not my favorite, although I did like the twist at the end.
"His Brother's Keeper" This one was fairly good. I liked the Cain/Able story with a little Ender's Game thrown in.
"A Robot Doesn't Have a Curve Ball" OK, I guess.
"Rage" This was another story I liked a lot. The characters were good in this one. I also liked Lowry's note after the story. There was a lot of pathos in this story. At the same time, I'm not sure I would have necessarily included this one in a collection of stories about the future.
"The Last Dog" An OK story. Reminded me of a lot of other YA/children's dystopian novels where the outsider, the one who is different, is the one who questions the status quo of society and eventually leaves, or destroys the society, ultimately saving everyone.
"The Other Half of Me" Not a bad story - I really like Jacqueline Woodson, but I totally don't see how it fits in this collection. It is a story of a search for identity, as are many of her novels, but it is not a story about the future.
"Night of the Plague" Another millennial fever one, but this one set a millennium in the past.
"Starry, Starry Night" A decent story to cap things off and I did like it placed after "Night of the Plague." A typical theme of questioning one's beliefs and place in the world - these are the years to figure that out for yourself, rather than relying on parents, teachers, etc.
If you weren't satisfied with this book try other books of short stories and other books about the future - there are some really good ones out there.
July 5, 2010
This is a collection of ten short stories by various authors who view the future very differently. Surprisingly, that does not mean it is a book about robots and star travel. In the story titled “Rage”, the main character is living in the present, but the plot centers around his past. This makes his present life the future. “The Last Dog” is about a young boy from the future, who ventures outside the bubble that encloses his world, and discovers the past that he only read about in books. Through various themes—love, hate, disease, religious cults, the environment—each story in some way reminds the reader that today’s choices will affect the future. The author’s note, at the end of each work, invites the reader into the author’s world to learn about the rationale for each story. This imaginative, thought-provoking book would be enjoyed by all young adult readers.
February 12, 2015
Old book with stories of future. Not too good considering we are past this point in time. Also thought this was based in movie so the book was disappointing. Read this aloud to my youngest done stories not appropriate for him
July 27, 2021
3.5/4 Interesting to hear thoughts about the future from 1999. Some are outdated, some ended up being true to today, and some are still relevant to how we think about the future. Disliked a couple of them, but there were many that I enjoyed.
May 11, 2009
two and a half. There were some good stories in the mix, and some that didn't hold me.
December 29, 2012
Review to come!
January 23, 2016
An enjoyable, if by now a little dated, look into the future as seen at the eve of the 21st millennium. A very quick read.
August 26, 2024
didnt even finish, fell off HARD around Woodson's story
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews