What year is the Logan's Run film set in?

The 1976 film does not state a year explicitly on screen. Fan research and fandom consensus most commonly places it in 2274, based on references within the film and companion materials.

What is the age limit in Logan's Run?

In the novel, individuals are terminated at age 21. In the 1976 film, the limit is raised to 30, with the ritual known as Carousel used to enforce it.

Logan's Run timeline in order: novel, film and TV dates explained

Q: When does Logan's Run take place?

It depends on the version. The 1967 novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson explicitly sets events in 2116. The 1976 film adaptation is commonly placed around 2274, based on dialogue and fan research, though the film itself does not display this year on screen.

Overview

Logan's Run exists in two distinct versions with notably different timelines. The 1967 novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson explicitly sets its events in 2116, in a society where citizens are terminated at age 21 to prevent overpopulation. The story follows Logan, a Sandman whose job is to hunt down Runners, those who attempt to escape their scheduled termination, until he becomes one himself.

The 1976 film adaptation shifts the age limit to 30 and relocates the action to a domed city complex in what fan research most commonly places around 2274. The film does not display this year on screen, but dialogue and companion materials support it as the best available estimate. The ritual known as Carousel, a public ceremony presenting termination as the possibility of renewal, replaces the novel's more blunt enforcement mechanisms.

The 1977 TV series continues the story of survivors adapting to life outside the domed city, exploring a post-collapse world with no automated infrastructure. Across all versions, the central question is the same: what does a society surrender when it trades freedom for stability, and what happens when someone refuses the bargain?

Key Timeline Records

When do the Logan's Run novel events happen? (2116)

The 1967 novel is explicitly set in 2116. Logan 3, a Sandman, begins a mission that exposes the weaknesses of the age-limit system and challenges its legitimacy.

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When is the Carousel ritual used in Logan's Run? (~2270)

The domed city society uses Carousel to enforce the age-30 limit, presenting mandatory termination as the possibility of renewal. Year approximate, based on the film's setting.

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When does the domed city collapse in Logan's Run? (~2274)

The controlled city system fails, ending artificial stability and exposing inhabitants to the outside world for the first time. Fan consensus places the 1976 film around 2274.

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When does the post-collapse survival period begin? (~2275)

Survivors adapt to life beyond the domed city in the 1977 TV series, confronting an unfamiliar world without automated support.

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FAQ

When does Logan's Run take place?

The 1967 novel explicitly sets events in 2116. The 1976 film is most commonly placed around 2274 by fan research, though the film itself does not state a year on screen. The 1977 TV series follows shortly after the film's events.

Why are the novel and film set in different years?

They are separate adaptations with different creative choices. The novel and film share the core premise of a lifespan limit enforced by Sandmen, but differ on the age of termination, the social structure, and the timeline. Neither is a direct continuation of the other.

What is Carousel?

Carousel is the ritual used in the 1976 film to enforce the age-30 limit. Citizens are presented with the possibility of renewal through the ceremony, though the truth of what it offers is one of the film's central questions.