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Looking Backward - Philosophical Fiction
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Looking Backward

description Looking Backward Overview

*Looking Backward: 2000–1887* is a utopian science fiction novel written by the American author Edward Bellamy and published in 1888. The narrative follows Julian West, a young man from Boston who falls into a hypnotic sleep in the 19th century and awakens 113 years later in a highly structured socialist America. The book became one of the bestselling novels of the 19th century and significantly influenced the development of socialist and progressive political movements in the United States.

help Looking Backward FAQ

Who is the main character in Looking Backward: 2000-1887?

The protagonist is Julian West, a young man from Boston. After falling into a hypnotic sleep in the nineteenth century, he wakes in the year 2000 and learns how society has changed.

What kind of future does Looking Backward describe?

Edward Bellamy's 1888 novel describes a planned utopian society with major industries organized for public benefit. The future economy is presented as a national system rather than a competition between private corporations.

Why does Julian West sleep for 113 years?

Julian falls asleep in 1887 and awakens in 2000, a gap of 113 years. His sleep is the story's device for comparing nineteenth-century America with Bellamy's imagined future.

Who wrote Looking Backward, and when was it published?

Looking Backward: 2000-1887 was written by American author Edward Bellamy. It was published in 1888 and became one of the best-known American utopian science fiction novels of its era.

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