The phrase All Tomorrows evokes a sense of vast, unexplored futures and the myriad forms life—especially human life—might take. It's a concept that has captivated creators across genres, from speculative biology and cosmic horror to cyberpunk and music history. At its core, it asks a haunting question: what becomes of us after today?
The Foundational Epic: All Tomorrows by C.M. Kosemen
The journey often begins with C.M. Kosemen's seminal work, All Tomorrows: The Myriad Species and Mixed Fortunes of Man. This book is not just a story; it's an evolutionary epic, a work of biological fiction that charts a billion-year future for humanity. After a devastating encounter with an alien race, humans are genetically engineered into bizarre and often horrifying new forms. This book single-handedly created a new subgenre, blending hard science with profound cosmic dread. For anyone interested in future humanity and evolutionary horror, this is the essential starting point, and you can explore more about its impact in our dedicated All Tomorrows hub.
Speculative Biology: From Dinosaurs to Distant Futures
Kosemen's vision is part of a larger movement in speculative thought. His earlier collaboration, All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals, applies the same creative lens to the past. As a groundbreaking paleoart book, it challenges rigid reconstructions of dinosaurs, imagining them with feathers, fat, and behaviors never seen in museums. Together, All Yesterdays and All Tomorrows form the twin pillars of modern speculative biology, exploring the full spectrum of life's possibilities. A detailed comparison of these twin masterpieces reveals how they complement each other perfectly.
Converging Horrors: Lovecraft, Giger, and the Unknown
The existential terror in All Tomorrows finds a clear kinship with the works of H.P. Lovecraft. The sense of humanity's insignificance in a vast, uncaring universe is a hallmark of cosmic horror. This connection is made visually stunning in H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu (Manga), which brings the iconic tale to life in graphic novel form. Similarly, the biomechanical nightmares of Swiss artist HR Giger, celebrated in the comprehensive HR Giger. 45th Ed., share a DNA with Kosemen's creations. Both artists visualize life forms that are alien, organic, and deeply unsettling. Exploring the link between evolutionary and biomechanical nightmares is a fascinating dive into sci-fi's darkest art.
Gaming the Apocalypse: All Tomorrows Meets Tabletop RPGs
The concepts of All Tomorrows have even invaded the world of tabletop gaming. 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 confront zombie outbreaks in the far-future settings inspired by Kosemen's work, adding a new layer of apocalyptic fiction to the game. It's a perfect example of how a powerful speculative idea can cross mediums, providing Game Masters with tools for unparalleled cosmic horror scenarios. For a practical look, check out our review and guide to this RPG supplement.
Literary and Musical Echoes of "Tomorrow"
The thematic resonance of "tomorrow" extends far beyond speculative biology. In literary fiction, All the Tomorrows After presents an emotional novel and family saga that explores the passage of time and personal legacy. In the realm of cyberpunk, William Gibson's All Tomorrow's Parties serves as the finale to his Bridge Trilogy, a visionary take on near-future dystopian fiction. And from the world of 1960s music and counterculture, All Tomorrow's Parties: The Velvet Underground Story stands as a definitive music biography, capturing the essence of a band that shaped rock history. Each of these works, in its own way, grapples with the promise and peril of what comes next.
From the evolutionary tree of All Tomorrows to the gritty streets of a Gibson novel and the feedback-drenched clubs of the Velvet Underground, the exploration of "tomorrow" remains one of art's most potent themes. It allows us to confront our fears, dream of new possibilities, and ultimately, reflect on what it means to be human today. Whether through a book review of a bestseller or an analysis of paleontology texts, the conversation continues. For a deeper exploration of the core All Tomorrows experience and its connections to broader cosmic horror, our analysis of humanity's evolutionary nightmares provides further insight.