What Not: A Prophetic Comedy

Published in 1914, 'What Not: A Prophetic Comedy' by Rose Macaulay is a satirical novel set in a dystopian future England. The story follows Ivy Delmer, a typist at the Ministry of Brains, which enforces compulsory selective breeding to combat societal decline. Through dark humor and social critique, Macaulay explores themes of intelligence, bureaucracy, and individual desire, influencing later works like Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World.' The novel's release was delayed until after World War I due to its critique of wartime governance.