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

Gordon Arnold (author)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1476677441 ISBN 13: 9781476677446

Publisher: McFarland, 2020

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Author

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

Edition details

• Publisher: McFarland
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1476677441
• ISBN 13: 9781476677446
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 157