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"The Last Man" is a novel written by Mary Shelley, the author best known for "Frankenstein." Published in 1826, "The Last Man" is a work of science fiction and is considered one of the earliest examples of post-apocalyptic literature. The novel is set in the late 21st century and narrated by a character named Lionel Verney. It tells the story of a devastating global pandemic that wipes out most of the world's population. Lionel, seemingly the last surviving human, recounts the events leading up to the downfall of civilization and his experiences as the titular last man.
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Reviews
"The year is 2092, and humankind has been beaten down by pandemics, floods, fanaticism, isolation, and wars. Narrating in a measured aristocratic tone, Justin Avoth channels the voice of the last man alive as he lays out Mary Shelley's 1826 dystopian vision of the future. All begins happily enough with young love, ambition, and the rise of kings, but constant war, a failed attempt at a British republic, and never-ending plagues and natural disasters drive what's left of humanity to the brink. Lucy Scott takes a nice turn delivering the original introduction, and Avoth is especially adept at untangling Shelley's sometimes ponderous nineteenth-century prose. But as is the case with FRANKENSTEIN (1818), it's the relentless and predictive originality of Shelley's world-building that takes center stage. B.P. � AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine"
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