Mary Shelley was ahead of her time - arguably by 200 years. For when her novel 'The Last Man' was published in 1826 with a plot featuring a deadly global pandemic, the public was not impressed. In modern days, it looks far more current. Her first novel since 'Frankenstein', 'The Last Man' is set in the late 21st century as humankind is virtually wiped out by a global pandemic. There are no zombies, but fans of 'The Walking Dead' will appreciate the apocalyptic theme and the way Shelley follows the fortunes of a small group of survivors as they unravel emotionally. They include characters inspired by two men she was mourning: her husband and famous poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and the poet Lord Byron. Can they survive? Or is the human race going the way of the dinosaurs?