Across books · Theme
Technology and Progress
The novel highlights 19th-century advancements in transportation—steamers, railways, and telegraphs—as tools that shrink the world and enable unprecedented feats of travel.
Technology and Progress appears as a literary theme in 4 works in the BetterReads curated set. Each book develops the idea in its own plot, voice, and historical moment — the links below open the book-scoped theme guide beside the text.
The novel highlights 19th-century advancements in transportation—steamers, railways, and telegraphs—as tools that shrink the world and enable unprecedented feats of travel.
The introduction of firearms, compasses, telegraphs, and naval vessels from the outer world represents the transformative power of technology, used both to dominate enemies and to advance the human race in Pellucidar.
The book contrasts advanced technology (robots, spaceships, nuclear weapons) with its misuse or loss, showing how technological level correlates with social health and how it can be used for both liberation and oppression.
The Grand Transasiatic railway symbolizes human ingenuity and the triumph of engineering over nature, with discussions of construction challenges, speed, and the modernizing impact of rail travel on remote regions.
In each book4 titles
around_the_world_in_eighty_days_se
The novel highlights 19th-century advancements in transportation—steamers, railways, and telegraphs—as tools that shrink the world and enable unprecedented feats of travel.
Open theme guide →
pellucidar_se
The introduction of firearms, compasses, telegraphs, and naval vessels from the outer world represents the transformative power of technology, used both to dominate enemies and to advance the human race in Pellucidar.
Open theme guide →
space_viking_se
The book contrasts advanced technology (robots, spaceships, nuclear weapons) with its misuse or loss, showing how technological level correlates with social health and how it can be used for both liberation and oppressio
Open theme guide →
the_special_correspondent_se
The Grand Transasiatic railway symbolizes human ingenuity and the triumph of engineering over nature, with discussions of construction challenges, speed, and the modernizing impact of rail travel on remote regions.
Open theme guide →