The term All Tomorrows has evolved far beyond its origins in C.M. Kosemen's seminal work of speculative evolution. It has become a cultural touchstone, a gateway into a universe of ideas that explore the furthest reaches of human possibility, biological horror, and existential dread. This concept connects a surprisingly diverse array of books, art, and media, each offering a unique lens on what it means to be human—or post-human. At its core, the fascination with All Tomorrows taps into our deepest curiosities and fears about our own future.
The Foundational Epic: All Tomorrows and Its Speculative Kin
The journey often begins with All Tomorrows: The Myriad Species and Mixed Fortunes of Man. This book is a masterpiece of speculative biology and cosmic horror, charting a billion-year future where humanity is genetically manipulated by alien overlords into bizarre and often terrifying new forms. Its power lies in its blend of rigorous scientific imagination with profound philosophical questions. It naturally pairs with its conceptual sibling, All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals. While one looks forward, the other reimagines the past, challenging established paleoart conventions. Together, they form the twin pillars of modern speculative thought in biological fiction.
When Evolution Meets Existential Dread: The Horror Connection
The evolutionary horror of All Tomorrows finds a kindred spirit in the tradition of cosmic horror pioneered by H.P. Lovecraft. This connection is made vividly clear in adaptations like H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu (Manga). The manga format brings a visceral, visual dimension to the incomprehensible cosmic entities that dwarf human significance—a theme central to the feeling of cosmic dread in Kosemen's work. This lineage of fear continues in novels like All the Fiends of Hell, which explores apocalyptic fiction through a more personal, terrestrial lens of horror.
Furthermore, the visual aesthetic of biological nightmare is perfectly exemplified by the work of HR Giger. The HR Giger. 45th Ed. is an essential art book for any fan of this genre. Giger's biomechanical nightmares—organic forms fused with cold machinery—provide a visual vocabulary for the forced evolution and bodily horror depicted in All Tomorrows. Exploring his work deepens the appreciation for the unsettling beauty in imagined post-human forms.
Gaming the Apocalypse and Literary Explorations
The concepts of All Tomorrows have even infiltrated the world of tabletop role-playing. The supplement All Flesh Must be Eaten: All Tomorrows Zombies from Eden Studios offers a unique twist on the horror RPG genre. It invites players to confront zombie outbreaks within the specific, far-future context of Kosemen's universe, blending traditional apocalyptic fiction with deep speculative biology. It's a testament to the world-building power of the original All Tomorrows concept.
Beyond horror and speculation, the phrase "tomorrows" inspires more intimate, human stories. All the Tomorrows After represents a shift into literary fiction and contemporary fiction. This type of emotional novel or family saga explores the personal futures of characters, dealing with time, memory, and relationships. It shows how the idea of "tomorrow" can be just as powerful in a small, personal context as it is on a cosmic scale.
Cultural Echoes: Music, Cyberpunk, and Legacy
The influence of the phrase extends into other cultural realms. William Gibson's All Tomorrow's Parties (Bridge Trilogy Book 3) is a cornerstone of cyberpunk and dystopian fiction. Gibson explores near-future technological saturation and societal collapse, offering a different, but equally compelling, vision of humanity's challenging tomorrows. On a completely different note, All Tomorrow's Parties: The Velvet Underground Story delves into music biography and rock history, capturing the spirit of 1960s counterculture and its own revolutionary vision for the future.
In the end, the enduring appeal of All Tomorrows lies in its ability to act as a conceptual hub. It connects the scientific curiosity of speculative biology, the visceral fear of cosmic and evolutionary horror, the artistic vision of biomechanical art, the interactive storytelling of RPGs, and the profound humanity of literary fiction. Whether through the haunting images of HR Giger, the RPG scenarios of All Flesh Must Be Eaten, the nostalgic speculation of All Yesterdays, or the intimate drama of a family saga, each related work expands the conversation about our potential, our fears, and all our possible tomorrows.