From the novel to the political manifesto, from satire to science fiction, utopia has always reflected the age that gave rise to it. The Pocket Essential Utopia takes the reader on a journey through these imaginary worlds, charting the progress of utopian ideas from their origins within the classical world, to the rebirth of utopian ideals in the Middle Ages, through the emergence of socialist and feminist ideas and to 20th century expressions of totalitarian oppression.