The Man Who Ended the World

Jason Gurley

Jan 2015 · Jason Gurley

About this ebook

 When Steven Glass's third grade teacher asked his class what they wanted to be when they grew up, Steven's classmates shouted the usual answers: "A fireman!" "A teacher!" "The President!" 

When his turn came, Steven said, "When I grow up I'm going to be the last man on Earth." 

Warning signs don't come much clearer than that. 

Ratings and reviews

I really enjoyed this book. Short chapters and quick pace made it a page turner that I finished in two days. The author is perfectly describing a modern trillionare, a successful man who acquired reaches in order to follow his dreams. It is a cautionary tale of how influential a lot of money could be and if used for evil how devastating it could be for mankind. It makes the reader reflect if so much money should be in the hands of anyone on earth. Four stars for Stacy. There is a lot left out about her. Spoilers ahead. Stacy is AI, presumably programmed by Mr. Glass. Why did he permit her to think critically and make decisions when he could have made her obedient in everything? At the beginning Stacy has no feelings. It is unclear how she acquired them later in the book. As AI she probably studied mankind. With no feelings of or critical thinking how did she ended up choosing the positive traits? Overall a recommend reading!

Gripping, interesting, a fascinating logical conclusion to the idea of these modern [spoilers averted]. I want to see how it ends. The prose is fleet and light, and conveys a lot very economically. It uses your knowledge of today's world to put you into a plausible story.

Jason Gurley's "The Man Who Ended the World" is a suspenseful, fast-moving read about a billionaire social media mogul, Steven Glass, who decides that he'd rather witness the destruction of all humanity and record it for posterity, while in the comfort and safety of his underground "space station" a half-mile beneath the Earth underneath a small-town junkyard. He is discovered by a young boy, Henry, and his investigations along with his friend Clarissa reveal a high-tech hideout to withstand the coming apocalypse, run by a genius loner slowly losing his grip on reality. The only other being with intellect and maturity is Steven's caretaker AI, Stacy, who runs his hideaway and provides companionship, and who may hold the key to mankind's future. This is not a masterpiece, and as far as post-apocalyptic dystopian books go it doesn't venture far beyond its premise. But it is suspenseful, hair-raising and at times funny, and Gurley ably creates a visual palette in describing an overgrown-bo

About the author

Jason Gurley is the bestselling author of Eleanor, Greatfall, and The Man Who Ended the World, among other books and short stories. His work has appeared in a number of anthologies, including Help Fund My Robot Army!!! and Synchronic. He lives and writes in the Pacific Northwest.