A History Of The Future In 100 Objects

Adrian Hon's new book looks at the most important technological advances still to come this century

If your house was on fire and you could only save one object, what would it be? It’s pretty likely that a phone, tablet or laptop is up there on your list. These little bits of technology that we never used to know we needed have come to define who we are and dominate what we do in our day-to-day lives.

Adrian Hon is a self-professed geek and CEO of Six To Start , and he knows from his experience as writer and game developer that technology is racing forward at a dizzying rate. It’s something that fascinates him, and is the subject of his new pseudo-documentary book The History Of The Future In 100 Objects . Written from the perspective of somebody in several decades' time, it looks back at developments that have shaped society in the 21st century.

The former neuroscience student openly admits that imagining a society through the objects it produces is not a new idea. BBC Radio 4’s A History Of The World In 100 Objects inspired him. However, provoked by his love of science fiction, Hon got creative and imagined technology that is yet to be developed. “What are the things that are going to change the world in the next 100 years?” Asked Hon in an appeal to raise money for the project. His exploration has resulted in a book that imagines the moment in time when driverless cars or a cure for hate are invented. In this fascinating and entertaining book, the future of technology is used as a frame to explore what might be for society, families and individuals in the years between now and the year 2100.

It might seem a bit old fashioned in a world of tablets and e-books to produce a printed book and sure enough the physical book doesn’t stand alone. Hon decided that it would be fun to accompany the book with online content through a blog . The book's already available in Kindle edition , of course, giving digital readers a head start on their book-loving counterparts, who will see the physical form released on Saturday 30 November.

For more info on this project, head over to www.ahistoryofthefuture.org , where there are some extracts. Adrian Hon's personal blog is at http://mssv.net . You may have seen Hon on the Arthur C Clarke Award panel in May, hosted by our own David Bradley .

Cecily Mumby