The Coming Race
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Description
An engineer encounters a strange sight while exploring a mine, and reluctantly reports it to the narrator. The two descend into the mine together, but an accident causes the narrator to fall through a crevice and into a secret subterranean world. The inhabitants seem to be an offshoot of an ancient human race who have been living and evolving underground. They have command over a fluid called vril, which gives them both great destructive and great creative and healing powers. Because of their ability to destroy so easily, their society has developed into a very peaceful, utopian one. They don’t eat or kill animals, and only take life that is a threat to their community.
These people call themselves the Vril-ya, and consider themselves to have a superior form of government that has developed over many ages. While our narrator considers his native United States a great society that all should be proud of, the Vril-ya dismiss it as Koom-Posh (their word for “democracy”), which in their view is government by the ignorant, and destined to collapse into chaos. The above-ground world, with its achievements based on rivalry and conflict, is in contrast to the world of the Vril-ya, where personal achievement and honors are not pursued.
The narrator spends some time exploring this society, but thinks about how, if ever, he will return home. But before he can return, he unwittingly becomes the object of romantic interest—putting his life in peril.
The Coming Race was published anonymously in 1871, and is considered one of the earliest works of science fiction.
Read free
This ebook is thought to be free of copyright restrictions in the United States. It may still be under copyright in other countries. If you’re not located in the United States, you must check your local laws to verify that this ebook is free of copyright restrictions in the country you’re located in before accessing, downloading, or using it.
Download for ereaders
-
Compatible epub — All devices and apps except Kindles and Kobos.
-
azw3 — Kindle devices and apps. Also download the Kindle cover thumbnail to see the cover in your Kindle’s library. Despite what you’ve been told, Kindle does not natively support epub. You may also be interested in our Kindle FAQ.
-
kepub — Kobo devices and apps. You may also be interested in our Kobo FAQ.
-
Advanced epub — An advanced format that uses the latest technology not yet fully supported by most ereaders.
Read online
A brief history of this ebook
More details
Sources
Transcriptions
Page scans
Improve this ebook
Anyone can contribute to make a Standard Ebook better for everyone!
To report typos, typography errors, or other corrections, see how to report errors.
If you’re comfortable with technology and want to contribute directly, check out this ebook’s GitHub repository and our contributors section.
You can also donate to Standard Ebooks to help fund continuing improvement of this and other ebooks.