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The Last Man (1826) is a dystopian novel by Mary Shelley. Dedicated to the recently deceased Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron, The Last Man was controversial upon publication and was immediately suppressed by British authorities. Resurrected by dedicated critics and readers, the novel is now recognized as a pioneering work of science fiction and as the first work of dystopian literature to be published in English.
The ambitious and semi-autobiographical work is set toward the end of the 21st century and follows a group of radical friends whose experiences during a period of political upheaval test the limits of their love and push them to the brink of survival. After the abdication of the British monarchy, the former prince Adrian befriends Lionel, a fiercely independent and philosophical advocate of republicanism. When Lionel returns from two years abroad in Vienna, where he was conducting political business, he finds that Adrian has disappeared following a conflict with Lord Raymond, who falls in love with the Greek princess Evadne while scheming to be named England's new king. They eventually resolve their enmity, however, and Raymond travels to Greece with Adrian to fight in a quickly expanding conflict with the Ottomans. As the war rages on, a plague breaks out and spreads without warning across Europe and overseas to the Americas. As the continent is ravaged by conflict and disease, Lionel and his group of friends struggle to keep one another alive in a world growing more hostile and less habitable by the day.
This edition of Mary Shelley's The Last Man is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.
Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.
With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.
About the author
Mary Shelley, born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (1797-1851), was the daughter of philosopher and political writer William Godwin and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft (The Vindication of the Rights of Woman). Mary Shelley had a painful and turbulent life. Her mother died shortly after giving birth. Mary ran away with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, a married student of her father's, which resulted in alienation from her family and scandal. The couple traveled throughout Europe and lost their first child in 1815. Then, Mary's half-sister committed suicide, followed shortly thereafter by Percy's wife Harriett. This unfortunate circumstance allowed Percy and Mary to be wed in 1816.
Percy Shelley drowned while sailing in 1822, leaving Mary as a young widow and mother. Mary Shelley is renowned for Frankenstein, but she also wrote additional novels, working to support her son and keeping her husband's legacy alive. She died of brain cancer in 1851.
Summary
The Last Man (1826) is a dystopian novel by Mary Shelley. Dedicated to the recently deceased Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron, The Last Man was controversial upon publication and was immediately suppressed by British authorities. Resurrected by dedicated critics and readers, the novel is now recognized as a pioneering work of science fiction and as the first work of dystopian literature to be published in English.
The ambitious and semi-autobiographical work is set toward the end of the 21st century and follows a group of radical friends whose experiences during a period of political upheaval test the limits of their love and push them to the brink of survival. After the abdication of the British monarchy, the former prince Adrian befriends Lionel, a fiercely independent and philosophical advocate of republicanism. When Lionel returns from two years abroad in Vienna, where he was conducting political business, he finds that Adrian has disappeared following a conflict with Lord Raymond, who falls in love with the Greek princess Evadne while scheming to be named England’s new king. They eventually resolve their enmity, however, and Raymond travels to Greece with Adrian to fight in a quickly expanding conflict with the Ottomans. As the war rages on, a plague breaks out and spreads without warning across Europe and overseas to the Americas. As the continent is ravaged by conflict and disease, Lionel and his group of friends struggle to keep one another alive in a world growing more hostile and less habitable by the day.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Mary Shelley’s The Last Man is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.
