Contemporary African American science fiction writers have produced remarkable works that engage deeply with issues of race, identity, and the implications of technological progress. By examining these narratives, this paper explores how these authors envision utopian futures and how their work reflects both the promise and the dangers of technology, particularly in relation to race and social justice. Reading The Intuitionist, in which the elevator is the central image, from the perspective of criticism of technology, this paper finds that African American writer Colson Whitehead reveals the ills of modernity lurking behind technological development and also criticizes technology’s collusion with racism. Futher, as a way to deal with the maladies of modernity and racism, the novel imagines a better future brought about by African Americans’ voodoo technology of intuition. Despite of its inherent paradoxes, Whitehead’s construction of utopia demonstrates the contemporary inheritance of afrofuturism, which explores the intersection of African culture with technology. In this sense, Whitehead's The Intuitionist offers critical insights into the intersection of race, technology, and power, providing a distinctive contribution to the ongoing discourse on fiction of technology.

Popular environmental discourse often employs compelling metaphors such as "Spaceship Earth," which is one of the most influential. Since emerging as a key concept in the 1960s, this metaphor continues to shape perceptions of the planet. However, today's average meaning of the expression has evolved significantly from its initial conception. The phrase originated from various sources and gained popularity through mentions in the works of prominent intellectuals. Among them, R. Buckminster Fuller is credited with introducing the comparison of Earth to a spaceship. Fuller's interpretation was characterized by futuristic optimism, emphasizing harmonious global unity. Later, economists Barbara Ward and Kenneth E. Boulding adapted the metaphor, infusing it with a more urgent and critical tone in the context of economic challenges. Their reinterpretation reflected the contemporary enthusiasm toward the US-USSR Space Race and the global anxieties of the 1960s shaped by the Cold War.

Given this background, this paper explores the semantic shifts of "Spaceship Earth" through a rhetorical analysis of the writings of Fuller, Ward, and Boulding, situating their rhetorical strategies within the sociopolitical climate of the time. It seeks to uncover why the metaphor had to be redefined in this era and evaluates its subsequent influence on today’s environmental discourse and societal perspectives.

The Noise of Time "is a fictional writing based on the experiences of the famous Soviet musician Shostakovich, who served as the protagonist. It is referred to as a" fictional biographical novel "by critics. Author Julian Barnes is adept at handling the relationship between reality and fiction, using spatial narrative to write about what truly interests him deep down. The Noise of Time presents diverse spatial features in the narrative of the novel: a circular structure is used in the spatial generation of the text structure; Using the technique of juxtaposing places in the spatial construction of historical writing; Presenting an image of a 'brave coward' in the spatial shaping of character images. The novel uses spatial narrative to present the power status and oppression of people's living conditions in the former Soviet Union through profound reflection on history.

The "Condition of England Question," proposed by Romantic historian Thomas Carlyle, addresses the consequences and costs of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. The competition between the great powers of Britain and France, embodied by the Napoleonic Wars, catalyzed significant technological revolutions, such as innovations in naval artillery, military medicine, and industrial technology. However, the benefits of these technological advances and the emerging industrial civilization were not evenly distributed, and the condition of British workers and the lower classes became increasingly dire. Charles Dickens’ "Condition of England" novels focus on the issue of the New Poor Law and, through sharp satire, expose the inhumane conditions of workhouses and the suffering of impoverished children, gaining the attention of Queen Victoria.

Dickens also critiques the flaws of equity law, as explored in Bleak House, where he investigates the inefficiency and dysfunction of the judicial system. A Tale of Two Cities directly inherits Carlyle's spirit from The French Revolution, warning both the rulers and the people of Britain about the dangers of social collapse, as exemplified by the terror and upheaval during the French Revolution. Dickens’ works carry a profound critique of social institutions and the impact of technological revolution, urging a moral and ethical reevaluation of the relationship between technology, society, and politics, while resisting the moral regression of Victorian society.

Through his interactions with Lord John Russell, then Prime Minister, and Queen Victoria, Dickens made clear his advocacy for the interests of the lower classes, addressing these concerns to the British elite. His "Condition of England" novels, with their detailed social portrayal and critique of the generational consequences of technological revolution, offer valuable literary insights into the social structure and technological progress of the Victorian era. Dickens' reflections on the technological revolution in Victorian Britain contribute to an understanding of technological morality and ethics from a literary perspective and help trace the cyclical patterns of progress and decline in the history of ideas.