Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward belongs to the well-known tradition of utopian fiction. That is, fiction that attempts to portray an ideal human society from the author's point of view. In this vision the ideal society is one where the government remains a respected, powerful force of social order. Bellamy's vision was of a modern society free from social ills, competition, and protected and cared for by the state. It was in stark contrast to the excessive Gilded Age of his day. This may have been one of the reasons for the book's tremendous success. This edition includes a specially written Foreword by scholar Solomon James. NOTE: This edition by Azafran Books was published in February 2017 and has been edited and formatted by a team of dedicated real people - not an algorithm! Our books have been carefully published to the highest of standards.