HG Wells' future history begins by analyzing ideas about the state, then the Great War of 1914-18 and the League of Nations, before commencing its future narrative from 1933.
Robert Heinlein's Future History begins with technological advances in the second half of the twentieth century.
Poul Anderson's Psychotechnic History begins in the aftermath of the near future World War III.
Larry Niven's Known Space future history begins with interplanetary exploration in the last quarter of the twentieth century.
Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles begins with a "Rocket Summer" in 1999.
James Blish's Chronology of Cities in Flight begins with political changes in the US in 2012.
Anderson's Technic History begins with interplanetary exploration after the Chaos in the early twenty first century.
Thus, we have come a long way not only within each future history but also between them. Each of these works reflects the period in which it was written. Consequently, the sequence of future histories is a reflection of contemporary history. There are also some future histories with which I am unfamiliar. See here.
(Meanwhile, the 700th post on Comics Appreciation. See here.)
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I think Jerry Pournelle's Co-Domimium series (to which Larry Niven also became a co-author) could have been included in this list of SF "future histories."
Sean
Sean,
Yes. Its time chart starts with Armstrong and Aldrin.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
And when Pournelle/Niven were writing their first Co-Dominium stories, it was reasonable to speculate the US and USSR might have allied for them both to dominate the world and prevent rivals from challenging them. Hence we get the world of Falkenberg's Legion, the collapse of the Co-Domimium, rise and fall of the First Empire of Man, etc.
Sean
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