Cover of Looking Backward
Time TravelVictorian Science FictionClassic Fantasy

Looking Backward

by

  • 1906 first published
  • 215 pages
  • 9 editions
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Published in 1906, Looking Backward is a time-travel fiction and Victorian science fiction novel by Edward Bellamy. Much of the action takes place in Boston, Mass.. Readers will find themes of utopias, time travel and social problems.

17 Open Library readers have it on their want-to-read list. It has been published in 9 editions across 3 languages. On Project Gutenberg it was downloaded 990 times in the last 30 days.

At about 215 pages, most readers finish it in 3–4 hours. It is in the public domain in the United States and free to read on Project Gutenberg.

About Looking Backward

"Looking Backward: 2000-1887" by Edward Bellamy is a utopian science fiction novel published in 1888. The story follows Julian West, a young American who falls into a deep sleep in 1887 and awakens 113 years later to find the United States transformed into a socialist utopia. Through conversations with his guide, Doctor Leete, West discovers a radically reimagined society where industry is nationalized, goods are equally distributed, and citizens enjoy unprecedented leisure and prosperity. The novel sparked a political mass movement and inspired over 162 discussion clubs across America.
Summary from Project Gutenberg (automatically generated)

Themes, setting & tropes

Genres

Setting

Subjects

  • Utopias
  • Two thousand, A.D. in fiction
  • Social problems in fiction
  • Time travel in fiction
  • Time travel
  • Two thousand, A.D
  • Social problems
  • Utopias in fiction
  • Science fiction
  • American fiction, Fictional works by one author
  • Boston, Mass.
  • Utopian fiction
  • Two thousand, A.D.

Publisher

Quick answers

Who wrote Looking Backward?

Looking Backward was written by Edward Bellamy and first published in 1906.

What genre is Looking Backward?

It is usually shelved as Time Travel, Victorian Science Fiction and Classic Fantasy.

How long is Looking Backward?

The median edition has 215 pages, about 3–4 hours of reading at 250 words per minute.

Is Looking Backward free to read?

Yes. It is in the public domain in the United States and can be read free on Project Gutenberg in EPUB, Kindle and HTML formats.

What books are similar to Looking Backward?

Readers who like it often enjoy Anthem, The Time Machine and The Time Traders.

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