About this book
Underground Man by Gabriel Tarde is a haunting, prophetic science fiction novella that imagines civilization reborn beneath the earth after a devastating solar cataclysm. Set against the backdrop of a late-20th-century catastrophe, Tarde follows the few human survivors as they abandon the surface and construct a new subterranean society built deliberately around love, beauty, the fine arts and intellectual life—purged of other species and ordinary conveniences.
A French sociologist and social thinker, Tarde weaves philosophical, scientific and political reflections into lyrical prose, exploring themes of regeneration, aesthetics, social organization and the role of art in human survival. The narrative reads as both a speculative survival tale and a meditation on how culture and emotion might steer a rebuilt civilization. Written in the early 1900s, the novella resonates today as an early, sophisticated entry in speculative fiction that anticipates later apocalyptic imaginings while remaining distinctively reflective and sociological.
Ideal for listeners who love classic science fiction, philosophical literature, and literary worldbuilding, Underground Man rewards those who seek thoughtful, idea-driven storytelling and a rare hybrid of social theory and imaginative speculation.
