The Last Evolution, by John W Campbell Jr. (1932)

# Summary "The Last Evolution" is a 1932 science fiction short story by John W. Campbell Jr. depicting a future (year 2538) where humanity has created highly advanced machines that have largely replaced human labor, leading to a dramatic population decline from billions to two million. The narrative is told by the last surviving member of humanity's original ruling class, who reflects on how machines and humans advanced science together until the arrival of mysterious alien "Outsiders."