The unnamed narrator goes to sleep in 1890 London after attending a socialist meeting and wakes up in the same room hundreds of years in the future. While he was sleeping, Britain has been transformed into a utopia, where everybody is free to do exactly as he or she pleases but most people, fortunately, like to do lots and lots of hard work. Most people have taken to living simple yet comfortable lives in the country, often in semi-communal situations. People take real pride in crafting beautiful yet useful clothing and furniture, cooking each other tasty yet nutritious meals, and fixing up the most pleasing of the old historic homes. (Any buildings which were deemed ugly or vulgar have long since been torn down, except for the Parliament building, which is now, humorously enough, being using as a manure storage facility.) 
 There is much to like about the utopian society that Morris has invented. All people are regarded as equal, and there is no formal government to rebel against or money to cause social friction. All jobs are viewed as equally valid, and people are happy to take turns doing the more menial tasks. Since machines have been abolished, there is no pollution to speak of, and people live long and healthy lives. The only trouble that routinely occurs is when a love triangle is formed, and then the usual remedy is for the losing party to move away to another town for a time. 
 However, there are also some parts of this society that might be hard for us to endorse. Although women are treated well and are free to make their own decisions, there is a definite division of labor by sex, with women usually employed in cooking and sewing and men usually doing outdoor tasks. Also, the lack of emphasis on book learning could be hard to take for those of us who have devoted our lives to such pursuits!