Anno Domini 2000; or, Woman's Destiny

Cover, Anno Domini 2000 - A Woman's Destiny.
Image courtesy of New Zealand Electronic Text Centre of Victoria University.

In 1889, Sir Julius Vogel wrote what was probably New Zealand's first full-length science fiction novel, Anno Domini 2000 - A Woman's Destiny. The book describes a New Zealand in the year 2000 where most positions of authority are held by women - at the time of writing, a radical proposition. In 2000, New Zealand's Head of State, Governor General, Prime Minister, Chief Justice and Attorney General were all women, as was the CEO of one of the country's largest companies, Telecom. Vogel was a prominent New Zealand journalist and politician, and he himself served as Prime Minister of New Zealand in the 1870s.

For those of you who have not read it yet, and who are tolerant of the idea (and the practical challenges) of reading an "eBook", you can download Sir Julius Vogel's futuristic novel from the webpage of the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre.

Portrait of Sir Julius Vogel
Image courtesy of New Zealand Electronic Text Centre of Victoria University.

The Sir Julius Vogel Awards, which are administered by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand, were created in 2001 to honour New Zealand writers and artists. You can see a list of the award winners for 2009 by clicking here.