Notes on the Underground, New Edition: An Essay on Technology, Society, and the Imagination

The underground has long been a place of fascination, both as a refuge and a source of fear. In the late nineteenth century, it played a prominent role in Western societies' attempts to cope with the rapid changes of a new social and technological order. Rosalind Williams explores this critical moment, examining both the real-life invasions of the underground, such as the construction of modern urban infrastructures like sewers and subways, and the subterranean stories of writers like Verne, Wells, and Hugo, who proposed alternative visions of the coming technological civilization. These imagined and real underground environments offer models of human life in a world dominated by human presence, providing a prophetic look at today's technology-dominated society. Williams argues that they also reflect a growing awareness of the consequences of human activity on the environment, a concern that is more pressing than ever today. This new edition of Notes on the Underground includes a new essay by Williams, highlighting the significance of her work in tracing the emergence of an environmental consciousness in the nineteenth century. By examining the underground in both its real and imagined forms, Williams sheds light on the human, cultural, and technical consequences of human presence on earth, a theme that remains highly relevant in the modern world.