This book examines and develops the evolutionary utopian ideas of H.G. Wells. It begins with a detailed consideration of the types of individuals who could create and live in ideal societies, as well as the social, aesthetic and intellectual aspects of utopian life in Wells’s books. It then discusses the role of the state and how Wells’s utopian thought requires a permanent commitment to expanding freedom. The final chapter covers death and how utopian thought can profoundly reshape the reader’s understanding of his or her own position relative to current and future societies.

Justin E.A. Busch is an internationally performed and published composer and author. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Justin E.A. Busch
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 212
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2009
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4605-6
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5549-2
Imprint: McFarland

Introduction      1

1. The Individual      19
2. The Role of the Novel      42
3. The State      91
4. Freedom and Social Patterns      130
5. The Problem of Death      156

Chapter Notes      173
Bibliography      195
Index      201

“definitely recommended…worth the extra expense”—SFRA Review; “a fascinating and well-written book”—Operaphile; “this is a valuable addition to Wellsian criticism”—The Wellsian.