“Throughout the ages the Utopias reflect the anxieties and discontents amidst which they are produced. They are, so to speak, shadows of light thrown by darkness.” –H.G. Wells, Australian Radio Address, January 19th, 1939
The history of utopian and dystopian thought reflects the hopes and fears that have driven revolution, reform, and social and political innovation for millennia. This is a blog devoted to this rich tradition of thought and the ways it has influenced, and been influenced by, social, political, economic and cultural reality. This site has postings about books and stories, films and TV shows, utopian and dytopian music, real utopian communities and experiments, and images. It also has three new utopian and dystopian worlds with original fiction and a selection of favorite quotations from utopian and dystopian works.
This website began life as a class taught by Dr. David Hoffman and Dr. Douglas Muzzio at Baruch College, CUNY. All content of the site, other than the syllabus and readings, is the product of the students in that class.