A review by auroraleighs
The Last Man by Mary Shelley

dark inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

This book is such a sad and beautiful allegory for the wretchedness Shelley was feeling at this point in her life, and it's another one of her great achievements in pioneering science fiction. The plot is a little ponderous and inexplicable at times, but the vision of loneliness and destruction at the heart of this novel overshadows any flaws. It's interesting to see a future apocalyptic vision before they had become commonplace in culture: Shelley's 2090s are near identical to the 1820s, for example.