Project Gutenberg 2020-11-04 Public domain in the USA. 116 McConnell, James V. 1925 1990 McConnell, James Vernon Freas, Kelly 1922 2005 Freas, Frank Kelly "Phone Me in Central Park" Produced from Planet Stories Fall 1954 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "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.) Reading ease score: 84.8 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction Apocalyptic fiction Epidemics -- Fiction PS Text Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Novels 51926 2025-07-25T08:44:15.888892 text/html 28075 2024-10-18T07:54:43 text/html 415167 2025-07-25T08:44:17.714888 application/epub+zip 414001 2025-07-25T08:44:16.336934 application/epub+zip 76196 2025-07-25T08:44:16.085898 application/epub+zip 450029 2025-07-25T08:44:18.939001 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 442736 2025-07-25T08:44:17.494933 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 105130 2022-09-28T17:40:41.259851 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 45434 2025-07-25T08:44:15.768888 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 25562 2024-10-18T07:54:43 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18000 2025-07-25T08:44:19.094899 application/rdf+xml 29315 2025-07-25T08:44:16.193874 image/jpeg 5033 2025-07-25T08:44:16.139891 image/jpeg 412223 2025-07-25T08:44:15.904891 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia en.wikipedia