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View Full Version : Future of the Past, help with an obscure book title.

Graham
December 5th, 2004, 01:14 PM
As this is my first post to the forum, and as I'm not sure where else to put this, here goes...

Some time ago I heard about a book written in the mid 1700s (1740-1770's), set in 1940 it has the British empire taking over the world under the direction of George (unsure but it was not lower than V).

What was so interesting about the book was that the author assumed that in the 200 odd years between the date the book was written there would be no technological advancement, thus the world is conquored(sic) using sailing ship navies and Frederickian armies.

However I cannot remember the title or the author :o . Can anyone help with this information?
Prunesquallor
December 7th, 2004, 11:05 AM
It's probably "The Reign of George VI: 1900-1925", published anonymously in 1763. IIRC there's an account of it in I F Clarke's book on future wars.
Grey Wolf
December 7th, 2004, 07:58 PM
Fascinating !

Though if you look at sci fi they are usually so hopelessly QUICK in what they do, that a technological slowness is just the opposite extreme of things.

On the third hand, balloons, airships etc featured in Victorian novels about the future because that was about as REALISTICALLY imaginative that a serious person could be then - take the current trends and make them more common

It takes quite a feat to land between the two stools in a good way

Grey Wolf
Graham
December 9th, 2004, 01:01 AM
It's probably "The Reign of George VI: 1900-1925", published anonymously in 1763. IIRC there's an account of it in I F Clarke's book on future wars.

Thanks for the information, by the way, what was the title of Clarke's book?
Prunesquallor
December 9th, 2004, 05:34 AM
"Voices Prophesying War"
Graham
November 3rd, 2008, 12:52 AM
<Bump>

I've found that a copy of this, an early 'Future History' which might be useable as the basis for an AH Timeline is available from the Internet Archive in a variety of formats.

Just use the following link to access: The reign of George VI. 1900-1925; a forecast written in the year 1763, republished (1899) (http://www.archive.org/details/reignofgeorgevi100maddrich)

Wikipedia has a short page on someone they claim to be the author. Link: Samuel Madden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Madden)

Moderators, could you please move this to the AH Books section please.