Introduction

This chapter introduces the idea that the ‘the future’ is undergoing a surge of interest across liberal societies due to a sense of unease and uncertainty on the pace of geopolitical and technological change and transformation. Simply put, the pace of change in technology and geopolitics is making us aware of a range of possible futures (from the dystopian through to futures of societal, geopolitical and technological ‘improvement’); it is suggested an important area of concern here is on the future of warfare. The chapter provides an overview of some of the key perspectives that will be explored on how liberal states might shape war in the years out to 2049—and how war might be shaped by broader trends in international politics. There is also an attempt to explain the significance of the year 2049 in the framing of the book.