Working Backwards

Looking Backward: 2000–1887 by Edward Bellamy

Someone from the late 1800s suddenly finds himself in the 2000. He marvels at the society that looks so different from the time he left. The society had ditched capitalism and adopted a socialist structure. The government runs everything. Everyone does the work they are able to do and gets a similar wage. They still have the ability to choose how they want to spend their earnings. In spite of (or perhaps because of) these societal changes, the society seems otherwise very much like the old society, but with some advancements. Retail looks more like an "amazon showroom". One goes to a retail outlet where a clerk helps you. However, he does not influence your decision. He does assist you in getting almost immediately delivery of your goods. The book is very Utopian. The 1800s person questions the functioning of this socialism, but those concerns are just brushed away. Things simply "work".