The Rise and Fall of the Future: America's Changing Vision of Tomorrow, 1939-1986

Mid-20th century America envisioned a wondrous future of comfort, convenience and technological advancement. Popular culture--including World's Fairs, science fiction and advertising--fed high hopes even when war and hardship threatened. American ingenuity and consumer culture promised to deliver flying cars, undersea cities, household robots and space travel. By the 1960s political assassinations, the civil rights and women's movements, the Vietnam War and the "generation gap" eroded that optimism, refocusing attention on the issues of the present. The nation's utopian dream was brief but revealing. Based on a wide range of sources, this book takes a fresh look at America's precipitous fall from futurism to disillusionment.

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The Rise and Fall of the Future: America's Changing Vision of Tomorrow, 1939-1986

Mid-20th century America envisioned a wondrous future of comfort, convenience and technological advancement. Popular culture--including World's Fairs, science fiction and advertising--fed high hopes even when war and hardship threatened. American ingenuity and consumer culture promised to deliver flying cars, undersea cities, household robots and space travel. By the 1960s political assassinations, the civil rights and women's movements, the Vietnam War and the "generation gap" eroded that optimism, refocusing attention on the issues of the present. The nation's utopian dream was brief but revealing. Based on a wide range of sources, this book takes a fresh look at America's precipitous fall from futurism to disillusionment.

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The Rise and Fall of the Future: America's Changing Vision of Tomorrow, 1939-1986

The Rise and Fall of the Future: America's Changing Vision of Tomorrow, 1939-1986

by Gordon Arnold
The Rise and Fall of the Future: America's Changing Vision of Tomorrow, 1939-1986

The Rise and Fall of the Future: America's Changing Vision of Tomorrow, 1939-1986

by Gordon Arnold

eBook

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Overview

Mid-20th century America envisioned a wondrous future of comfort, convenience and technological advancement. Popular culture--including World's Fairs, science fiction and advertising--fed high hopes even when war and hardship threatened. American ingenuity and consumer culture promised to deliver flying cars, undersea cities, household robots and space travel. By the 1960s political assassinations, the civil rights and women's movements, the Vietnam War and the "generation gap" eroded that optimism, refocusing attention on the issues of the present. The nation's utopian dream was brief but revealing. Based on a wide range of sources, this book takes a fresh look at America's precipitous fall from futurism to disillusionment.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781476641010
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date: 08/04/2020
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 210
File size: 9 MB
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Gordon Arnold has taught at several colleges, including Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Massachusetts, for many years. He lives in the Boston area.
Gordon Arnold has taught at several colleges, including Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Massachusetts. He lives in the Boston area.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
1. The World of Tomorrow
2. From War to Renewal
3. A Consumer’s Future
4. A New Frontier
5. Peak Future
6. The Specter of Doubt
7. Fading Tomorrows
Epilogue
Chapter Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
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