Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow by Brian Fies is a paean to the worlds of the future that were envisioned in the early to mid 1900s. The book covers the 1939 World’s Fair through the end of the US Space Missions in the mid 1970s to show how the future that was always destined to come has never arrived. It also is a story of the relationship between a boy and his father and how it changes as the world changes. It is an evocative look at technology’s relationship with people as the world moved on.

The first thing to remember when reading this book is to not take the timeline seriously. The boy and his dad go to the 1939 World’s Fair and he’s still a teenager by the mid 1960s. The relationship between the boy and his dad is the core of the story and should not be judged by the extended timeline. As the future that everyone expected doesn’t come to pass, the relationship between the boy and his dad starts disintegrating. But the hope is always there.

The art is truly fitting to the episode. The art of the World’s Fair was amazing and truly captured the excitement and wonder that a young boy attending the show would have. The touch points captured in the book (especially around Disneyland/Disneyworld/Epcot) really make the book interesting. 

The book is highly recommended and make me want to seek out other Brian Fies books to see if they are as well done as this one.