This quote captures a fascinating cultural phenomenon: the allure of Victorian-era science fiction futures is deeply rooted in a collective yearning for a seemingly simpler and more hopeful time. Before the devastation of World War I, there existed a widespread confidence in progress, technology, and the potential for humanity's redemption through innovation and discovery. Such optimism is palpable in the visionary works of that era, where future possibilities were imagined with excitement rather than dread. The quote implicitly critiques the rupture brought about by the war—an event that shattered the illusion of an inevitable, linear progress towards utopia and replaced it with a profound awareness of human vulnerability and the unpredictability of history.

In the context of David Graeber's "The Utopia of Rules," this reflection may also speak to the tension between our nostalgic imaginings and the often harsh realities imposed by bureaucracy, technological control, and social structures. The Victorian sci-fi futures symbolize a cultural repository of hope that contrasts sharply with modern disillusionment, where progress is frequently entangled with systemic inertia and the dull mechanisms of governance and control. This quote invites us to consider how our visions of the future are shaped not merely by technological possibility but by sociopolitical contexts and collective memories. Ultimately, it challenges us to question whether our current visions of the future can reclaim that lost sense of hopeful redemption or remain trapped by the legacies of the past.