The Absolute at Large by Karel Capek

The Absolute at Large (Továrna na absolutno in the original Czech, literally translated as The Factory for the Absolute), is a science fiction novel written by Czech author Karel Čapek in 1922. The first sentence opens the story on New Year's Day 1943 - a future date at the time of writing - and describes the fundamental transformations in society as the result of a new mystical source of virtually free energy.