02546cam a22003853u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000360011324500310014926400510018030000470023133600260027833700260030433800360033049000430036650000310040950801080044052013150054853400450186365300200190865300180192865300310194665300240197765300250200170000290202683000430205585600430209899900190214163631UtSlPG20260610134451.0mcr n260607r2020||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPS1 aMcConnell, James V.,d1925-199011a"Phone Me in Central Park" 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2020 a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats atextbtxt2rdacontent acomputerbc2rdamedia aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier1 aProduced from Planet Stories Fall 1954 aRelease date is 2020-11-04 aProduced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net a"Phone Me in Central Park" by James V. McConnell is a science fiction novella written in the mid-20th century. The story explores themes of isolation and existential despair in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has been decimated by a mysterious plague, leaving one man, Charles, as the last person alive in New York City. Set against the backdrop of empty streets and silent environments, the narrative delves into the psychological turmoil of the protagonist grappling with loneliness and searching for meaning in a near-deserted world. The plot follows Charles as he navigates his new reality, marked by confusion and grief. Initially mourning the loss of the beautiful woman beside him, he soon discovers that he is the last survivor in a world where all other humans have perished. As he ventures out into the wreckage of civilization, he seeks answers from the Bureau of Vital Statistics and quickly realizes he is utterly alone. The story culminates in his final moments as he grapples with the futility of existence and the absurdity of his situation, leading to a haunting reflection on life and death. Ultimately, the poignant inscription on his makeshift grave encapsulates his bitter acceptance and the irony of being the last man left on Earth. (This is an automatically generated summary.) nOriginal publication data not identified aScience fiction aShort stories aNew York (N.Y.) -- Fiction aApocalyptic fiction aEpidemics -- Fiction1 aFreas, Kelly,d1922-2005 0aProduced from Planet Stories Fall 195440uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/63631 c104455d104455