Today (29 March 2024) is the publication day for the new Cybersalon Press book – All Tomorrow’s Futures: Fictions That Disrupt.
It’s been an epic project involving around 50 people considering the future of: Police & Justice; Power & Energy; Finance & Digital Money; Health & Longevity; Learning & Education.
After hours of discussion and iteration across 2 years, the specialists and the speculative authors have pulled together a book of 25 stories and 10 commentaries on the ideas in the stories. Top and tailed by an introduction from Dr Richard Barbrook and a postface from Dr Christine Aicardi, eminent in the fields of critiquing digital neo-liberalism and participatory foresight, respectively.
As Sue Magee on the book review site, Bookbag, said, “I found my mind pushed into dusty corners, forced to re-examine my prejudices and assumptions. It was though, very enjoyable.”
Other notable accolades are:
“What a wonderful and inspiring alternative to the so-called ‘world-building’ of today’s science fiction industry. Here are some real lessons on how to speculate in ways that may actually open new potentials for human flourishing.” Douglas Rushkoff, Team Human.
“This book offers an essential collaboration between domain experts, writers, and editors, fusing foresight and technological exploration to offer narratives both visionary and eerily plausible.” Dr Helen Marshall, Director, WhatIF Lab, Queensland University.
“The stories and commentaries make us take a long hard look at the world we have ahead of us, knowing that the problems aren’t with AI, climate, money, health, or knowledge. Rather, they come from our relationships with them. The lessons are aplenty, but more importantly, there is hope.” Yen Ooi, 2023 Hugo Awards finalist and Director, London Science Fiction Research Community.
“This clever collection of speculative stories explores the possible futures that await us. Through a series of narratives that weave together technological, ethical and societal futures, we are also gifted great analysis and commentary from experts in their fields. The reader is left with a golden glimpse into the extraordinarily possible futures that lie ahead.” Tracey Fellows, Futurist, Author of ‘The Future Of You’.
It’s available in paperback, hardback and ebook from your usual bookshop. In fact, you can purchase it from all good bookshops and here’s a link to the Amazon listing.
I hope you get as much enjoyment and value out of it as we did in creating it.
