In medieval Europe, poor people cheered themselves up by telling stories about the land of Cockaigne, where rivers flowed with wine, churches were made of puddings and it rained delicious fluffy cheese. Here was a fantasy of sensual excess, a caricature of the peasant dream of material abundance to keep you going through the dark ages.
Not all utopias have been quite so big on the pleasures of the belly. Indeed, as Niall Kishtainy demonstrates in this glorious book, the dreamers and schemers who conjure up ideal future states tend to downplay consumption on principle. The goal of utopians throughout history, from Thomas More and William Morris all the way up to Extinction Rebellion, has been for people to have as much as they need – not just food but housing, education and fresh air – and no more. Taking extra creates scarcity for someone else, and that is not the utopian way.
