The Last American A Fragment from The Journal of Khan-li, Prince of Dimph-Yoo-Chur and Admiral in the Persian Navy

"The Last American" by John Ames Mitchell is a satirical story about a Persian prince named Khan-li who travels to a future New York City to study the ruins of the lost American civilization. The story mocks the past American society, showing them as greedy and obsessed with buying things and with having more material wealth than others. As Khan-li and his crew explore the remains of the city, they find clues about how the Americans lived and what led to their collapse, with the climax of the story being a meeting with the last living American, symbolizing the end of a once-great culture. The book reflects on the fleeting nature of civilizations, focusing on how obsession and excess led to the downfall of a society.