The first great science fiction novel of the twentieth century—now available from Penguin ClassicsStrange, macabre, and, fantastical, M. P. Shiel"s The Purple Cloud is a landmark work that heralded the genre of apocalyptic fiction. It 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 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, unleashing fire and destruction on his planet.A new introduction by literary scholar John Sutherland explores The Purple Cloud"s apocalyptic themes and Shiel"s colorful private life.