The phrase "All Tomorrows" evokes a sense of vast, uncharted time and the myriad possibilities for life, art, and human consciousness. It has become a touchstone for creators exploring speculative biology, cosmic horror, and the far edges of imagination. At its core lies C.M. Kosemen's seminal work, All Tomorrows: The Myriad Species and Mixed Fortunes of Man, a book that redefined biological fiction with its breathtaking and often terrifying vision of future humanity. This article serves as a guide to the expansive universe connected to this iconic title.
The Foundation: Speculative Evolution and Cosmic Dread
All Tomorrows is more than a book; it's an experience in cosmic horror. It chronicles billions of years of human evolution, guided and twisted by alien hands, resulting in a galaxy of bizarre post-human species. Its unique blend of scientific speculation and visceral evolutionary horror has captivated readers, making it a modern classic. For a deeper analysis of its themes, you can read this detailed All Tomorrows review exploring its journey through speculative evolution.
Kosemen, alongside Darren Naish and John Conway, also co-authored All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals. This paleoart book applies the same speculative, flesh-and-blood realism to the past that All Tomorrows applies to the future. Together, they form speculative biology's twin masterpieces, challenging our perceptions of life. A fascinating comparison can be found in the blog All Yesterdays vs. All Tomorrows.
Branching into Other Genres: Horror, Art, and RPGs
The themes of All Tomorrows resonate deeply with other horror traditions. The cosmic dread it inspires finds a clear parallel in the works of H.P. Lovecraft. This connection is vividly realized in H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu (Manga), a graphic novel that brings similar existential terror to life. The blog post All Tomorrows & Lovecraftian Horror explores this thematic bridge in detail.
For fans of visceral, apocalyptic fiction, Adam Nevill's All the Fiends of Hell offers a more terrestrial, yet equally harrowing, vision of horror. Meanwhile, the biomechanical nightmares of All Tomorrows share a direct aesthetic lineage with the iconic artist H.R. Giger. The HR Giger. 45th Ed. is a stunning art book that showcases the biomechanical visions that influenced a generation of sci-fi and horror. Discover more about this connection in this guide to sci-fi's evolutionary and biomechanical nightmares.
The influence even extends to tabletop gaming. Eden Studios created All Flesh Must be Eaten: All Tomorrows Zombies, a supplement for the horror RPG All Flesh Must Be Eaten. This book allows players to confront the bizarre, post-human species from Kosemen's universe as zombies, blending speculative evolution with classic survival horror. A full review and guide to this unique supplement is available here.
Literary and Musical Echoes of "Tomorrow"
The evocative title "All Tomorrows" finds echoes in other literary realms. Nino Cipri's All the Tomorrows After is a poignant work of contemporary fiction and an emotional novel about family, identity, and time, offering a different but equally powerful exploration of future possibilities. You can explore this literary fiction journey in this review.
In the realm of cyberpunk, William Gibson's All Tomorrow's Parties serves as the finale to his Bridge Trilogy, a bestseller exploring a near-future of corporate control and digital ghosts. For a breakdown of this complex narrative, see All Tomorrow's Parties: William Gibson's Bridge Trilogy Finale Explained.
Finally, the phrase is forever tied to music history through The Velvet Underground. All Tomorrow's Parties: The Velvet Underground Story is a definitive music biography that chronicles the iconic 1960s Music band at the heart of counterculture and rock history. This essential story is explored in this definitive biography blog post.
From the evolutionary epic of All Tomorrows to the gritty cyberpunk futures, intimate family sagas, and revolutionary music, the concept of "tomorrow" provides a rich tapestry for exploration. Each of these works, in its own way, asks what it means to be human when faced with the relentless march of time, evolution, or change. They are connected by a thread of speculation, horror, and profound curiosity about all our possible futures—and pasts.