The Great British Future [audio 30min]

Francis Spufford charts the history of Britain - through its Science Fiction. Francis won't quite be arguing that every starship in British SF is a milkfloat in disguise but the diversity of ideas in British SF means that these novels do give startling alternative snapshots of Britain down the years. Science Fiction has always been a genre of ideas, and so, contrary to its escapist image, can provide a hugely evocative record of the time in which it was written. In the work of HG Wells, therefore, we find Fabian dreams of a future without poverty; nightmares about overpopulation and dark eugenic designs. In Huxley, a fascination with intelligence, and how it can be achieved. In Iain M Banks, curious echoes of the benign Wilson-era Britain in which the author grew up. This series features some of the biggest names in British Science Fiction, past and present, including Arthur C Clarke and Iain M Banks. Francis explores the sometimes sinister history of utopian dreams, from Thomas More to HG Wells to Iain M Banks.