1933. 8vo, pp. 163, [1] blank; with 24 plates engraved and printed on transparent ‘diophane’ film; as usual, the work is somewhat foxed and browned throughout due to paper quality, though predominantly marginal, though unusually there is very little browning affecting the ‘diophane’ plates themselves, the soiling mainly to margins and inner gutters, although most are slightly creased and cockled; in the original linen backed card wrappers, incorporating the publisher’s outer hard translucent rhodoid (cellulose acetate) wrappers, the upper cover of which printed in black, with rear cover clear to reveal printed wrapper below, spine lettered in black, both joints with 2cm split at head, spine a little browned and soiled, as usual upper rhodoid cover quite bowed and has shrunk a little so yapp edge no longer covering fore-edge, though retaining both yapp edges aside from 2cm loss at tail of upper cover, card covers a little soiled with tear at inner hinge but without loss; despite faults still a good copy of an unusual and striking binding. First edition of this highly original and unusual work aimed at young children, describing and illustrating a number of possible future inventions. As such it can be considered as one of the first anthologies of science fiction illustration. Inspired by the works of H.G. Wells and Adolphus Huxley, Evans presents a mind-boggling array of weird and wonderful devices and inventions - some more far-fetched than others - including a tidal power generator, the rail-plane, space rockets and suits, a forgery detector, an anti-gas raygun, and aero-cycle, a "World League of Peace" (foretelling the United Nations), and a supercalculator (a proto-computer). Another section highlights a North Sea Reclamation scheme, whilst another predicts a mid-ocean airport. The Office of the Future is also illustrated, as is a new style church, and ‘London of the Future’ - a scene somehow reminiscent of the Imperial City in Flash Gordon! It was only fitting that Evans should employ modern techniques in the production of the book - the engravings being printed on transparent ‘diophane’ film, and the striking outer cover made out of the hard cellulose acetate ‘rhodoid’. The back cover boasts of the book's ultra-modern construction: "This is the first attempt to bring book construction into line with modern requirements... The binding is on the 'Neo-Nevett Tape Slot' principle... With THE BOOK OF TO-MORROW the jacket, which was soon destroyed, has become an integral part of the binding. The covers are made of translucent 'Rhodoid' on which the design has been printed, and this can be given any colour effect of variety of expression by the use of suitable endpapers. The yapp fore-edge also protects the book from wear and the whole cover is stainless and washable".
The use of such unusual materials, means that copies of the work are often somewhat browned, and as with previous copies handled, the diophane plates are a little creased and cockled, though are much brighter than often found.
Idrisyn Oliver Evans, F.R.G.S (1894-1977) was a South-African born civil servant, editor and writer. This was his first non-fiction work of science fiction, though he later specialised in the works of Jules Verne, many of which he translated. He was also a noted collector of cigarette cards.