Hg Wells: The Shape of Things to Come

There is only one word that comes to mind when asked to describe H.G. Well’s version of the future in, The Shape of Things to come, and that is, in simplest form, Utopia. Well’s describes a world in which all it’s people are completely unified on every level of existence. The natural instinct humans feel in our present day to achieve money, power, and status does exist in this Well’s future. The people of 2106 are a universally educated population whose main focus and purpose is taking care of one another, the planet, and their continued development as a human race. However, the steps taken to achieve this type of world, was not an easy one.

Well's explains the beginning of this process as he speaks of a time when representatives from many different countries came together after a World War to form a World Council; A sole governing body for the entire planet. This government would grow over centuries and ultimately in the time of Well’s writing, be remembered as The Air Dictatorship or Puritan Tyranny. This council established The Supply Control, The Transport (and Trading) Control, an Educational and Advertising Control, and other controls that varied from time to time. Each one of these subsidiary organs was carefully created and essentially replaced the need for kings or presidents because the notion of a sovereign state was eliminated. Although by 2106, the Puritan Tyranny had resolved to end it’s reign as the “Offical World-Government,” the world and it’s people were forever changed by it’s existence.

In the future that Well’s speaks to us from, the people have been bred by a common vision in which educational and social discipline are of utmost importance. Because of this, the modern man/woman has turned into a completely different creature by nature than those whom devised this plan. The people of this future are free of disease, mentally sound, physically fit, and well-educated. They do not feel the need to have an advantage over their neighbor because there is a sufficient amount of goods to satisfy everyone. When they need new clothing, they go to the store and simply exchange them for new items. The feeling of stress has been eliminated from this society because they are entertained by their work. They enjoy being able to help others by using their skills as they appreciate what others