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 enjoyed this book overall, although I felt that it could've been a bit longer. Certain parts of the story seemed to zip by too quickly. The subject matter was pretty dark, which came as no surprise given the title, but it wasn't the inescapable descent into hopelessness that it could've easily been. I'm not convinced that the two children wouldn't be more scarred by their experiences than they seem to be. Maybe they're just unusually resilient, though. Also, a Corsica is definitely a Chevrolet and not a Toyota.

The ideas and themes portrayed in this book are interesting. The end of the world is some that interests some and this book certainly protays one's desire for it, through Steven Glass who is one of the main characters. His desire to be the last person, so that he can witness the end of the world leads him to isolate himself from humanity. Overall this book was decent and I would recommend it to those whom are fascinated by this subject.

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!

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.