A Modern Utopia

A Modern Utopia (1905) is a work of fiction by H. G. Wells.

  • H. G. Wells's proposal for social reform was the formation of a world state, a concept that increasingly occupied him throughout the remainder of his life. One of his earliest and most ambitious attempts at portraying a world state was A Modern Utopia (1905) (McLean).
  • Like most utopians, he indicated a series of modifications which in his opinion would increase the aggregate of human happiness. Basically, Wells' idea of a perfect world would be if everyone were able to live a happy life.
  • This book is written with an intimate knowledge of former ideal commonwealths and is a conscious attempt to describe a utopia that is not utopian.
  • June Deery refers to A Modern Utopia as a work in progress for two obvious reasons:
  1. It is about social and technological advance, and
  2. Wells stresses that he is describing a dynamic utopia. This means that this modern society requires and allows further improvement.

Read more about A Modern Utopia:  Origins, Notable Aspects

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