The term All Tomorrows has become synonymous with a unique and mind-bending branch of speculative fiction. It represents a journey into the far future of humanity, exploring themes of evolution, transformation, and cosmic indifference. This concept, popularized by C.M. Kosemen's seminal work, has spawned a fascinating ecosystem of related media that delves into similar themes of biological speculation, existential dread, and artistic horror. If you were captivated by the strange and haunting visions of All Tomorrows, your exploration has only just begun.
The Core of Speculative Biology
At the heart of this fascination lies All Tomorrows: The Myriad Species and Mixed Fortunes of Man. This book is the cornerstone, a pseudo-textbook that chronicles a billion years of human evolution after a malevolent alien race, the Qu, genetically engineers humanity into a plethora of bizarre new forms. It's a masterclass in speculative evolution and biological fiction, blending scientific curiosity with profound cosmic horror. The sense of cosmic dread it evokes is not from monsters in the dark, but from the sheer scale of time and the fragility of our form in an uncaring universe.
Looking Backward to See Forward
Interestingly, the creative mind behind All Tomorrows also looked to the past. All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals, co-authored by Kosemen, applies the same speculative lens to paleontology. It challenges rigid reconstructions of dinosaurs, imagining them with flesh, behaviors, and quirks lost to time. This paleoart book is a perfect companion piece, showing that speculative biology is as much about reinterpreting the past as it is about imagining the future. For a deeper dive into how these two works compare, you can read this detailed analysis.
Branches of Horror: From Lovecraft to Giger
The evolutionary horror of All Tomorrows shares a deep kinship with other horror traditions. The existential themes align perfectly with the works of H.P. Lovecraft. H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu (Manga) offers a stunning visual adaptation of classic cosmic horror, translating the incomprehensible dread into powerful imagery. The connection between these two worlds is explored in blogs like All Tomorrows & Lovecraftian Horror.
Furthermore, the biomechanical and visceral aesthetic of humanity's transformations finds a clear precursor in the art of H.R. Giger. HR Giger. 45th Ed. is a definitive art book showcasing his iconic, haunting biomechanical nightmares. The fusion of organic and mechanical in Giger's work visually prefigures some of the more unsettling fates in Kosemen's universe. This artistic lineage is a fascinating topic, as discussed in this guide to sci-fi's evolutionary nightmares.
Gaming the Apocalypse
The concepts of All Tomorrows have even infiltrated the world of tabletop role-playing. All Flesh Must be Eaten: All Tomorrows Zombies is a supplement for the horror RPG "All Flesh Must Be Eaten" from Eden Studios. It allows players to experience a zombie apocalypse within the twisted future of All Tomorrows, blending apocalyptic fiction with its unique setting. For RPG enthusiasts, a review and guide to this supplement is an essential read.
Literary and Musical Echoes
The phrase "All Tomorrows" resonates beyond speculative biology. In literature, All the Tomorrows After is an emotional novel and family saga that deals with personal futures and relationships, a more intimate take on the theme. For fans of cyberpunk, All Tomorrow's Parties is the finale of William Gibson's Bridge Trilogy, a visionary look at a near-future shaped by technology and media. You can explore an explanation of this cyberpunk classic.
Finally, the title finds its origin in music with All Tomorrow's Parties: The Velvet Underground Story. This definitive music biography delves into the iconic 1960s band that epitomized counterculture and artistic innovation, reminding us that the question of "all tomorrows" has always been a source of artistic inspiration. Discover more in this biography review.
From the profound cosmic horror of humanity's potential futures to its echoes in art, music, and gaming, the universe of All Tomorrows is vast and interconnected. It challenges our perception of self, time, and destiny, offering a rich tapestry of dystopian fiction, speculative evolution, and artistic expression for any curious mind to explore.