Le Dernier Homme
Encyclopedia
Le Dernier Homme is a French science fantasy
novel in the form of a prose poem. Written by Jean-Baptiste Cousin de Grainville
and published in 1805, it was the first story of modern speculative fiction
to depict the end of the world. Considered a seminal early work of science fantasy, specifically of the dying earth subgenre
, it has been described by Gary K. Wolfe
as "A crucial document in the early history... of what became science fiction".
Le Dernier Homme was translated into English in 1806 - poorly, and neither credited to de Grainville nor described as a translation from a French original – under the title Omegarus and Syderia, a Romance in Futurity. This translation remained the only English version available until 2003, when a new translation by I.F. Clarke and Margaret Clarke was published.
. Where Milton's work featured the first couple, Adam and Eve
, de Grainville writes of the last couple – Omegarus and Syderia. Influences from the Biblical Book of Revelation
are also seen in the concept that the earth has a predestined day of ending. The influence of Malthusian ideas is also seen, as de Grainville writes at one point of an earth out of balance, population outstripping resources.
The work was published in 1805 due to the advocacy of the French literary figure Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre
, who persuaded the Paris publisher Deterville to offer the book. By the time the book was published, de Grainville was dead, a suicide in February of that year. The first publication failed to attract any critical notice or sales, but was championed by Herbert Croft, who published a second edition in two volumes, in 1811. This second edition did garner the attention of critics, who praised it.
, the first man, who has been condemned by God to watch all the damned among his descendants enter Hell, and who is now charged with persuading Omegarus and Syderia not to prolong the life of humanity, which God has determined must now end. He succeeds in having Omegarus leave Syderia, who then dies. Ormus, who cannot survive without humanity, despairs, and the world begins to end and the graves of all the dead to open.
The work known as Omegarus and Syderia did circulate somewhat in London, and several contemporary reviewers noticed resemblances between it and subsequent eschatological
works: Byron's "Darkness
" (1816) and Mary Shelley's The Last Man
(1826).
Science fantasy
Science fantasy is a mixed genre within speculative fiction drawing elements from both science fiction and fantasy. Although in some terms of its portrayal in recent media products it can be defined as instead of being a mixed genre of science fiction and fantasy it is instead a mixing of the...
novel in the form of a prose poem. Written by Jean-Baptiste Cousin de Grainville
Jean-Baptiste Cousin de Grainville
Jean-Baptiste François Xavier Cousin De Grainville was a French writer who wrote a seminal work of fantasy literature: Le Dernier Homme...
and published in 1805, it was the first story of modern speculative fiction
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
to depict the end of the world. Considered a seminal early work of science fantasy, specifically of the dying earth subgenre
Dying Earth (subgenre)
The Dying Earth subgenre is a sub-category of science fiction or science fantasy which takes place in the far future at either the end of life on Earth or the End of Time, when the laws of the universe themselves fail...
, it has been described by Gary K. Wolfe
Gary K. Wolfe
Gary K. Wolfe is a science fiction editor, critic and biographer. He is a winner of the World Fantasy Award, the Pilgrim Award, the Eaton Award, BSFA award and been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Related Book. He has had a monthly review column in Locus since 1991...
as "A crucial document in the early history... of what became science fiction".
Le Dernier Homme was translated into English in 1806 - poorly, and neither credited to de Grainville nor described as a translation from a French original – under the title Omegarus and Syderia, a Romance in Futurity. This translation remained the only English version available until 2003, when a new translation by I.F. Clarke and Margaret Clarke was published.
Creation and publication
De Grainville was inspired by Milton's epic poem Paradise LostParadise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse...
. Where Milton's work featured the first couple, Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
, de Grainville writes of the last couple – Omegarus and Syderia. Influences from the Biblical Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
are also seen in the concept that the earth has a predestined day of ending. The influence of Malthusian ideas is also seen, as de Grainville writes at one point of an earth out of balance, population outstripping resources.
The work was published in 1805 due to the advocacy of the French literary figure Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre
Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre
Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre was a French writer and botanist...
, who persuaded the Paris publisher Deterville to offer the book. By the time the book was published, de Grainville was dead, a suicide in February of that year. The first publication failed to attract any critical notice or sales, but was championed by Herbert Croft, who published a second edition in two volumes, in 1811. This second edition did garner the attention of critics, who praised it.
Plot
The story is told by a spirit to a young man who comes upon its cave while traveling in Syria. The protagonist, Omegarus, is the son of the King of Europe and the last child born there in a far future in which the earth is becoming sterile and the human ability to reproduce is fading. He sees a vision of Syderia, the last fertile woman. She lives in Brazil, so he travels there in an airship. After various adventures there, including meeting Ormus, the Spirit of Earth, who urges them to begin a rebirth of the human race, the pair return to Europe. There they meet AdamAdam
Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...
, the first man, who has been condemned by God to watch all the damned among his descendants enter Hell, and who is now charged with persuading Omegarus and Syderia not to prolong the life of humanity, which God has determined must now end. He succeeds in having Omegarus leave Syderia, who then dies. Ormus, who cannot survive without humanity, despairs, and the world begins to end and the graves of all the dead to open.
Works inspired
Le Dernier Homme inspired three other works.- Le Dernier Homme, poème imité de Grainville (The Last Man, a Poem Inspired by Grainville) is an 1832 work by Auguste Creuzé de Lesser, which expands on Grainville's original, describing aerial cities and a failed attempt at leaving Earth to colonize another planet.
- L’Unitéide ou la Femme messie (The Unitéide, or the Female Messiah), a mammoth and epic philosophical poem by Etienne-Paulin GagneEtienne-Paulin GagneEtienne-Paulin Gagne was a French poet, essayist, lawyer, politician, inventor, and eccentric whose best known poem, The Woman-Messiah, is among the longest poems in French, or any language...
published in 1858, sees the return of the character of Omegarus (under the name Omegar). In the work (set in the year 2000), God sends a female messiah to save the world. - Omégar ou le Dernier Homme (Omegare, or the Last Man), published the following year by Gagne's wife Élise Gagne, is another poetic epic about the final days of the earth.
The work known as Omegarus and Syderia did circulate somewhat in London, and several contemporary reviewers noticed resemblances between it and subsequent eschatological
End of the world
End of the world may refer to:* End time, in religion* List of places described as the end of land or the world* Expected tidal destruction of Earth when Sun becomes red-giant star-Albums:* End of the World , 1968 work by Aphrodite's Child...
works: Byron's "Darkness
Darkness (poem)
Darkness is a poem written by Lord Byron in July 1816. That year was known as the Year Without a Summer - this is because Mount Tambora had erupted in the Dutch East Indies the previous year, casting enough ash in to the atmosphere to block out the sun and cause abnormal weather across much of...
" (1816) and Mary Shelley's The Last Man
The Last Man
The Last Man is an apocalyptic science fiction novel by Mary Shelley, which was first published in 1826. The book tells of a future world that has been ravaged by a plague. The novel was harshly reviewed at the time, and was virtually unknown until a scholarly revival beginning in the 1960s...
(1826).