the shape of things to come

English

Etymology

From the novel The Shape of Things to Come by H. G. Wells (1933).

Phrase

the shape of things to come

1. That is trendsetting and foreshadowing; pointing the way ahead.
   • 2015 May 19, Tahmima Anam, “The Rohingya crisis is not an isolated tragedy – it’s the shape of things to come”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     The Rohingya crisis is not an isolated tragedy – it’s the shape of things to come [title]

   • 2022 July 5, Steve Rose, “‘Frankly it blew my mind’: how Tron changed cinema – and predicted the future of tech”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     Few appreciated it at the time but with 40 years’ hindsight, Steven Lisberger’s sci-fi adventure Tron was the shape of things to come: in cinema, in real life, and in virtual life.

Further reading

• “the shape of things to come”, in Collins English Dictionary.