The concept of All Tomorrows, popularized by C.M. Kosemen's seminal work, has transcended its origins to become a cornerstone of modern speculative fiction and cosmic horror. It presents a chilling yet fascinating vision of humanity's far future, where evolution is not a slow, natural process but a tool of alien whimsy, resulting in a myriad of bizarre and often tragic post-human species. This narrative of forced evolution and cosmic insignificance has resonated deeply, spawning discussions, fan works, and influencing a range of related media that explore similar themes of dread, transformation, and the fragility of the human form.
The Core of Cosmic Dread: All Tomorrows and Its Literary Kin
At its heart, All Tomorrows is a masterclass in evolutionary horror. It asks a terrifying question: what if our destiny was not our own? This theme finds a powerful echo in the works of H.P. Lovecraft, where humanity is an insignificant speck in a vast, uncaring cosmos. The H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu (Manga) adaptation visually captures this same sense of cosmic dread, translating ancient, unfathomable horrors into stark, compelling imagery. Both works remind us that the universe holds terrors beyond our comprehension, whether they be star-faring "Qu" or slumbering gods like Cthulhu.
This exploration of horror continues in Adam Nevill's All the Fiends of Hell, a novel that delves into apocalyptic fiction with a visceral, terrifying premise. While not about evolution, it shares All Tomorrows' bleak outlook on humanity's vulnerability to external, overwhelming forces. For a more intimate but equally poignant look at human struggles across time, Nino Cipri's All the Tomorrows After offers a literary and emotional novel focused on family and identity, providing a contrasting, human-scale perspective to the grand, species-wide saga.
Art, Speculation, and the Remaking of Forms
The visual imagination required to conceive the creatures of All Tomorrows finds a direct parallel in the work of H.R. Giger. The HR Giger. 45th Ed. is an essential art book for any fan of the biomechanical aesthetic that so influentially shaped the look of sci-fi horror. Giger's fusion of organic and mechanical elements prefigures the twisted, engineered biology of Kosemen's post-humans. Studying Giger's nightmares provides a deeper appreciation for the artistic lineage that informs the terrifying beauty of the All Tomorrows universe.
Interestingly, Kosemen also co-authored All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals. This paleoart book applies the same speculative logic backwards in time, challenging rigid depictions of dinosaurs and imagining their possible behaviors and appearances in ways science hasn't yet proven. It's the perfect companion piece, showcasing how speculative biology can illuminate both our deep past and our imagined futures. For a direct continuation of the core narrative, the original book, All Tomorrows: The Myriad Species and Mixed Fortunes of Man, remains the definitive entry point.
Gaming the Apocalypse: From Tabletop to Cyberpunk Futures
The themes of All Tomorrows are ripe for interactive storytelling. The horror RPG supplement All Flesh Must be Eaten: All Tomorrows Zombies from Eden Studios explicitly bridges the gap. It allows players to experience a zombie apocalypse within the specific, horrifying context of the All Tomorrows setting, where the infected might transform into any number of the book's grotesque forms. It's a fantastic example of how a compelling speculative fiction concept can be adapted into a gameable format.
Moving from biological horror to technological dystopia, William Gibson's All Tomorrow's Parties (Bridge Trilogy Book 3) offers a different kind of future anxiety. As a cornerstone of cyberpunk and dystopian fiction, Gibson's novel explores the societal and human transformations wrought by relentless technological change, a thematic cousin to the biological transformations in Kosemen's work.
The Cultural Echo: Music and Legacy
The phrase "All Tomorrow's Parties" itself is a cultural touchstone, originating from a Velvet Underground song. Victor Bockris's All Tomorrow's Parties: The Velvet Underground Story is a definitive music biography that chronicles the iconic 1960s music and counterculture band. This connection adds a layer of historical and artistic resonance to the title, linking the speculative future of humanity with the revolutionary art of the past.
The enduring appeal of All Tomorrows lies in its potent blend of rigorous speculation and profound horror. It is more than a story; it's a framework for thinking about time, change, and identity. Whether through the related biological fiction of its direct sequels and prequels, the artistic horror of Giger and Lovecraft, the interactive possibilities of All Flesh Must Be Eaten, or the literary explorations in contemporary fiction, the ideas seeded by this evolutionary epic continue to grow, challenging and captivating audiences across multiple mediums. For anyone fascinated by the limits of the human condition and the terrifying possibilities of tomorrow, this interconnected web of stories and art is an essential exploration.