Planet Eden The Tomorrow’s World in the Socialist Czechoslovakia 1948–1978

During the second half of the 1950s, social utopia was rapidly being replaced with technical utopia. After the amazing success in conquering the universe it seemed that human migration into outer space was inevitable within the next few decades. However, this dream too, had to be revised during the 1960s and lost its utopian allure. The theme no longer interested the general public, returning humbly back to the books and films of science fiction. Nowadays, the visionary qualities have faded out of our lives. The book Planet Eden – Tomorrow’s World in the Socialist Czechoslovakia recalls over eleven thematic chapters and pictorial supplements the visions of the future that never materialised. It casts light on the belief in scientific and technological development, dogmas of social utopia and the popularity of the sci-fi genre under the socialist regime. Complete with numerous illustrations, the book features essays on the history of sci-fi in Czechoslovakia within the context of literature, visual art, film, comic books and social theory. It includes profiles of the artists Zdenek Burian and Teodor Rotrekl, as well as a reflection of the futuristic themes in the period’s avant-garde art and visual documents in what was then seen as popular culture. It is concluded with English and Russian summaries and index.