The Crack of Doom

"The Crack of Doom" is a science fiction novel by Robert Cromie, first published in 1895. Set a hundred years in the future, it revolves around a group of madmen intent on using an atomic device to undo creation. The novel is notable for containing the first-ever description of what an atomic explosion might look like. It is considered Cromie's most ambitious work of science fiction and has been praised for its mysterious foresight about the destructive power of atomic energy.