Famous Utopias

The first is Kallipolis, a city ruled by a philosopher-king, mentioned in the dialogues of Socrates, recorded by Plato. Here there is no gender discrimination or marriage either. The couples are selected on eugenics only. Economically, it is similar to Communism, all property being shared.

The next is the eponymously named "Utopia", by Sir Thomas More. Though an Englishman, More wrote it in Latin, fearing repercussions. Still he was beheaded because he didn't accept the King as the head of the Church of England. One of the curious items in the book is the use of gold for chains for prisoners & for chamber pots, to reduce the human greed for gold!

Samuel Butler wrote "Erewhon" & its sequel "Erewhon revisited" to project his ideal state. In that country, illness is a crime & crime is an illness, both treated accordingly! This book was one of the first to imagine Artificial Intelligence, based on the then recently published "Origin of Species" by Darwin & the Industrial Revolution.

William Morris, an outstanding designer, was also a fellow member of the Fabian Society with George Bernard Shaw. He wrote "News from Nowhere" an idealised Socialist Utopia, where work is performed for pleasure, so everyone works happily &  productively.