The World of To-Morrow. A Junior Book of Forecasts.

1933. FUTURISTIC WORLD. The World of To-Morrow. A Junior Book of Forecasts. By Idrisyn Oliver Evans. 163 pp., illustrated with 24 transparent "Diophane" photo-mechanical plates. 8vo, 213 x 135 mm., bound in original publisher's translucent "Rhodoid" boards over original wrappers, yellow cloth spine. London: D. Archer, 1933. First and only edition of this visionary work in which the author anticipates and illustrates with transparent "Diophane" plates, the future uses of solar power, wind generators, tidal generators, "railplanes," a "road-liner" (shades of Bel-Geddes), mid-ocean airports, an artificial planet, cities designed by Le Corbusier, firemen's protective gear, bizarre farming mechanisms, scary "offices of the future" (visions of Orwell's 1984), radiographic forgery detectors, lie detector tests, anti-gas Rayguns, a "World League of Peace" (foretelling the United Nations), a "Super-Calculator" (a proto-computer) and much more. The back cover extolls the book's ultra-modern construction: "This is the first attempt to bring book construction into line with modern requirements... The binding is on the 'Neo-Nevett Tape Slot' principle... With THE BOOK OF TO-MORROW the jacket, which was soon destroyed, has become an integral part of the binding. The covers are made of translucent 'Rhodoid' on which the design has been printed, and this can be given any colour effect of variety of expression by the use of suitable endpapers. The yapp fore-edge also protects the book from wear and the whole cover is stainless and washable" (!). The plastic covers have bowed, and some plates are slightly crinkled, but nevertheless a very attractive copy of an extremely scarce book.