Omega: The Last Days of the World

Omega, written by astronomer Camille Flammarion (1842-1925), is no less than an epic history of our future-a startling and unforgettable vision of the end of the world. Reasoned scientific speculation combined with probing philosophical inquiry lend credibility and magnitude to this tale of how humankind will physically and culturally evolve over the next several million years.

The end begins in the twenty-fifth century, when a comet threatens to collide with the earth. The consequences of...