The Last Science [SE]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

[SE has the same content as theoriginal story, split into smaller chunks for easier reading.This story is on a temporary hiatus due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. I work in healthcare and unfortunately no longer have the freetime to continue posting on a regular basis. As soon as our workload decreases, I will return. Thanks for reading! 💙]

No one ever knows the whole story.

Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the fading town of Rallsburg stumbles upon an amazing discovery—magic itself. Faced with potentially world-shattering power, the people of Rallsburg keep the secret for themselves. Led by Rachel DuValle, a perpetually underestimated college student with grand ambitions, they seek to found a new society.

The world beyond suspects nothing, but magic cannot stay hidden forever. A train arrives in Rallsburg carrying Alden Bensen, a directionless high school graduate. To him, magic could represent meaning for his life, an explanation for his empty existence. This potent force offers anyone the power to change humanity forever—or send it cascading into swift and total annihilation.

The Last Science is an ongoing science-fiction / low-fantasy web novel series, focused on the modern world with a twist. New societies bud and grow, but the people who make them up are imperfect and flawed. The story includes elements of mystery, action, crime, interpersonal drama, relationships, philosophy, sociology, politics, and much more, all centered on the perspective characters driving the tale.

This is the "Scraps Edition" of the story, where the chapters have been split up into bite-size chunks (roughly 1500-3000 words), for your convenience. The prose has been edited from its original form, with some improvements, but there are no content differences from the original. New chapters will be posted throughout each week starting on Friday and appearing on multiple days thereafter, depending on the length of the chapter.

Content Warning(by request):This series delves into some topics and situations which may be upsetting for some readers. In American rating parlance, the narrative would be rated PG-13 (except for language), but some have noted the story can get pretty dark on occasion. Please use your best judgment, and don't be afraid to take breaks and come back later. I'll still be here!

[Discord] - come hang out and chat!

[Patreon] - writing blog, epub copies, advance chapters and other goodies

Need more to read? Check out my finished novel,Epilogue— a post-fantasy psychodrama.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2019
Author: Etzoli

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 454
Views: 693,734

Chapters(417 total)

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

thatgirlinthetreesRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I don't like writing reviews. I wrote one for Etzoli already and now she wants another. Ugh. She's lucky I love her.
This story is incredible. Hailey is my favorite non-Jessica character. I can't wait for book 3. Now go away I'm busy.
FasdaffRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The Last Science is a bit of a genre-mixer that defies ready classification. Despite the fantasy tag and the magical elements, the story immediately shrugs off the expectations of a stereotypical "teenager gains magical powers" story. Instead, The Last Science is a rich drama/mystery story which uses magic as the foundation for a compelling plot and characters and provides far more than simply a story "about" magic.
In fact, to some extent the magical elements of the story contrast starkly with the grittiness of the plot and the normalcy and relatability of the characters. The focus of the story is not on exploring the magic itself but rather the implications of such power when injected into a quiet college town and the lives of its inhabitants. In this sense the story reflects many of the themes typically found in technology-based or science fiction stories (justifying the sci-fi tag), which is reinforced by the way the story's magic is shown to have its own consistent mechanisms and limitations which the characters are continually attempting to explore and understand.
When I say the characters are "normal" I mean that they are not superheroes or stereotypes, but real people with their own hopes, concerns, and intermixing relationships and all of the complications that ensue. It is not to mean that they are mundane or boring. Quite the opposite, each character in The Last Science seems to carry their fair share of mystery and intrigue which leaves no doubt that each one has a story of their own to be revealed in time. The Last Science manages an excellent balance of weaving rich layers of mystery and intrigue through each character and location the reader encounters, while also revealing enough information as the story progresses to let you know that it isn't just a tease. The plot incorporates and expands on each mystery it establishes and makes clear that there's real substance to everything it hints at.
I hadn't originally meant for this review to be quite so gl
ironman347Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
just got into the series as a recomendation from a few freinds, and after reading through and have never posting a review for any books i have read i beleive that this series has caused me to change that trend. great plot that interweves and continued to drive me through and the characters create a story that draws you in even when i have prefered single points of view in prior readings.
overall great read and have recoomened to others to take some time and enjoy
Dantalion22Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Originally I said this was slow. It's not slow at all. It's just amazing.
The characters are realistic and detailed, the plot is interesting, the setting is so real I want to move there (except I don't because it's probably going to get blown up), and there's a crazy amount of potential for more here. Author's really got pacing down in the recent chapters too, you can really tell it's building up to something crazy.
Everyone should be reading this.
HoltHarienRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I really like this version of the story for it's relative ease of reading over the longer chapters. Reading the original on mobile is difficult if you have to stop mid-way through, since this site doesn't save where you left off at. With these bit sized chunks, it's much more convienent to read on a Bus or Train.
The story is the same as the original, which is fantastic.
MundaneRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
How would our world change if real magic was introduced? If you were one of the first to gain access to magic what actions would you take to shape this new world?
The Last Science is a story about exploration and discovery driven by a cast of realistic and diverse characters who respond in natural and interesting ways to events far beyond anyone’s prior experience.
It is full of wonder and wonderfully written and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Characters
At its core The Last Science is a character driven story.
The first book has two main point of view characters and the second switches to three new points of view. This is interspersed with multiple interludes which give temporary new points of view to add additional color.
Each of the main point of view characters is distinct and their chapters reflect that with very different tones. Some of the characters are passive and mostly just react to events, some are driven with a clear purpose and take actions to advance that purpose. There are a range of ages, world views, genders, sexualities, cultures, and motivations all represented. This is diversity done in the best way where it adds texture and detail to the story, reflecting the actual complex world we live in.
All characters (not just the main PoV ones) grow and change as events unfold. Some characters experience grave trauma and emerge weakened and damaged while others use the experience to become stronger and more resilient. Some learn from their mistakes; some keep making the same mistakes in different ways. Motivations and goals change and adapt over time.
Minor characters you might dismiss as token clichés reveal their depth overtime and challenge your initial assumptions. Characters who are young act young, sometimes being impulsive and irrational. Harm and conflict arise from ignorance and the best of intentions do not always result in good outcomes. There are betrayals that destroy relationships and pure selflessness which empower them.
This realist
NataliesBiggestFanRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
okay before i go any further i want to be clear: you should read this story, even though im mad. it's so good and you want to know what happens every single time.
etzoli: stop hurting natalie. she is the best. i know you want to write your story but i love her and i want to protect her. she deserves so much better. you made such a great character and her life is so painful and its so well written but i hate you. please make her life better.
RedactedourRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It's got action, romance, laughs, intrigue, magic, mystery, social theory, and a whole lot of really really great characters. This edition doesn't have the best chapters yet, but you will laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be in awe.
I've never read a story like this one and I don't know if I'll ever find something like it again. We need more stars.
GraveltonRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
This is the SE version of the story, but since I posted a review on the main one, I thought I should put something here. Terrific fricking story, great cast of characters, great plot, interesting concept, and I can't wait for new chapters to come out. So good!
NeoJaxRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
This story has taken magic and put it in a new context. It is hard to do this and do it well. On that note the magic in this story seems like it has a more personal touch that doesn't happen to often in fantasy. The author does a great job of using the small college town environment to their advantage, making it so everyone knows mostly what's going around.