As is a general rule with this series, the quality comes not just with the works being presented, as many of them are far from ideal but rather it is the supporting documentation which makes them well worth reading. This work also looks at social Darwinism, and Donnelly’s impression of where it will lead the society in the next 100 years. “Cæsar’s Column” is an important work in the history of speculative fiction because it is one of the earliest works which brings the ideas of Jules Verne to an American audience, though certainly not with the same level of quality. Those were all considered non-fiction works though, and after being discredited he wrote “Cæsar’s Column”, a fictional work, under the pseudonym of Edmund Boisgilbert, M.D., though this was more of a publicity stunt than a real attempt to conceal his identity. Donnelly also became known for his writing, as he wrote about such diverse topics as Atlantis, Ragnarok, and the true authorship of Shakespeare’s works. Ignatius Donnelly was a populist politician moving from party to party and switching positions on issues frequently, eventually joining the Republican party and being elected as Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota and then to Congress. The novel deals with a dystopian/utopian future (1988) and draws heavily on the author’s own political views. “Cæsar’s Column” was first published in 1890 and though it is far from a great work, it holds a special place in the history of speculative fiction.

“Cæsar’s Column: A Story of the Twentieth Century” by Ignatius Donnelly is the 10th book in the Early Classics of Science Fiction series.

Caesar's Column by Ignatius L. Donnelly