Editing 1491: Stories of the Past and Future

Jump to: navigation, search

Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.

The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision Your text
Line 6: Line 6:
 
| titletext = Little-known fact: The 'Dawn of Man' opening sequence in 2001 cuts away seconds before the Flintstones theme becomes recognizable.
 
| titletext = Little-known fact: The 'Dawn of Man' opening sequence in 2001 cuts away seconds before the Flintstones theme becomes recognizable.
 
}}
 
}}
 +
*A [http://xkcd.com/1491/large/ larger version] of this image can be found by clicking the image at xkcd.com which can as always be accessed by clicking on the comic number above.
 
{{TOC}}
 
{{TOC}}
−
*A larger version of this image can be found [https://xkcd.com/1491/large/ here].
 
  
 
== Explanation ==
 
== Explanation ==
−
It's long been common for narrative works to be set in the past, and this tendency goes back to ancient mythology. The opposite approach, setting a work in a speculative future, has been less common prior to modern times. The oldest example Randall presents is from 1733, but it didn't really become a trend until well into the 19th century, and didn't become really common until the 20th century.
 
  
−
For works set in the future, particularly in the near future, there's a real possibility that audiences will still read or watch it past the date in which is was set, allowing them to compare the real world of this era to the one the author projected. This doesn't make the work less valuable, necessarily, but it does make the limits of such speculation painfully obvious, and tends to make the [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Zeerust future presented there look dated and quaint]. Randall labels these futuristic works as "obsolete".
+
How to read the graph:
−
 
 
−
For works set in the past, there's an opposite and somewhat more subtle effect.  Once the work itself is old enough, audiences tend to forget that they were intended as historical fiction in the first place. If an old work is set in the past, it's often assumed that they were set in their own time, not in the still more distant past. That impacts how we experience the work, because we tend to assume that it's a faithful representation of its own time, not a later interpretation that was intended to be old (and possibly nostalgic) even in its own time.
 
−
 
 
−
On top of this, in a similar situation to the failed attempt at {{w|futurology}}, for future-facing works of fiction, even a conscientiously faithful 'historic' film can age badly. Later understanding of previously hazy historical situations can be developed between the time of the fictional work being authored and your experience of it.
 
−
 
 
−
To demonstrate those impacts, this chart sorts various works by the year they were created, graphed against how far in the past or future they were originally set.  Lines on the chart are added to separate when each work ceases to work as either a prediction or as a [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PeriodPiece period piece]. For future works, the cut-off is obvious: if it was set in a year prior to the current year, we know that the predictions are obsolete (and can easily determine how accurate or inaccurate that future is).  Hence, at the time the chart was written (in 2015), works like ''1984'' and ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' are obsolete, while works like ''Star Trek'', which take place in a more distant future, are still theoretically possible. (''Back to the Future Part II'' is deliberately right on the line, as it was set in 2015). 
 
−
 
 
−
For the past works, Randall sets the cut-off as when the work itself is older than the events in question were when it was first written/made.  Hence, modern audiences are unlikely to realize that the Epic of Gilgamesh was intended to sound ancient, even when it was new, or that novels like ''Les Miserables'' were intended as historical fiction, or even that films like ''Chinatown'' or shows like ''Happy Days'' were intended as period pieces when they were made.  To modern audiences, we just see an old work set in an old time, and tend to assume that the two periods were the same.
 
−
 
 
−
The setup of the chart points to the reality that, in process of time, more and more works will cross those lines. Future audiences will likely assume that films like ''Apollo 13'' and ''Schindler's List'' were made around the time of the events in question. And modern science fiction works, if they're still remembered in the future, will become just as obsolete as past works.  And Randall even indicates "this chart" on the chart, apparently acknowledging that it will become dated as time goes by.
 
−
 
 
−
The title text jokes that ''2001'' cuts from prehistoria to the future before ''The Flintstones'' theme can become recognizable. This references the fact that, despite being primarily set in what was then the future, the film opens in the ancient past, thus appearing in both parts of the graph, with one part being very close to ''The Flintstones''. This plays on the fact that one of these was a very serious work and the other a playful animated show that was intended as family comedy.
 
−
 
 
−
===How to read the graph===
 
 
* X-axis: Date of publication.
 
* X-axis: Date of publication.
 
* Y-axis, "Years in the future": Number of years the story's events take place, after the story's publication.
 
* Y-axis, "Years in the future": Number of years the story's events take place, after the story's publication.
Line 32: Line 17:
 
: For example, "Water Margin" was published in the 14th century (x ~= 1300) and relates events from the 12th century, about 200 years before its publication (y ~= 200 in the past).
 
: For example, "Water Margin" was published in the 14th century (x ~= 1300) and relates events from the 12th century, about 200 years before its publication (y ~= 200 in the past).
 
: Another example: The film ''{{w|The Bridge on the River Kwai}}'' was released in 1957 and it was set around 14 years before (~1942-43).
 
: Another example: The film ''{{w|The Bridge on the River Kwai}}'' was released in 1957 and it was set around 14 years before (~1942-43).
−
* Grey area in the "Years in the future" part: Stories set in the future (relative to their publication date), for which the date of the events in the story is already in the past (relative to the publication date of the comic). The white and gray areas in this part of the graph are defined as "still possible" and "obsolete", respectively. The gray area (obsolete) will expand over time, assuming more works aren't added in the future: predictions from science fiction or futuristic work that are not confirmed by reality are doomed to be obsolete.
+
* Grey area in the "Years in the future" part: Stories set in the future (relative to their publication date), for which the date of the events in the story is already in the past (relative to the present). The white and gray areas in this part of the graph are defined as "still possible" and "obsolete", respectively. The gray area (obsolete) will expand over time, assuming more works aren't added in the future: predictions from science fiction or futuristic work that are not confirmed by reality are doomed to be obsolete.
 
* Grey area in the "Years in the past" part: Stories set in the past (relative to their publication date) but published closer to their setting than to today. The warning "Modern audiences may not recognize which part were supposed to sound old" is a recurrent theme in the author's work, being already formulated in [[771: Period Speech|Period Speech]] comic. The white area seems to be the region where modern readers will be able to distinguish the past setting of a work from the age of the work itself. This gray area will grow over time (again assuming new works set in the past are not added) with more and more works being indistinguishable as works set in the past.
 
* Grey area in the "Years in the past" part: Stories set in the past (relative to their publication date) but published closer to their setting than to today. The warning "Modern audiences may not recognize which part were supposed to sound old" is a recurrent theme in the author's work, being already formulated in [[771: Period Speech|Period Speech]] comic. The white area seems to be the region where modern readers will be able to distinguish the past setting of a work from the age of the work itself. This gray area will grow over time (again assuming new works set in the past are not added) with more and more works being indistinguishable as works set in the past.
 +
Randall's intent with this comic might be to point out that modern readers' universe is collapsing, with non-obsolete future predictions and recognizable depictions of the past both shrinking.
  
 
Taking the "years in the past" on the y-axis to be read as negatives like in most graphs one can write
 
Taking the "years in the past" on the y-axis to be read as negatives like in most graphs one can write
Line 40: Line 26:
 
Thus it's clear that the definitions of the lines are consistent with each other as they follow similar but inverted functions.
 
Thus it's clear that the definitions of the lines are consistent with each other as they follow similar but inverted functions.
 
The graph uses variable {{w|logarithmic scale}}s, adjusting the scale in various regions to the temporal density of works being plotted. If the scale were linear, the graph would in fact represent a (bidimensional) {{w|Minkowski diagram}}, which depicts the moving cones of past and future in spacetime as one's present advances in time.
 
The graph uses variable {{w|logarithmic scale}}s, adjusting the scale in various regions to the temporal density of works being plotted. If the scale were linear, the graph would in fact represent a (bidimensional) {{w|Minkowski diagram}}, which depicts the moving cones of past and future in spacetime as one's present advances in time.
 +
 +
The title text jokes that ''2001'' cuts from Prehistoria to the future before ''The Flintstones'' theme can become recognizable. Besides both being works from the 60s based around cavemen, Randall might be comparing the hominid screams preceding the famed "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtbOmpTnyOc bone becomes satellite]" with the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PPf3aaZmUw horns of the TV show's opening]. It could also be a joke about how closely the two works are positioned on the chart.
  
 
=== Works listed ===
 
=== Works listed ===
−
Differences listed in <span style="color:#FF0000;">bright red</span> are "former period pieces." Differences listed in <span style="color:#8B0000;">dark red</span> are other works set in the past. Differences listed in <span style="color:#32cd32;">bright green</span> are "obsolete" works set in the future. Differences listed in <span style="color:#006400;">dark green</span> are other works set in the future.
+
Differences listed in <span style="color:#FF0000;">bright red</span> are "former period pieces." Differences listed in <span style="color:#8B0000;">dark red</span> are other works set in the past. Differences listed in <span style="color:#00FF00;">bright green</span> are "obsolete" works set in the future. Differences listed in <span style="color:#006400;">dark green</span> are other works set in the future.
  
 
Asterisks (*) after a year of publication denote that it applies to the first installment in a series that spanned more than one year.
 
Asterisks (*) after a year of publication denote that it applies to the first installment in a series that spanned more than one year.
Line 60: Line 48:
 
| ''{{w|Iliad|The Iliad}}''||epic written by Greek poet Homer || data-sort-value="-750"|700s BCE ||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="500" |  ~500 || data-sort-value="-1260"| 1260–1240 BCE ||
 
| ''{{w|Iliad|The Iliad}}''||epic written by Greek poet Homer || data-sort-value="-750"|700s BCE ||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="500" |  ~500 || data-sort-value="-1260"| 1260–1240 BCE ||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|Book of Genesis}}''||first book of the Bible, describing the creation of the world || data-sort-value="-500"|500s–400s BCE ||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="3200" | ~3200 || data-sort-value="-3761"| 3761 BCE || The ''{{w|Anno Mundi}}'' epoch, the product of scriptural calculations by {{w|Maimonides}}, places the Genesis date of the creation of the world at October 7, 3761 BCE in the {{w|proleptic Julian calendar}}
+
| ''{{w|Book of Genesis}}''||first book of the Bible, describing the creation of the world || data-sort-value="-500"|500s–400s BCE ||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="4200" | ~4200 || data-sort-value="-3761"| 3761 BCE || The ''{{w|Anno Mundi}}'' epoch, the product of scriptural calculations by {{w|Maimonides}}, places the Genesis date of the creation of the world at October 7, 3761 BCE in the {{w|proleptic Julian calendar}}
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|History of the Peloponnesian War}}''||history written by Thucydides|| data-sort-value="-400"|~400 BCE||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="10" | ~10|| data-sort-value="-431"|431–411 BCE||
+
| ''{{w|History of the Peloponnesian War}}''||history written by Thucydides|| data-sort-value="-400"|~400 BCE||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="100" | ~10|| data-sort-value="-431"|431–411 BCE||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|Gospels}}''|| collection of literary works detailing the life of Jesus of Nazareth || data-sort-value="65"|~65–110 CE ||style="color:#FF0000;" |  25–75 || data-sort-value="-7"|7–2 BCE – 30–33 CE || Setting dates are those of Jesus' estimated lifetime. Writing dates are as follows: Mark 65–73 CE; Matthew 70–100 CE; Luke 80–100 CE; John 90–110 CE. Randall's difference calculation seems to be based on the date of Jesus' death, as the majority of the Gospels' events takes place during the three years prior to Jesus's death.
 
| ''{{w|Gospels}}''|| collection of literary works detailing the life of Jesus of Nazareth || data-sort-value="65"|~65–110 CE ||style="color:#FF0000;" |  25–75 || data-sort-value="-7"|7–2 BCE – 30–33 CE || Setting dates are those of Jesus' estimated lifetime. Writing dates are as follows: Mark 65–73 CE; Matthew 70–100 CE; Luke 80–100 CE; John 90–110 CE. Randall's difference calculation seems to be based on the date of Jesus' death, as the majority of the Gospels' events takes place during the three years prior to Jesus's death.
Line 84: Line 72:
 
| ''{{w|Julius Caesar (play)|Julius Caesar}}''||play by William Shakespeare||1623||style="color:#8B0000;" | 1667–1670|| data-sort-value="-45"|45–42 BCE||
 
| ''{{w|Julius Caesar (play)|Julius Caesar}}''||play by William Shakespeare||1623||style="color:#8B0000;" | 1667–1670|| data-sort-value="-45"|45–42 BCE||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|Memoirs of the Twentieth Century}}''|| book written by Samuel Madden||1733||style="color:#32cd32;" | 264||1997||
+
| ''{{w|Memoirs of the Twentieth Century}}''|| book written by Samuel Madden||1733||style="color:#00FF00;" | 264||1997||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|Rip Van Winkle|Rip Van Winkel}}'' [sic]||short story by Washington Irving||1819||style="color:#FF0000;" | 32–52||1767–1787||It's not clear why Randall has chosen 1787 as the year that Rip Van Winkle awakes.
 
| ''{{w|Rip Van Winkle|Rip Van Winkel}}'' [sic]||short story by Washington Irving||1819||style="color:#FF0000;" | 32–52||1767–1787||It's not clear why Randall has chosen 1787 as the year that Rip Van Winkle awakes.
Line 98: Line 86:
 
| ''{{w|Treasure Island}}''||novel by Robert Louis Stevenson||1883||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="120" | ~120|| data-sort-value="1760"|~1760||
 
| ''{{w|Treasure Island}}''||novel by Robert Louis Stevenson||1883||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="120" | ~120|| data-sort-value="1760"|~1760||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|Looking Backward}}''|| novel written by Edward Bellamy||1888||style="color:#32cd32;" | 112||2000||
+
| ''{{w|Looking Backward}}''|| novel written by Edward Bellamy||1888||style="color:#00FF00;" | 112||2000||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court}}''||novel by Mark Twain||1889||style="color:#8B0000;" | 1361||528||
 
| ''{{w|A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court}}''||novel by Mark Twain||1889||style="color:#8B0000;" | 1361||528||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|Golf in the Year 2000}}''|| novel written by J. McCullough||1892||style="color:#32cd32;" | 108||2000||
+
| ''{{w|Golf in the Year 2000}}''|| novel written by J. McCullough||1892||style="color:#00FF00;" | 108||2000||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|The Time Machine}}''|| novel written by H.G. Wells||1895||style="color:#006400;" | 800,000–<br />1 billion||802,701–<br/>1 billion|| Note that Randall has included only part of the book; which includes scenes all the way from the time of writing to the death of the last life on Earth. The novel itself identifies the latest part as being "more than thirty million years" in the future, based on the theories of the Sun's lifespan at the time.
+
| ''{{w|The Time Machine}}''|| novel written by H.G. Wells||1895||style="color:#006400;" | 800,000–<br />1 billion||802,701–<br/>1 billion|| Note that Randall has included only part of the book; which includes scenes all the way from the time of writing to the death of the last life on Earth. The part of the story marked is so far in the future that the hundred plus years between publication of the book and the comic have no noticeable effect on the timing of the setting.
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|Enoch Soames}}''|| short story by Max Beerbohm||1916||style="color:#32cd32;" | 81||1997||Soames was transported from 1897 to 1997 and back.
+
| ''{{w|Enoch Soames}}''|| short story by Max Beerbohm||1897||style="color:#00FF00;" | 100||1997||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|Gone With The Wind}}''|| novel by Margaret Mitchel ||1936||style="color:#FF0000;" | 75||1861
 
| ''{{w|Gone With The Wind}}''|| novel by Margaret Mitchel ||1936||style="color:#FF0000;" | 75||1861
Line 112: Line 100:
 
| ''{{w|Lest Darkness Fall}}''||alternate history SF novel by L. Sprague de Camp||1939||style="color:#8B0000;" | 1404||535||
 
| ''{{w|Lest Darkness Fall}}''||alternate history SF novel by L. Sprague de Camp||1939||style="color:#8B0000;" | 1404||535||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|Casablanca (film)|Casablanca}}''||film directed by Michael Curtiz||1942||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="0.9" | <1||1941||The film was released 26 November 1942 and is set in early December 1941.
+
| ''{{w|Casablanca (film)|Casablanca}}''||film directed by Michael Curtiz||1942||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="0.9" | <1||1941||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|Oklahoma!}}''||Broadway musical||1943||style="color:#FF0000;" | 37||1906||
 
| ''{{w|Oklahoma!}}''||Broadway musical||1943||style="color:#FF0000;" | 37||1906||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|Nineteen Eighty-Four|1984}}''||novel written by George Orwell||1949||style="color:#32cd32;" | 35||1984||
+
| ''{{w|Nineteen Eighty-Four|1984}}''||novel written by George Orwell||1949||style="color:#00FF00;" | 35||1984||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|The Bridge on the River Kwai}}''||film by David Lean||1952||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="10" | ~10||1942–1943||
 
| ''{{w|The Bridge on the River Kwai}}''||film by David Lean||1952||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="10" | ~10||1942–1943||
Line 144: Line 132:
 
| ''{{w|Bonnie and Clyde (film)|Bonnie and Clyde}}''||film by Arthur Penn||1967||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="33" | ~33||1932–1934||
 
| ''{{w|Bonnie and Clyde (film)|Bonnie and Clyde}}''||film by Arthur Penn||1967||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="33" | ~33||1932–1934||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey}}''||novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1968||style="color:#32cd32;" | 33||2001||
+
| ''{{w|2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey}}''||novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1968||style="color:#00FF00;" | 33||2001||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|2001: A Space Odyssey|2001: A Space Odyssey}}'' (prologue)||prologue to novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1968||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="3,000,000" | 3 million|| data-sort-value="-3,000,000"|3 million BCE||4 million years BCE in the movie
 
| ''{{w|2001: A Space Odyssey|2001: A Space Odyssey}}'' (prologue)||prologue to novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1968||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="3,000,000" | 3 million|| data-sort-value="-3,000,000"|3 million BCE||4 million years BCE in the movie
Line 162: Line 150:
 
| ''{{w|Happy Days}}''||TV series||1974*||style="color:#FF0000;" | 19–29||1955–1965||
 
| ''{{w|Happy Days}}''||TV series||1974*||style="color:#FF0000;" | 19–29||1955–1965||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|Space: 1999}}''||TV series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson||1975*||style="color:#32cd32;" | 24||1999||
+
| ''{{w|Space: 1999}}''||TV series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson||1975*||style="color:#00FF00;" | 24||1999||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|Annie (musical)|Annie}}'' (play)||Broadway musical||1977||style="color:#8B0000;" | 44||1933||
 
| ''{{w|Annie (musical)|Annie}}'' (play)||Broadway musical||1977||style="color:#8B0000;" | 44||1933||
Line 168: Line 156:
 
| ''{{w|Roots (miniseries)|Roots}}''||TV series, adapted from eponymous novel||1977||style="color:#8B0000;" | 90–227||1750–1882||
 
| ''{{w|Roots (miniseries)|Roots}}''||TV series, adapted from eponymous novel||1977||style="color:#8B0000;" | 90–227||1750–1882||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|Star Wars#Original trilogy|Star Wars}}'' (IV – VI)||original film trilogy ||1977*|| style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="1,000,000,000" | 1 billion || data-sort-value="-1,000,000,000"|"A long time ago"|| It's not clear why Randall has chosen 1 billion years here. Wookieepedia puts the age of the ''Star Wars'' galaxy at [https://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/13,000,000,000_BBY ~13 billion years], and our Universe is only 13.8 billion years old, and the oldest known galaxy took 380 million years to form... So it would seem ''Star Wars'' should be no farther than 400 million years in the past, give or take.
+
| ''{{w|Star Wars#Original trilogy|Star Wars}}'' (IV – VI)||original film trilogy ||1977*|| style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="1,000,000,000" | 1 billion || data-sort-value="-1,000,000,000"|"A long time ago"|| It's not clear why Randall has chosen 1 billion years here. Wookieepedia puts the age of the ''Star Wars'' galaxy at [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/13,000,000,000_BBY ~13 billion years], and our Universe is only 13.8 billion years old, and the oldest known galaxy took 380 million years to form... So it would seem ''Star Wars'' should be no farther than 400 million years in the past, give or take.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|Grease (film)|Grease}}''||film by Randall Kleiser||1978||style="color:#FF0000;" | 20||1958||
 
| ''{{w|Grease (film)|Grease}}''||film by Randall Kleiser||1978||style="color:#FF0000;" | 20||1958||
Line 176: Line 164:
 
| ''{{w|Chariots of Fire}}''||film by Hugh Hudson||1981||style="color:#8B0000;" | 57||1924||
 
| ''{{w|Chariots of Fire}}''||film by Hugh Hudson||1981||style="color:#8B0000;" | 57||1924||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|2010: Odyssey Two}}''||novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1982||style="color:#32cd32;" | 28||2010||
+
| ''{{w|2010: Odyssey Two}}''||novel written by Arthur C. Clarke||1982||style="color:#00FF00;" | 28||2010||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|Annie (1982 film)|Annie}}'' (movie)||film adaptation of the above by John Huston||1982||style="color:#8B0000;" | 49||1933||
 
| ''{{w|Annie (1982 film)|Annie}}'' (movie)||film adaptation of the above by John Huston||1982||style="color:#8B0000;" | 49||1933||
Line 184: Line 172:
 
| ''{{w|The Right Stuff (film)|The Right Stuff}}''||film by Philip Kaufman||1983||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="20" | ~20||1947–63||
 
| ''{{w|The Right Stuff (film)|The Right Stuff}}''||film by Philip Kaufman||1983||style="color:#FF0000;" data-sort-value="20" | ~20||1947–63||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|The Transformers (TV series)|Transformers}}''  (TV Series)||TV series||1984*||style="color:#32cd32;" data-sort-value="20" | ~20||data-sort-value="2004"|~2004||Only seasons 3 and 4 are set in the year 2005 onwards. Seasons 1 and 2 were set in 1984-85.
+
| ''{{w|The Transformers (TV series)|Transformers}}''  (TV Series)||TV series||1984*||style="color:#00FF00;" data-sort-value="20" | ~20||data-sort-value="2004"|~2004||Only seasons 3 and 4 are set in the year 2005 onwards. Seasons 1 and 2 were set in 1984-85.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|Back to the Future}}''||film by Robert Zemeckis||1985||style="color:#FF0000;" | 30||1955||
 
| ''{{w|Back to the Future}}''||film by Robert Zemeckis||1985||style="color:#FF0000;" | 30||1955||
Line 198: Line 186:
 
| ''{{w|The Wonder Years}}''||TV series||1988*||style="color:#FF0000;" | 20–25||1968–1973||
 
| ''{{w|The Wonder Years}}''||TV series||1988*||style="color:#FF0000;" | 20–25||1968–1973||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|Back to the Future Part II|Back to the Future Part II}}''||film directed by Robert Zemeckis||1989||style="color:#32cd32;" | 26||2015||Only the first part of the movie is set in 2015; later the setting moves to an alternate 1985 and a revisit of 1955.
+
| ''{{w|Back to the Future Part II|Back to the Future Part II}}''||film directed by Robert Zemeckis||1989||style="color:#00FF00;" | 26||2015||Only the first part of the movie is set in 2015; later the setting moves to an alternate 1985 and a revisit of 1955.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|Zero Wing}}''||arcade/computer game||1989||style="color:#006400;" | 112||2101||Previously referenced in [[887: Future Timeline]]
 
| ''{{w|Zero Wing}}''||arcade/computer game||1989||style="color:#006400;" | 112||2101||Previously referenced in [[887: Future Timeline]]
Line 206: Line 194:
 
| ''{{w|JFK (film)|JFK}}''||film by Oliver Stone||1991||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="22" | ~22||1963–1969||
 
| ''{{w|JFK (film)|JFK}}''||film by Oliver Stone||1991||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="22" | ~22||1963–1969||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|Terminator 2: Judgment Day|Terminator 2}}'' (1995 Portion)||film directed by James Cameron||1991||style="color:#32cd32;" | 4||1995||
+
| ''{{w|Terminator 2: Judgment Day|Terminator 2}}'' (1995 Portion)||film directed by James Cameron||1991||style="color:#00FF00;" | 4||1995||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|The Sandlot}}''||film by David Mickey Evans||1993||style="color:#8B0000;" | 31||1962||
 
| ''{{w|The Sandlot}}''||film by David Mickey Evans||1993||style="color:#8B0000;" | 31||1962||
Line 250: Line 238:
 
| ''{{w|Mad Men}}''||TV series||2007*||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="47" | ~47||1960–1970||
 
| ''{{w|Mad Men}}''||TV series||2007*||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="47" | ~47||1960–1970||
 
|-
 
|-
−
|''{{w|10,000 BC (film)|10,000 BC}}''||film by Roland Emmerich||2008||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="12007" | 12,007|| data-sort-value="-10,000"|10,000 BCE||
+
|''{{w|10,000 BC (film)|10,000 BC}}''||film by Roland Emmerich||2008||style="color:#8B0000;" | 11,992|| data-sort-value="-10,000"|10,000 BCE||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| ''{{w|Year One (film)|Year One}}''||film by Harold Ramis||2009||style="color:#8B0000;" | 2008||data-sort-value="1"|1 CE|| The movie title is not intended to refer to 1 CE, as it is clearly set well before that; it is difficult to determine the film's actual year as it depicts Cain and Abel (c. 4000 BCE) existing simultaneously with Abraham, Sodom and Gomorrah (c. 2000 BCE).
+
| ''{{w|Year One (film)|Year One}}''||film by Harold Ramis||2009||style="color:#8B0000;" | 2008||1 CE||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|Downton Abbey}}''||TV series||2010*||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="90" | ~90||1912–1923||
 
| ''{{w|Downton Abbey}}''||TV series||2010*||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="90" | ~90||1912–1923||
Line 261: Line 249:
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''{{w|Star Wars sequel trilogy|Star Wars}}'' (VII – IX)||sequel film trilogy||2015*||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="1,000,000,000" | 1 billion || data-sort-value="-1,000,000,000"|"A long time ago"|| See note at episodes IV–VI
 
| ''{{w|Star Wars sequel trilogy|Star Wars}}'' (VII – IX)||sequel film trilogy||2015*||style="color:#8B0000;" data-sort-value="1,000,000,000" | 1 billion || data-sort-value="-1,000,000,000"|"A long time ago"|| See note at episodes IV–VI
−
|-
 
−
| ''{{xkcd|1491|This chart}}''||xkcd comic||2015-02-25|| 0.000 || data-sort-value="2015" | 2015-02-25||<!-- *would be cleaner as* [[1491: Stories of the Past and Future|Self-referential]] *but param-pipe apparently gets broken by table-pipe, so...* -->[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1491:_Stories_of_the_Past_and_Future Self-referential]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
Line 403: Line 389:
  
 
==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
−
*Later after the initial release of this comic Randall added a link to this page. It is viewable in the HTML-source or here: [https://xkcd.com/1491/info.0.json https://xkcd.com/1491/info.0.json]. The text is: ''"this is a massive fucking graph beyond the limits of normal transcription. you can find a full listing of data points at http:\n\nwww.explainxkcd.com\nwiki\nindex.php\n1491"''.
+
*Later after the initial release of this comic Randall added a link to this page. It's viewable in the HTML-source or here: [https://xkcd.com/1491/info.0.json https://xkcd.com/1491/info.0.json]. The text is: ''"this is a massive fucking graph beyond the limits of normal transcription. you can find a full listing of data points at http:\n\nwww.explainxkcd.com\nwiki\nindex.php\n1491"''.
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
Line 412: Line 398:
 
[[Category:Time]]
 
[[Category:Time]]
 
[[Category:Star Trek]]
 
[[Category:Star Trek]]
−
[[Category:Terminator]]
 
−
[[Category:Back to the Future]]
 
−
[[Category:Self-reference]]
 

Please note that all contributions to explain xkcd may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see explain xkcd:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!

To protect the wiki against automated edit spam, we kindly ask you to solve the following CAPTCHA:

Cancel | Editing help (opens in new window)

Templates used on this page:

Retrieved from "https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1491:_Stories_of_the_Past_and_Future"