History of a World of Immortals without a God: Translated from an unpublished manuscript in the library of a continental university

In Short

This narrative follows Dr. Gervaas Van Varken, a misanthrope who travels to Thibet to escape the human race and ends up on Hesperos, a planet inhabited by immortal, non-reproducing beings. Hesperos is a scientific utopia governed by reason, yet it is plagued by a strange, existential malaise. The book serves as a detached, philosophical exploration of a society that has solved the material problems of existence but remains haunted by the "Unknown God." It is a rare, speculative artifact that uses a cold, clinical tone to examine the limits of secular perfection.

The Story

The journey begins in Bombay, where Dr. Gervaas Van Varken, desperate to flee the "Yahoo" human race, secures an introduction to a mysterious magician in Thibet. Through this contact, the Doctor is physically transported to Hesperos, a world hidden beneath a permanent cloud-screen. Upon arrival, he encounters a highly advanced, rational civilization living in the city of Lucetta. These inhabitants are immortal, immune to natural death, and do not reproduce, meaning the population remains stable. They have abandoned all religious dogma, organizing their society around a "universal empire" where labor is shared equally and land ownership is tied to their cyclical, hundred-year life stages.

As Van Varken integrates into this society, he observes their scientific triumphs, including the construction of mountain-top observatories that pierce the cloud-screen to reveal a vast, fiery universe. However, the more he learns, the more he uncovers the darker reality of their existence. Despite their mastery of nature and technology, the Hesperians suffer from a collective "World-Weariness." This malaise is tied to their "Law of Evanescence," a mechanism where a life is terminated if the individual’s "metronomic balance"—a tally of joy and suffering—reaches zero.

The story shifts when explorers manage to cross a deadly equatorial tornado, discovering a "City of the Dead" in the southern hemisphere. Here, they realize that those who suffer "mortal lesions" are not truly gone, but are transported to the south, where they continue to exist as a separate, struggling population. Van Varken, acting as a bridge between worlds, attempts to explain the theological beliefs of Earth to his hosts. When he describes the Christian concept of eternal hellfire, the Hesperians are so repulsed that they storm out of his lecture.

The narrative concludes with the Doctor’s eventual, hasty return to Earth. The final pages suggest that his presence—and his medical knowledge of human anatomy—made him a target for the very creatures who once welcomed him. He leaves behind a manuscript that depicts a world stalled in its own perfection, unable to find meaning in a universe that offers everything except an answer to why they exist.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins Van Varken, disgusted by humanity, travels through treacherous Thibetian mountain passes to meet a powerful magician. He undergoes a mysterious process of disintegration and reappears on the alien world of Hesperos.

First contact The inhabitants of Lucetta greet the Doctor with intense curiosity, using gesture-language to learn his tongue and record his words. They reveal a landscape devoid of storms, insects, or predators, where nature is perfectly harnessed for the comfort of the populace.

Scientific revelation Engineers undertake a perilous climb through a permanent cloud-screen to observe the stars for the first time. This discovery launches a new era of astronomical study, fundamentally shifting the Hesperian worldview.

The discovery of the South A daring expedition survives a central equatorial tornado to find a southern continent. They encounter a "City of the Dead," unveiling the truth about how the population persists despite the laws of evanescence.

A clash of beliefs Van Varken attempts to explain Earthly religion to his hosts, but his account of a judgmental deity causes a violent rift. His lecture on human anatomy further alienates the Hesperians, leading to his frantic flight back home.

The People

Dr. Gervaas Van Varken is a misanthropic, cynical physician who seeks refuge from the "detestable Yahoos" of Earth. He possesses a sharp, scientific mind but lacks the emotional warmth to bridge the gap between his own cynicism and the Hesperians' clinical rationality.

The Hesperian Councilors and Engineers represent the peak of rational, secular humanity. They are driven by an insatiable curiosity and a commitment to communal order, yet they are burdened by a profound lack of spiritual purpose. They are not villains, but their refusal to grapple with the "Unknown God" makes them appear distant and empty to the Doctor.

The "Magician" of Thibet serves as the catalyst, a gatekeeper who holds the keys to interdimensional travel. He remains a peripheral but vital figure whose powers represent the hidden, mystical forces that the Hesperian scientific method cannot explain.

In Its Own Voice

"I noticed, in particular, respecting some of the dishes, that they greatly resembled in taste various kinds of flesh-meat, very delicately cooked, but they were totally different in appearance from anything of the sort ever served up on earth."

The Doctor describes his first meal on Hesperos, highlighting the uncanny, synthetic nature of this advanced society.

"When he came to the explicit statement—delivered with evident marks of delight—that the Maker designed the greater part of the human race to live everlastingly in excruciating torture by fire, the whole of the assembly rose simultaneously to their feet and left the cathedral."

Van Varken recounts the moment his theological explanation caused a mass exodus, illustrating the moral chasm between his world and theirs.

What It's Really About

The central argument concerns the emptiness of material perfection. The book posits that if humans were freed from the struggle for survival, the fear of death, and the chaos of reproduction, the result would not be a vibrant paradise, but a stagnant, weary society. It questions whether religion is a necessary mechanism for providing meaning, even if that meaning—as the Doctor describes it—is frightening. The Hesperians represent the ultimate secular outcome: a race that has calculated the value of life down to the last unit, only to find that the equation ultimately equals zero. It is a warning about the chilling effects of pure, unfeeling logic.

Why Read It Today

This book is a fascinating curio for readers who enjoy the "scientific romance" of the late 19th century. It feels like a precursor to modern dystopian literature, yet it lacks the high-octane drama of contemporary sci-fi, favoring instead a dry, observational, and highly intellectual pace. Readers who appreciate philosophical questions—such as whether a life without death can possess true value—will find much to ponder here.

The prose is precise and elegant, characteristic of its time, though it occasionally demands patience during its more technical descriptions of "Hesperography." One must be prepared for the period attitudes; the Doctor’s disdain for his fellow man is palpable and unflinching, providing a dark, misanthropic filter through which the entire story is told. While the book avoids the heavy-handed moralizing typical of many Victorian utopias, it carries an underlying sense of melancholy that lingers long after the final page is turned. It is a challenging, singular work that stands as a unique testament to the era's fascination with the intersection of science and the unknown, perfect for anyone curious about the roots of speculative fiction.