Review
“Grainville’s novel is like a textbook discourse on how we began to understand that time past becomes time future; the intimate relationship in its pages between Ruins and Futurity neatly and comprehensively illuminates the 18th century European mind beginning to become ‘our’ European mind. To have this book available will give context to the whole field of early science fiction. ” (John Clute, co-author of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction )
–This text refers to an al…
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This review is from: The Last Man (Early Classics of Science Fiction) (Paperback)
“The Last Man” by Jean-Baptiste Francois Xavier Cousin de Grainville is considered the first end-of-the-world story outside of mythology or theology. Prior to this edition, the only other English translation was made in 1806 and it was not an accurate or complete translation of the work. This was de Grainville’s life’s work, and was published after his tragic suicide in February of 1805. Thus it can’t be considered the complete author’s vision of the story, but instead is a draft copy. This is the fifth book in the Early Classics of Science Fiction series from Wesleyan University Press. As with the others, it includes an introduction and supporting documentation which enhance the reader’s enjoyment of the story. In this case, the material is provided by I. F. Clarke and his wife M. Clarke. They discuss de Grainville’s life and look at the influence that this work clearly had on Mary Shelley’s “The Last Man”, as well as all of the apocalyptic stories which were to follow. The story draws from the book of Revelations. In this story, the narrator is selected by the Celestial Spirit to witness the days of the Last Man (Omegarus) and Last Woman (Syderia), since there will be no descendants to learn of their tale. We learn that Omegarus is the only child born in an infertile Europe, and thus he created quite a sensation when he was born. He was said to be the father of a new race, but when the infertility continues there are fewer and fewer people. He meets Syderia when he travels to Brazil to find the only fertile woman in an attempt to be a new Adam and Eve for the world. While this may not be a polished work, it is certainly noteworthy as one of the earliest science fiction stories. It also created the end-of-the-world subcategory of the genre, and for that alone it should be read.