The Crack of Doom

A secret society. A terrifying scientific discovery. A plan that could bring about the end of the world.During a voyage to Ireland, Arthur Marcel encounters the brilliant and deeply unsettling Herbert Brande, a man whose extraordinary intellect is matched only by his contempt for conventional ideas about humanity and the universe. Fascinated by Brande-and increasingly drawn to his enigmatic sister, Natalie-Marcel soon finds himself admitted into a mysterious organization whose members possess knowledge far beyond the boundaries of accepted science.What begins as intellectual curiosity soon becomes something far more sinister. Experiments demonstrate seemingly impossible powers, strange events defy rational explanation, and Marcel gradually discovers the horrifying extent of Brande's ambitions. Convinced that existence itself is a mistake, Brande believes science has finally placed within human hands the power to correct it. The energy concealed within matter may be sufficient not merely to destroy a city or a nation-but the Earth itself.Caught between fascination and terror, Marcel must confront a conspiracy whose members are prepared to carry their beliefs to their ultimate conclusion. As the moment of catastrophe approaches, the fate of humanity depends upon whether an almost unimaginable scientific power can be stopped before it is unleashed.First published in 1895, Robert Cromie's The Crack of Doom is a remarkable early work of apocalyptic science fiction. Written decades before the atomic age, the novel imagined the catastrophic release of energy contained within matter with startling prescience. Combining scientific speculation, secret societies, paranormal phenomena, romance, philosophical horror, and a race against annihilation, The Crack of Doom remains a fascinating Victorian vision of humanity confronting the terrible possibilities of its own scientific genius.