Looking Backward, 2000 to 1887, Edward Bellamy
Looking Backward, 2000 to 1887, Edward Bellamy
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Looking Backward, 2000 to 1887
Awaken in the year 2000 to discover a world transformed. Experience the ultimate Science Fiction / Utopian Fiction masterpiece where one man's century-long slumber reveals humanity's golden destiny.

Author: Edward Bellamy

Narrator: John Montoya

Unabridged: 8 hr 19 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: John Montoya

Published: 04/08/2026


Synopsis

What if you went to sleep in the smog-choked, divided world of 1887 and awoke in the staggering perfection of the year 2000?

Julian West, a wealthy young Bostonian, suffers from severe insomnia exacerbated by the turbulent labor strikes of the late nineteenth century. To find rest, he retreats to his soundproof underground vault, relying on the mesmerism of a local quack doctor to fall into a deep slumber. But when he finally opens his eyes, a staggering 113 years have passed. Julian awakens to an unrecognizable, technologically advanced utopian metropolis. Under the gentle guidance of the enigmatic Dr. Leete and his beautiful daughter Edith, Julian must navigate the shocking psychological reality of leaving his entire timeline behind.
But the true marvel is the world itself. The cutthroat capitalism, poverty, and political corruption of his era have vanished. In its place stands an egalitarian society orchestrated by a peaceful industrial army, where greed is a relic of the past and humanity's collective effort guarantees a life of prosperity for all. As Julian learns the intricacies of this astonishing new order, he grapples with the ghosts of his former life—and the dazzling promise of an engineered paradise.
Why you will love this: Fans of classic Science Fiction / Utopian Fiction will be mesmerized by this foundational political novel. Blending gripping time travel tropes, profound social critique, and a poignant romance, this audiobook provides an unforgettable exploration of an alternative human destiny. A visionary milestone in speculative literature!
Edward Bellamy (1850-1898) was an American author and socialist whose profound writings sparked a nationwide intellectual movement. His masterful vision of a cooperative society fundamentally shaped the course of utopian philosophy and science fiction for generations.

About Edward Bellamy

Edward Bellamy (1850–1898) was a US author and journalist who abandoned his law practice to become associate editor of the Springfield (Massachusetts) Union. Later he worked as an editorial writer for the New York Evening Post and founded the New Nation, a Boston newspaper, as an organ for his views about the injustices in the economic and social systems. But his heart was primarily in the field of literature, and he wrote several short stories and novels.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jonathan-David on January 21, 2013

As a novel, this book isn't much. That isn't a mark against it, though - the story serves as a light frame to build an explanation of socialism around, and it does that very well. Looking Backward is the best and clearest way I have ever seen socialism presented (although that is not hard, since I ha......more

Goodreads review by Jon on December 10, 2025

A book that has been stranded on the 'island of forgotten classics' for far too long. Foreshadowing many of the technological advancements we take for granted this is a look back that will also provide a vantage point for 'looking forward' as we are all caught in the ebb and flow of technoethics and......more

Goodreads review by MJ on January 03, 2021

2000th Book Read on Goodreads!* For my 2000th book ‘read’ on GR, I present Bellamy’s vision of a socialist utopia, published in 1888. Nowhere near as narratively cushy as William Morris’s News from Nowhere, although far superior to HG Wells’s weirdly fascist and crushingly boring A Modern Utopia, Bel......more

Goodreads review by RYD on November 21, 2009

As a historic work, this isn't without interest. As a piece of art, it reads more like a lecture from someone who can't stop pontificating. Edward Bellamy was trying to craft ideas for the perfect society, but it is hard to stomach in a post-Freud, post World War-I and -II and post-Soviet Union worl......more

Goodreads review by Sasha on February 13, 2017

Proto-scifi utopian snoozefest Looking Backward was a blockbuster hit in 1887 - according to Wikipedia "the third-largest bestseller of its time, after Uncle Tom's Cabin and Ben-Hur." This is mystifying because it's basically a boring socialist tract. (For context: I am a socialist. It is frustratin......more