The term All Tomorrows has evolved far beyond its initial literary roots, becoming a cultural touchstone that resonates across speculative fiction, art, music, and gaming. At its core lies C.M. Kosemen's seminal work, All Tomorrows: The Myriad Species and Mixed Fortunes of Man, a book that masterfully blends hard science with profound cosmic horror to chart a billion-year saga of human evolution and devolution. This unique vision of future humanity has spawned a fascinating ecosystem of related works, each exploring different facets of dread, wonder, and speculation.
The Speculative Biology Foundation: All Yesterdays and Tomorrows
To fully appreciate the depth of All Tomorrows, one must look to its conceptual sibling, All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals. Co-authored by Kosemen, this paleoart book challenges rigid reconstructions of prehistoric life, advocating for a more imaginative and biologically plausible approach. This same spirit of speculative biology fuels the nightmare fuel of All Tomorrows, where humanity is reshaped by alien overlords into forms both bizarre and tragic. The connection is explored in depth in the blog All Yesterdays vs. All Tomorrows: Speculative Biology's Twin Masterpieces, highlighting how both books use scientific principles as a springboard for breathtaking creativity.
Cosmic Horror and Artistic Kinship
The cosmic dread permeating All Tomorrows finds a clear lineage in the works of H.P. Lovecraft. This thematic bridge is made visually stunning in H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu (Manga), which translates eldritch horror into gripping graphic novel form. The aesthetic of biological horror reaches its zenith in the work of H.R. Giger. The HR Giger. 45th Ed. is an essential art book for any fan, showcasing the biomechanical nightmares that visually echo the twisted post-humanity of Kosemen's universe. The blog post All Tomorrows & HR Giger: A Guide to Sci-Fi's Evolutionary & Biomechanical Nightmares delves into this powerful artistic connection.
From Page to Game Table: All Tomorrows Zombies
The compelling apocalyptic fiction and evolutionary horror of All Tomorrows found a new interactive life in the role-playing game supplement All Flesh Must be Eaten: All Tomorrows Zombies. Published by Eden Studios for their All Flesh Must Be Eaten horror RPG system, this supplement allows players to experience the terror of the novel's universe firsthand. It's a perfect example of how a rich biological fiction premise can be adapted into a compelling game setting, a topic covered in the All Tomorrows Zombies RPG supplement review & guide.
Literary and Musical Echoes of "Tomorrow"
The phrase "All Tomorrows" reverberates through other literary realms. Niven Govinden's All the Tomorrows After is a poignant contemporary fiction and family saga that, while not sci-fi, shares a thematic concern with time and legacy. In cyberpunk literature, William Gibson's All Tomorrow's Parties serves as the finale to his Bridge Trilogy, exploring a near-future of pervasive technology and social fragmentation. Finally, the phrase finds its iconic origin in music with All Tomorrow's Parties: The Velvet Underground Story, a definitive music biography capturing the essence of the 1960s counterculture and rock history that inspired the song itself. Fans can explore this in the blog All Tomorrow's Parties: The Velvet Underground Story - A Definitive Biography.
The enduring power of All Tomorrows lies in its ability to act as a conceptual nexus. It connects the rigorous speculation of paleontology books with the visceral fear of cosmic horror, the iconic imagery of art books with the collaborative storytelling of horror RPGs, and the bleak visions of dystopian fiction with the raw energy of 1960s Music. Whether you're drawn to its deep book review analyses, its terrifying visions of future humanity, or its widespread cultural influence, the universe of All Tomorrows offers a rich and endlessly fascinating territory for exploration.