The term All Tomorrows has become a cultural touchstone, extending far beyond its origins in C.M. Kosemen's seminal work of speculative evolution. It evokes a universe of possibilities—and terrors—where humanity's future is reshaped by cosmic forces, time, and our own biological destiny. This concept has inspired and connected a diverse array of books, art, and media that explore similar themes of transformation, dread, and wonder. From paleontological reimaginings to biomechanical art and apocalyptic fiction, the spirit of All Tomorrows permeates a fascinating corner of speculative fiction and art.
The Speculative Biology Cornerstone
At the heart of this exploration is All Tomorrows: The Myriad Species and Mixed Fortunes of Man. This book is a masterclass in evolutionary horror and biological fiction, charting a billion-year saga of human descendants transformed by an alien race into bizarre new forms. Its unique blend of scientific speculation and profound cosmic dread has cemented its status as a cult classic. It naturally pairs with its conceptual sibling, All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals. While All Tomorrows looks forward, All Yesterdays looks back, challenging rigid paleoart conventions with imaginative reconstructions of prehistoric life. Together, they form the twin pillars of modern speculative biology, a connection explored in depth in blogs like "All Yesterdays vs. All Tomorrows: Speculative Biology's Twin Masterpieces".
Branches into Cosmic and Artistic Horror
The cosmic horror inherent in All Tomorrows finds a direct lineage in the works of H.P. Lovecraft. This connection is vividly realized in H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu (Manga), which translates the existential dread of the Old Ones into a gripping graphic novel format. The thematic resonance between unknowable alien gods and the Star People's manipulators is uncanny, a topic perfect for a detailed blog analysis. For a more contemporary and visceral take on apocalyptic terror, All the Fiends of Hell offers a stark, earth-bound narrative of invasion and survival, fitting neatly into the apocalyptic fiction genre.
No discussion of biological and cosmic nightmare fuel is complete without H.R. Giger. The HR Giger. 45th Ed. is an essential art book that showcases the biomechanical visions that directly influenced the aesthetic of evolutionary horror. Giger's fusion of the organic and the mechanical provides a visual vocabulary for the terrifying transformations described in Kosemen's work. Exploring this artistic lineage, as done in the blog "All Tomorrows & HR Giger: A Guide to Sci-Fi's Evolutionary & Biomechanical Nightmares", deepens the appreciation for both.
From Page to Game: Interactive Horrors
The concepts of All Tomorrows have even leapt into the realm of interactive storytelling. The RPG supplement All Flesh Must be Eaten: All Tomorrows Zombies from Eden Studios is a brilliant fusion. It takes the established horror RPG system of All Flesh Must Be Eaten and injects it with the far-future, genetically-engineered horrors of Kosemen's universe. This creates a unique apocalyptic fiction experience for gamers, offering a new lens through which to explore these future humanity scenarios. A comprehensive review and guide can help players navigate this terrifying new setting.
Literary and Musical Echoes
The phrase "All Tomorrows" also echoes in other literary spheres. All the Tomorrows After represents a shift in tone, focusing on family saga and emotional novel elements within contemporary fiction. It shows how the theme of "tomorrow" can be applied to intimate, human-scale stories of time and consequence. In contrast, All Tomorrow's Parties (Bridge Trilogy Book 3) by William Gibson is a cornerstone of cyberpunk fiction, exploring a near-future of ubiquitous technology and social fragmentation. Its vision of the future is technological rather than biological, yet shares a concern with humanity's trajectory.
Finally, the cultural thread leads back to music with All Tomorrow's Parties: The Velvet Underground Story. This definitive music biography delves into the 1960s music scene, counterculture, and rock history surrounding the band whose song inspired the title. It's a reminder that the ideas of change, uncertainty, and future possibilities resonate across all creative fields, from literary fiction to punk rock.
From the deep time of All Tomorrows to the artistic nightmares of Giger, the interactive scares of All Tomorrows Zombies, and the cultural history of the Velvet Underground, this network of works showcases the incredible breadth of inspiration one powerful idea can generate. Whether you're a fan of cosmic dread, speculative biology, or dystopian fiction, the universe connected to All Tomorrows offers a rich and terrifying journey through all the possibilities of tomorrow.