Dark, desolate and fantastical, The Purple Cloud was a pioneer in the genre of
apocalyptic novels, and the first great science fiction work of the twentieth century. It
inspired authors such as H. P. Lovecraft and Stephen King.
The Purple Cloud tells the grandly bleak story of Adam Jeffson: the first man to
reach the North Pole and the last man left alive on earth. A sweet-smelling, deadly cloud of
poisonous gas has devastated the world, and as Jeffson travels the stricken globe in search
of human life, he slowly succumbs to madness, and unleashes fire and destruction on his
planet.
John Sutherland's introduction discusses M. P. Shiel's dissolute life, the originality of
his book and its place within the context of 'last man' novels. This edition also includes a
chronology, notes and further reading.
