A. D. 2000 — Key Ideas to Explore

A Century of Sleep and Awakening

The narrative hinges on Cobb’s cataleptic state, entered in 1887 and ending in 2000. The transition is abrupt: Chapter VII, titled “You Say this is A. D. 2000?”, signals the shift. Upon awakening, Cobb learns he is still thirty-three and has been promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel. The Secretary of War informs him that “the period of your inanimation shall not in any manner be counted against you,” a detail that underscores the legal and social adjustments required. This premise allows Fuller to contrast 1887 with a speculative 2000, using Cobb as a surrogate for the reader.

A Transformed Nation

The Secretary of War provides a detailed exposition of the United States in 2000: a population of over 500 million, sixty-eight states and nine territories spanning from Panama to the Arctic. The country acquired Mexico and Central America in 1915 and British America in 1917. Cobb, remembering the 1887 estimate of 67 million for 1890, expresses astonishment. The Secretary explains the growth rate and notes that the country is not crowded, with room for double the number. This section is dense with statistics, reflecting a utopian vision of expansion and resource abundance.

The Army as a School System

A key feature of the future society is the military’s role in education. The army consists of 148,000 men, with infantry and cavalry posts serving as “schools for the instruction of the youth of the country.” Service is three years, and soldiers are paid $20 per month. The social standing of soldiers is equal to citizens, and posts are near state centers for rapid deployment. This integration of military and education is a distinctive element of Fuller’s utopia, emphasizing discipline and civic duty. The detailed breakdown of forces—70,000 infantry, 28,000 cavalry, 50,000 artillery—reflects the author’s professional background.

Technological and Geographical Marvels

Chapter titles hint at futuristic inventions: “The Central Pneumatic Railroad,” “Under the Central Sea,” “The Sympathetic Telegraph,” and “Niagara Falls Harnessed.” Cobb also embarks on “An Aerial Voyage” and visits “Transatlantic Life-Saving Stations.” These chapters suggest a world transformed by engineering, though the excerpts do not reveal the specifics. The mention of locating the North Pole ties back to the Arctic record in the preface, indicating that exploration remains a theme. The technology is presented matter-of-factly, as part of the landscape Cobb must navigate.

Readers should approach A. D. 2000 as a period piece of futurism, rooted in 1890s assumptions about progress. The novel’s strength lies in its detailed world-building, particularly the military and demographic data. The excerpts provide a clear sense of the narrative structure—awakening, exposition, and tour—but the full text likely includes more adventure and personal drama. Pay attention to how Cobb’s 1887 perspective colors his reactions, and note that the utopia is presented without significant conflict, which may affect pacing.

That rainy afternoon, the soldier’s bewilderment in A. D. 2000 stayed with me—how a man must re-learn a world he never asked to wake up in. The feeling drifted, later, into another sort of displacement: a human lost on Venus, among beings who think so differently. Both are quiet studies in being out of place. An Earthman on Venus (Originally titled "The Radio Man") — Inside the Classic sat beside it, worn and waiting.