The term All Tomorrows has evolved far beyond its original literary context to represent a fascinating nexus of speculative fiction, evolutionary biology, art, and horror. At its core lies C.M. Kosemen's seminal work, All Tomorrows: The Myriad Species and Mixed Fortunes of Man, a book that charts a billion-year future history of humanity, remade countless times by alien overlords. This foundational text of speculative evolution and cosmic horror has spawned a rich ecosystem of related media, each exploring themes of transformation, dread, and the fragility of the human form.
The Speculative Biology Duo: All Tomorrows and All Yesterdays
To fully appreciate the vision of All Tomorrows, one must also consider its conceptual sibling, All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals. While All Tomorrows projects humanity into a terrifying future, All Yesterdays reimagines the past, challenging rigid paleontological reconstructions. Together, they form twin pillars of speculative thought, encouraging readers to question the narratives of both deep time and the far future. This comparative approach is explored in depth in the blog post All Yesterdays vs. All Tomorrows: Speculative Biology's Twin Masterpieces.
Cosmic Horror Across Media: From Lovecraft to Giger
The existential dread permeating All Tomorrows finds clear echoes in the works of H.P. Lovecraft. The H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu (Manga) offers a visually stunning gateway into Lovecraftian cosmic dread, a theme that resonates powerfully with Kosemen's vision of humanity as an insignificant plaything for vast, uncaring forces. The connection is further analyzed in All Tomorrows & Lovecraftian Horror: Exploring Cosmic Dread in Manga.
No discussion of biomechanical horror is complete without H.R. Giger. The HR Giger. 45th Ed. is an essential art book that showcases the nightmarish, organic-mechanical fusion that has influenced countless sci-fi and horror works. The thematic parallels between Giger's xenomorphic visions and the twisted post-human forms in All Tomorrows are undeniable, making them perfect companion pieces for fans of the grotesque and sublime, as noted in the guide All Tomorrows & HR Giger: A Guide to Sci-Fi's Evolutionary & Biomechanical Nightmares.
Gaming the Apocalypse: All Tomorrows Zombies
The concepts of All Tomorrows have even infiltrated the world of tabletop role-playing games. All Flesh Must be Eaten: All Tomorrows Zombies is a supplement for the popular horror RPG All Flesh Must Be Eaten by Eden Studios. This book allows players to experience the terror of the Qu and their grotesque transformations firsthand, blending apocalyptic fiction with evolutionary horror. For a detailed look at this unique crossover, check out All Tomorrows Zombies: A Sci-Fi Horror RPG Supplement Review & Guide.
Literary Echoes: From Family Sagas to Cyberpunk
The phrase "All Tomorrows" also appears in other literary contexts, offering different but thematically rich explorations. All the Tomorrows After is a poignant emotional novel and family saga, exploring the passage of time and personal legacy—a human-scale counterpoint to the cosmic scale of Kosemen's work. A review can be found in All the Tomorrows After: A Literary Journey Through Family, Time, and Emotion.
In the realm of cyberpunk, William Gibson's All Tomorrow's Parties (Bridge Trilogy Book 3) serves as the finale to his seminal Bridge Trilogy, examining technology, society, and the nature of consciousness in a near-future world. Meanwhile, All Tomorrow's Parties: The Velvet Underground Story provides a definitive music biography of one of the most influential bands in rock history, capturing the spirit of 1960s counterculture.
Ultimately, the world of All Tomorrows is a testament to the power of speculative fiction. It invites us to look beyond our narrow conception of humanity, confronting us with visions of our potential futures that are as terrifying as they are awe-inspiring. Whether through the lens of biological fiction, cosmic horror, art, or gaming, these works challenge us to ponder: what does it mean to be human, and what might we become?