Synopsis
The last man on Earth after the final war works to repair a spaceship so he can join the people who had escaped to another star. But he has been changed.
History
First publication: Infinity, February 1956
Review
Ellison mentiones that Blish called this the worst science fiction story ever, but I fail to see why. This story is a very good characterization of the last man on earth. You see the end of the world through his eyes and feelings. The story has excellent characterization and the character is melded with the science-fictional idea strongly. While the science is impossible, it is a very good story. It also has the typical Ellison themes of alienation, the futility of mankind, and the anger of the Outsider.
Videos
We have the story in these editions:
The Essential Ellison: A 35-Year Retrospective, hardcover, The Nemo Press / SFBC, 1988-10-00
The Essential Ellison: A 50-Year Retrospective, trade paperback, Morpheus International, 2001-05-00
