thumb|1930 science fiction novel [[Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon is considered one of the important early classics of the future history genre]]
Future history, also anticipatory history, imaginary history The emergence of the genre stems from the need to predict future events or influence the direction of civilization’s development, as well as from the belief that historical processes follow certain laws that can be understood and described., while other notable examples include the 20th-century novella “'” (Revenge) by Bolesław Prus
In science fiction, the first major works in this convention include those of Olaf Stapledon, particularly Last and First Men (1930) and Star Maker (1937), which present expansive visions of the future history of humanity and the cosmos. Last and First Men in particular depicts human history on a cosmic scale spanning billions of years and multiple species of humanity. An early version appeared in Astounding Science Fiction in 1941 where Methuselah's Children was serialized; according to Langford, the term “future history” was coined at that time
Later developments of large-scale histories spanning vast time periods include Asimov’s Foundation series
Functions
An important feature of future history is its interpretative function: such works serve as commentary on historical processes and the development of civilization. Authors aim not to convince readers of the truth of events, but to present the plausibility of historical processes.
Familiarity with the imagined story that readers have gleaned from earlier works in the series can save the author from repeating the same information and add depth to the presented story, but assuming that this information is already known to readers can be a hindrance for new readers.