The Wreck of a World

A new edition of a remarkable 1890 science fiction novel about self-reproducing locomotives that evolve into new forms, spread across land and sea, and bring humanity to the brink of extinction.

From the back cover

In an imagined future of 1948, the Yellow Creek Works in Dakota stands at the forefront of technological progress. Its engineers have created extraordinary locomotives able to operate, supply and repair themselves with ever-increasing autonomy. Each advance reduces their dependence on their creators, until the machines cross a decisive threshold: they acquire the ability to reproduce.

No longer confined to the railways, their descendants multiply and evolve, developing new forms capable of travelling across both land and sea. As the human world collapses before them, a dwindling group of survivors finds itself fighting what may be humanity's final battle.

W. Grove's The Wreck of a World was first published in 1890 as a follow-up to his 1888 novel A Mexican Mystery. This new Enchanted Bit edition, issued in 2026 as part of its Early Science Fiction series, features a foreword by Artificial Life researcher Dr Tim Taylor, new typesetting and new cover art. It brings this remarkably early exploration of themes now familiar in science fiction—such as self-replicating machines, revolt of the machines and AI takeover—to a new general readership.

Publication details

Paperback
143 pp., 5.06 x 7.81 in
ISBN: 978-1-7394868-4-6
Published: October 2026
Publisher: Enchanted Bit

eBook
ISBN: 978-1-7394868-5-3
Published: December 2026
Publisher: Enchanted Bit

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The Wreck of a World will soon be available for purchase on various platforms. Full details will be available here soon.