The First Post-Apocalyptic Novels: The Last Man, and After London

Gather ’round, ye lords and ladies. We’re traveling back in time to Georgian and Victorian England, to discover two of the first post-apocalyptic novels ever written…

Recently, while writing a rambling love letter to the post-apocalyptic fiction genre, I began to wonder about the origins of that genre. (Or subgenre, if you like.) When and where did it all start? What was the first post-apocalyptic novel? Who were the first writers to tackle this weighty subject, and why?

Today, most literary...