Émile Souvestre

[1] In 1846, Souvestre published the ambitious Le Monde Tel Qu'il Sera [The World As It Will Be],[3] a full-blown dystopia and science fiction novel which featured some remarkable predictions.

In it, a French couple, Maurice and Marthe are taken to the year 3000 by a man named John Progress on a flying, steam-powered, Time traveling locomotive.

There, they discover the existence of steam-powered subways, submarines, synthetic materials imitating real wood, marble, etc., telephone, air conditioning, giant fruits and vegetables obtained through what we would call today genetic engineering, etc.

China has become inactive and listless, going into a steep decline after their socio-economic structure was ruined by opium, and wars and murders occur in Persia for idiotic religious reasons.

[4] French sculptor and Souvestre's friend Philippe Grass made his portrait on his tomb at the Père Lachaise Cemetery.

[citation needed] Marie Souvestre, the feminist writer and educator who was a major influence on Eleanor Roosevelt, was his daughter.