The Queer Story of Brownlow's Newspaper
"The Queer Story of Brownlow's Newspaper" is a short story by H. G. Wells which was first published in the February 1932 issue of the Ladies' Home Journal.
Plot summary
The story takes place on 10 November 1931 and opens with the protagonist, Brownlow, accidentally being delivered a newspaper dated 10 November 1971. The story is mainly a description of the contents of the newspaper, which features color photography throughout, with Wells taking the opportunity to issue some prophecies of what he felt 1971 might hold. Successful prophecies include lower birth rates, an emphasis on psychological motivation in fiction, mentions of geothermal energy, and wider coverage of scientific news, while the unsuccessful ones include simplified spelling of English, a 13-month reformed calendar, the extinction of gorillas, and hints at some form of world government.
Adaptations
An adaptation of the story formed part of the first episode of the four-hour miniseries The Infinite Worlds of H. G. Wells released in 2001 by the Hallmark Channel, with Arthur Brownlow played by Mark Lewis Jones.
See also
External links
- "The Queer Story of Brownlow's Newspaper" (reproduced online)