The Hopkins Manuscript
Encyclopedia
The Hopkins Manuscript is a science fiction
novel written by R. C. Sheriff in 1939. Originally titled An Ordinary Man, the novel was republished by The Macmillan Company
in 1963, before being reprinted by Persephone Books
in 2002.
The story takes place in Notting Hill
, west London
, where the main character, Edgar Hopkins, writes his own narrative about a lunar catastrophe in which the moon collides with the Earth
. The foreword takes the perspective of an academic society 1,000 years in the future finding the manuscript as an historical document
. Edgar, an active member of London's prestigious Lunar Society, learns of the impending doom through the society's astronomical meetings, and thus writes his narrative of the proceeding events.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel written by R. C. Sheriff in 1939. Originally titled An Ordinary Man, the novel was republished by The Macmillan Company
Macmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
in 1963, before being reprinted by Persephone Books
Persephone Books
Persephone Books is an independent publisher based in Bloomsbury, London. Founded in 1999 by Nicola Beauman, Persephone has a catalogue of 93 "neglected novels, diaries, poetry, short stories, non-fiction, biography and cookery books, mostly by women and mostly dating from the early to...
in 2002.
The story takes place in Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where the main character, Edgar Hopkins, writes his own narrative about a lunar catastrophe in which the moon collides with the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. The foreword takes the perspective of an academic society 1,000 years in the future finding the manuscript as an historical document
Historical document
Historical documents are documents that contain important information about a person, place, or event.Most famous historical documents are either laws, accounts of battles , or the exploits of the powerful...
. Edgar, an active member of London's prestigious Lunar Society, learns of the impending doom through the society's astronomical meetings, and thus writes his narrative of the proceeding events.