The Coming of the Ice

by Green Peyton, Frank R. Paul (Illustrator)

It is strange to be alone, and so cold. To be the last man on earth....

First published in Amazing Stories

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories

Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1926

About the author

Born as Green Peyton Wertenbaker

by Sam Moskowitz
The first new story AMAZING STORIES bought was Coming of the Ice, by G. Peyton Wertenbaker, which appeared in its third issue. Wertenbaker was not technically a newcomer to science fiction, since he had sold his first story to Gernsback's SCIENCE AND INVENTION, The Man From the Atom, in 1923 when he was only 16! Now, at the ripe old age of 19, he was appearing in the world's first truly complete science fiction magazine.

The scope of his imagination was truly impressive and, despite the author's youth, Coming of the Ice builds to a climax of considerable power.

Wertenbaker, under the name of Green Peyton, went on to sell his first novel, Black Cabin, in 1933. He eventually became an authority on the Southwest with many regional volumes to his credit: For God and Texas, America's Heartland, The Southwest, and San Antonio, City of the Sun. But he never lost his interest in space travel, assisting Hubertus Strughold on the writing of The Green and Red Planet, a scientific appraisal of the possibilities of life on the planet Mars published in 1953. He also served for a time as London correspondent for FORTUNE MAGAZINE.

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

I downloaded this a s an ebook off an SF site. It's a novella rather than a full novel, about a man from the 1930s who undergoes an operation to make him immortal. He then lives through the future evolution of the human race so that he no longer fits in with the 'new' human race. Then a new ice age strikes.

I thought the writing was pretty decent and it was an easy read, but it is really a minor work and if this was a movie I'd say it had plenty of plot holes. For example, the book is narrated by the immortal who talks about how technologically advanced the human race becomes. They even have contact with intelligent beings on Venus. But when the ice comes they just let it cover their cities and they die. Hum, no attempt to leave the planet for Venus? No attempt to fight the advancing ice? Even at our technological levels we probably wouldn't go down without a fight.

The was the first thing I've ever read by Wertenbaker but I may look into some other stuff he's done. I see a couple of books listed on Goodreads.

[Janika Puolitaival · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harmi että kirjailija lopetti tieteiskirjallisuuden parissa niin aikaisin. Tämä nuorena miehenä tehty ajatusleikki kuolemattomuuden seurauksesta on lupaava. Myöhemmin samaa teemaa on toki paljon toistettu tieteiskirjallisuudessa, mutta 1926 tämä oli varmastikin kiehtovaa luettavaa. Hyytävä kylmyys ja pakkanen saartaa maapallon viimeistä ihmistä ja tämä alkaa kuoleman lähestyessä muistella menneisyyttä.

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I say anything else, this I must note - Although I must admit, it was a sad story, it is a profound one indeed, despite the fact that it's ending has made me feel a strong wave of melancholia.
A story of one human's perspective and an account like no other, for no other such account could ever be made, of the Human Spirit itself.
A story of a man who encounters the Differential Barrier*(Intellect**, limited) and gets acquired with it, intimately; to his eternal undoing, his eternal torment... And only then does he begin to understand the flaw in evolutionartily -restricted Biological Solution*** to the First Desire's****(Life itself and it's continuation, survival) ultimate form--immortality...
It is a story of inevitabilities one cannot see until it begins, until it's too late.. For one cannot escape them.
-- "Instincts of ...archaic survivor"
-- "Surely there's purpose in it..."

I recommend it highly, not only to those interested science fiction, but to all who wish to entertain their mind, their intellect. And to feel, to feel emotions as only humans can. And to think long afterwards.

[Ralph McEwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story
The story is told in a conversational style.

The narrator is well spoken and his voice is clear and easy to listen to.

The recording quality is clean with out any background noises, and has enough volume.
The editing is seamless.

[James Garman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story, written in 1926, is a narrative told by the main character, Carl Dennel. His best friend was a doctor, a surgeon, but he also engaged in experimental procedures. The doctor friend is excited because he has discovered something and he discribes it to Carl and Carl insists that he wants to help by being used as the subject of the experiment.

It turns out that the operation allows a human being to live a long time, but the down side is that they lose their emotional nature. They also lose their ability to love so Carl's girlfriend Alice and he would and could not have children or feel romantic love so they decide they will both take the operation and just live as lovers of the mind. Unfortunately the doctor and Alice both die in a car wreck and Carl is left alone.

He then tells the long stretch of human history relating that he can only keep up with human scienctific advances for so long before his brain stops understanding it. And now he is the last man on Earth. The process is that part that can't be related in full in the space given here, especially revealing everything which would take away all reason to read it. However, it is fun, and to think it was written in 1926 awes me. I recommend it to you as an early case of science fiction.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those minor works of science fiction that not everyone will like, but if you do...well, it's a hard one to describe. The main character is a gentleman from the 1930s going under extensive operations to become an immortal. He's kind of lost in his life and his race. And then suddenly he ends up finding himself in a new kind of ice age. And that's pretty much the story, but there's also more to it than that. The main character narrates our race and their advancements in tech. We also get first contacts with Venusians. It's different and quite readable. The end is kind of left open to interpretation, and leaves you something to think about. Green Peyton isn't well know, but his writing is simply amazing, and otherwise you couldn't really say this was straight out science fiction. He deserves more attention and popularity for this and his other works, like The Man from the Atom. Far more so than the likes of Henry George Wells or Jack London in roles where they aren't doing anything new or different. Whether he gets them or not, though, it doesn't change the fact that this is a very easy read. Go read it.

[Dodger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short story that tells the tale of living for eons, and maybe that's not such a good idea.

[Seb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why does this only have an average rating of 3.5? It was a beautiful short story. I'd like to read this again one day. It's a story that makes you think after you've read it.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Phil Giunta · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young man volunteers to undergo experimental surgery that will make him immortal, but not without consequences including the gradual loss of his humanity, identity, and dignity as the eons pass.

[Aleah · Rating 5 out of 5]

INCREDIBLE!!


I would have lived it even more if Alice got to be with him forever but I see why he didn’t write it that way. What an interesting story I am so impressed.

[Mindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story. It was well written and very easy to read.