<b>The Purple Cloud </b>is an apocalyptic &quot;last man&quot; novel by the British writer <b>M. P. Shiel</b>. It was published in 1901. H. G. Wells lauded The Purple Cloud as &quot;brilliant&quot; and H. P. Lovecraft later praised the novel as exemplary weird fiction, &quot;delivered with a skill and artistry falling little short of actual majesty.&quot;<br /><br /><b>Matthew Phipps Shiell</b> (21 July 1865 &ndash; 17 February 1947), known as M. P. Shiel, was a British writer. His legal surname remained &quot;Shiell&quot; though he adopted the shorter version as a de facto pen name.<br /><br />He is remembered mainly for supernatural horror and scientific romances. His work was published as serials, novels, and as short stories. <b>The Purple Cloud</b> (1901, revised 1929) remains his most often reprinted novel.