The Purple Cloud

Prior to my coming upon a wikipedia list of dystopian novels, I was unfamiliar with both The Purple Cloud  (published 1901) and it's author, M.P.Shiel. I later discovered that H.G. Wells and H.P. Lovecraft were fans of the novel.

At the beginning of the novel, the protagonist, Adam Jeffson becomes a member of a polar expedition. I immediately assumed that this work, like the one I had just finished reading, was a dystopian Lost World novel. I was expecting Jeffson to come upon some secret entrance to a lost world at the North Pole.

I was wrong.

The novel is better described as an apocalyptic "last man" novel. Jeffson is the sole survivor of the expedition, and while he is at the pole, a mysterious Purple Cloud brings about deaths worldwide. Jeffson eventually makes his return to London where he learns from old newspapers that the Purple Cloud is believed to have been generated by a massive volcanic eruption - surpassing the 1883 eruption at Krakatoa.

The cloud was made up of a poisonous gas similar to cyanide and traveled at a speed of 4 miles an hour, leaving death in it's wake. The newspapers speculated that the gas would be harmless at the extreme polar regions. This explains why Jeffson survived and why he came upon so many ships heading north (filled with the dead) as he headed south.

Of course, Jeffson is an accomplished sailor and is able to bring his ship back to London without a crew.

Jeffson begins to lose his mind and travels the world, burning major cities - London, Paris, Constantinople. It is in Constantinople that he comes upon a young female who had managed to survive, having been locked away in an airtight cell.

The novel is interesting, for the most part, and I enjoyed reading it. However, there are portions of the story that don't quite work for me. Jeffson is alone for 20 years before discovering the young woman, who turns out to be about 20 years old. The girl does not know how to speak until Jeffson teaches her. For reasons I don't understand, the girl never learns to pronounce the letter "r" - substituting the letter "l" in it's place. This speech impediment served no purpose, in my mind, and was a distraction to the story.

Of course, it isn't all smooth sailing for Jeffson and the young woman. I'll just leave it at that....no spoilers.

Over all, I'd give The Purple Cloud four stars out of five. It has it's weak points, but worth a read, I think.