The 20th century was a period of rapid scientific and technological advancement which fundamentally altered human life and shaped the modern world. The first half of the century saw groundbreaking discoveries in the development of quantum mechanics, the beginnings of genetic understanding, and early space exploration. The study of the atom and the development of nuclear physics ultimately lead to the discovery of nuclear fission and the atomic bomb. Technological advancements included improvements in transportation and electronics and communication. These advancements had profound impacts on society, altering the conduct of warfare, transforming daily life, setting the stage for the rapid pace of innovation in the second half of the century culminating in the Space Age.
As the world adapted to the rapid developments of the age, the genre of science fiction developed and boomed in the 20th century as authors and filmmakers integrated the science and inventions of daily life into literature and films that explored the relationship between technology, science and the individual. American science fiction as a self-conscious genre dates to 1926, when Hugo Gernsback founded Amazing Stories magazine. Fritz Lang’s film Metropolis (1927) included the first humanoid robot. Writers and filmmakers experimented with new ways of treating time and space, exploring the themes of alienation and dystopia.
The technological optimism of the era was marked by society’s belief in the power of technology to change the world. Real-world advancements included the exploration of space, which was echoed in science fiction through stories about space travel, exploration, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. As scientists made groundbreaking discoveries in a variety of fields, science fiction explored the social, ethical, and moral implications of scientific progress. The era’s scientific endeavors were also heavily influenced by the discovery and use of atomic energy. Despite the optimism of the era, there was a prevalent fear of the unknown. Society’s concerns about the potential dangers of nuclear power and the limits of human understanding of the cosmos were manifested in works of science fiction through stories about alien invasions and nuclear apocalypse.
Worlds of Tomorrow explores the relationship between the scientific and technological advancements of the 20th century and the literature and film that developed in response to those rapid advances, presenting historic photographs, artifacts and manuscripts alongside works of literature, film props, posters, and literary archives. These objects represent the reciprocal relationship between science fiction and actual scientific progress: where science fiction anticipates or inspires future technologies, technological advancements provide new fodder for the speculative imagination of authors and filmmakers.