World's End

World's End by Richard Jefferies

The narrative unfolds in a fictional city, Stirmingham, which owes its existence to a water-rat that inadvertently created a marsh, leading to human settlement. The story explores themes of ambition, greed, and the consequences of human actions over generations. Initially, the focus is on the origins of Stirmingham, detailing how a water-rat's burrowing led to the formation of a marsh that attracted settlers, including a gypsy basket-maker named Will Baskette. As the city grows, it becomes a hub of industry and commerce, but the narrative shifts to the Sibbold family, particularly the miserly old Sibbold, who harbors resentment towards his sons and the squatters on his land. Conflict arises when Sibbold attempts to reclaim his land from the basket-makers, leading to a series of events that culminate in violence and tragedy. The story then transitions to the next generation, focusing on the descendants of both the Sibbolds and the Baskettes, who are embroiled in legal disputes over land rights and inheritance. As the narrative progresses, the character of Sternhold Baskette emerges, a descendant of Will Baskette, who becomes wealthy through the city's industrial boom. However, his life is marked by personal tragedy, including a tumultuous marriage to Lucia Marese, which leads to further complications regarding inheritance and claims to the estate. The story delves into the machinations of various claimants, including the Sibbolds and the American descendants of the Baskettes, who seek to assert their rights to the land. Tensions escalate as Marese and his cousin Theodore plot to eliminate their rivals, leading to a chilling scheme involving the use of poisonous gas to destroy the claimants during a gathering. The climax of the narrative centers around the planned destruction of the claimants, showcasing the moral decay and ambition of Marese and Theodore. The story concludes with the aftermath of their actions, highlighting the futility of their schemes and the cyclical nature of greed and ambition, as the characters grapple with the consequences of their choices. Overall, the work serves as a commentary on the darker aspects of human nature, the relentless pursuit of wealth, and the inevitable downfall that often accompanies unchecked ambition.

By Richard Jefferies · First published 1887 · Genre: Philosophical Fiction, Science Fiction, Dystopian Fiction · 44 chapters · 147,615 words

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It is not generally known that the mighty city of Stirmingham owes its existence to a water-rat. Stirmingham has a population of half a million, and is the workshop of the earth. It is a proud city, and its pressmen have traced its origin back into the dim vista of the past, far before Alfred the Great's time, somewhere in the days of those monarchs who came from Troy, and whose deeds Holinshed so minutely chronicles.

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World's End is listed on Textopian as a novel by Richard Jefferies, dated 1887 CE.

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Science Fiction · Dystopian · Post-Apocalyptic · Environmentalism · Ecological Disaster · Survival Story · Social Commentary · Critique of Industrialization · Utopian Elements · Anti-Technological · Rural Setting · Isolation

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