THE LAST OF MY RACE: A DREAM OF THE FUTURE .
Published by J. W. Ruddock & Sons. London: Simpkin Marshall Hamilton Kent & Co. Ltd., Lincoln, 1924
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: MostlyAcademic, Berrima, NSW, AustraliaMostlyAcademic
AbeBooks seller since October 6, 2021
Condition: Used - Good
£ 463.76
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Small octavo, pp. [1-8] [1] 2-131 [132: printer's imprint] [133-136: blank] [note: first and last leaves are used as front and rear paste-downs, original rose boards, spine panel stamped in black. First edition. "A man awakens after a half-million years, in surroundings that are meant to imitate those of his own period. (The details are 'uncannily like, and equally uncannily not like.') He is the last member of his race, and he is encouraged to write down this first-person account, more as a way of coming to terms with his own situation, to preserve his sanity for the brief remainder of his life, than as a communication to anyone else now alive, whose frame of reference is so profoundly different from his own as to render him a member of a different (and extinct) species. As a utopian tale of the far future, it is notable on several counts: its brevity (this is a novella, really), its succinctness, its easy readability, its omission of the usual 'tour-guide' to explain the new society (and turn the narrative into an essay), its emphasis on the alien quality of the new world, taking it beyond those terms that could let us see it as either eutopian or dystopian. Also, by setting the story in a manufactured facsimile of the familiar world rather than setting forth the usual futuristic/utopian furniture (e.g., men and women in white flowing robes; airships and other gizmos, all powered by electricity; tediously detailed explanations of the new improved legislatures, telephones, sewage treatment systems, etc.), the author adds another level of meaning to the story, making it a powerful allegory about the alienation of existence in the present-day world. Tayler would not have been the only person in postwar Europe who felt profoundly alienated from a world that was evolving away from the familiar at a frightening and accelerating speed; but he was the only one who expressed that alienation in an imaginative work of this nature. A very interesting book." - Robert Eldridge. "Evolution and the far future. In some ways a remarkable work that should receive more attention than it has. The author conveys well the emotional strain of the narrator and adds many imaginative touches that anticipate later science-fiction, notably W. Olaf Stapledon." - Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 2157. Clarke, Tale of the Future (1978), p. 51. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, p. 211. Negley, Utopian Literature: A Bibliography 1088. Sargent, British and American Utopian Literature, 1516-1985, p. 176. Bleiler (1978), p. 191. Not in Reginald (1979; 1992). "Withdrawn" stamped on the half title page, private owner's signature there too. Slight spine lean. boards sunned, spine tanned, internally clean, a good, sound copy. A very uncommon book. (#165144).…
Seller Inventory # ABE-1755572952100
Bibliographic details
- Title
- THE LAST OF MY RACE: A DREAM OF THE FUTURE .
- Author
- Tayler, J[ohn] Lionel
- Publisher
- J. W. Ruddock & Sons. London: Simpkin Marshall Hamilton Kent & Co. Ltd., Lincoln
- Publication year
- 1924
- Condition
- Good
- Binding
- Hardcover
MostlyAcademic
Berrima, NSW, Australia
AbeBooks seller since October 6, 2021
Shipping rates from Australia to U.S.A.
| Item | 8 to 14 business days | 25 to 45 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 25.87 | £ 25.87 |
Payment methods
Store description
We sell academic, specialist books, from the mathematical sciences. Also a range of other subjects, especially philosophy, music, psychology, and children's books. We stock some rare books too as well as music scores, DVDs and CDs.
Specialty
New and usedSeller's business information
MostlyAcademic
NSW, Australia
Terms of sale
A private collection of books on a range of subjects. No books are ex-library unless explicitly specified.
Right of withdrawal
If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.
Information regarding the right of withdrawal
Statutory right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.
We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to MostlyAcademic, Berrima, New South Wales, Australia, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
The right of withdrawal does not apply to:
- The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
- The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.
Shipping terms
Items ship via Australia Post, using regular shipping. If insurance is required please specify and extra charges will be added.