Vril, The Power of the Coming Race

Vril, The Power of the Coming Race is a book by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, first published in 1871. This speculative novel follows a traveller who descends into a vast underground world inhabited by the Vril-ya, a mysterious and highly advanced civilisation wielding the formidable energy force known as Vril.

Blending early science fiction with occult themes and utopian fantasy, the story reflects nineteenth-century anxieties about technological progress, social change, and the rise and fall of civilisations. Bulwer-Lytton’s vivid imagination and interest in esoteric thought shaped a narrative that feels both adventurous and unsettling.

The novel’s lasting impact is notable. It influenced later science fiction, fed into Victorian fascination with hidden worlds, and contributed to early myth-making around subterranean societies. Its portrayal of powerful futuristic technology, lost races, and underground realms has echoed through genres such as dystopian fiction, adventure fantasy, metaphysical literature, and alternative history.

Readers interested in classic speculative fiction, mysterious ancient energies, and early imaginings of advanced civilisations will find it a striking example of how older works shaped many of the ideas that still define the genre.