by Tom Lombardo & José M. Ramos
Abstract
My book, Contemporary Futurist Thought (2006), presents reviews of well over onehundred different theories, paradigms, and approaches to the future, ranging from the scientific,materialistic, and rationalistic to the spiritual, metaphysical, and humanistic. Reflecting the great contemporary diversity in mindsets and perspectives regarding the future, the book also includes a key chapter on science fiction. I see in science fiction a literary and narrative approach to the future, and have described it as nothing less than a new “mythology of the future.” Why “mythology”? Myth, which emerged in ancient human history, provided many visions, narratives, and prophecies of the future that still influence the minds of countless millions across the globe. Having a deep fascination with science fiction since my youth, I see the genre in its contemporary form as offering modern myths about the future, and significantly contributing into the great wealth and diversity of contemporary paradigms and approaches to the future.