Frankenstein made Mary Shelley immortal. Her other visionary novel anticipated a world of climate change and pandemic

Mary Shelley's "The Last Man," published in 1826, is a visionary work of political science fiction that delves into the consequences of human-made pandemics, wars, and climate catastrophes. Set in the late 21st century, the novel begins as a court romance in Windsor Castle before descending into infidelities, corruption, and political destabilization.

By Volume II, a war of Greek independence against Turkey leads to a lethal plague that spreads worldwide, leaving only one man, Lionel Verney, as the sole survivor. In Volume III, a post-apocalyptic world emerges with failed governance, anarchy, and the extinction of humanity, save for the narrator and a few other individuals. Shelley, whose own life was marked by loss and grief following her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley's death, imbued the novel with her personal experiences and reflections.

While the bleakness of human extinction is evident, Shelley's novel also offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting that life endures in various forms, even as humanity perishes. The themes and influences of "The Last Man" continue to resonate in contemporary post-apocalyptic literature, including television series such as "The Last of Us," "Midnight Mass," and "Station Eleven," as well as films like "I Am Legend," "28 Days Later," and "The Last Man on Earth."