The Atlas Obscura Podcast
The Atlas Obscura Podcast
SiriusXM and Atlas Obscura
Edward Bellemy's Real-World Utopia
15 minutes Posted May 21, 2025 at 4:05 am.
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Show notes
Dystopian fiction is all the rage these days. But back in the 1800s one of the bestselling books in the United States was a work of utopian fiction, about a guy who falls asleep in 1887 and accidentally time travels to the year 2000. The book, called “Looking Backward” launched political parties, communal living projects, and inspired a generation of architects and city planners.