CHAPTER XV. -The coming Race

In Chapter XV of “The Coming Race,” the narrator continues to explore the society of the Vril-ya, shedding light on their culture, values, and technology. At the suggestion of his host’s daughter, he adopts the dress of the Vril-ya—excluding their distinctive wings, which allows him to blend in and visit the town without drawing unwelcome attention. He learns about the city’s size, its agricultural wealth, and the Vril-ya’s kindness towards animals, hinting at a deeply integrated respect for all living beings within their society.

The chapter delves into the societal norms and technological advancements of the Vril-ya. It highlights their use of vril-powered vehicles for transportation and the maintenance of neutral, cultivated lands between Vril-ya communities for commerce and communication. The narrator is struck by the Vril-ya’s advanced agricultural techniques, their value of birds for music, and their absence of domestic animals like dogs and horses, now viewed as obsolete due to technological advancements, especially the invention of wings and air-boats.

A significant part of the chapter focuses on the Vril-ya’s physical and cultural characteristics, such as their health practices, luxurious lifestyles, and the physical beauty that remains unmarred into old age. Their education system, which emphasizes moral and intellectual development, reflects a society aimed at eliminating strife and competition, favoring a serene equality reminiscent of a more spiritually advanced civilization.

The narrator also compares the skull shapes and moral dispositions of the Vril-ya with those of ancient human races, discussing their peaceful disposition, absence of conflict, and the harmony in their interactions. This dialog between Zee, Aph-Lin, and the narrator provides a critique of the narrator’s own world, highlighting the Vril-ya’s disdain for the strife, competition, and inequality that plague human societies.

The chapter closes on a philosophical note, with Zee and Aph-Lin expressing their views on the ultimate goals of civilization. They contrast the Vril-ya’s pursuit of collective happiness, tranquility, and enlightenment with the destructive, competitive nature of human societies, marking a clear distinction between the two races’ visions of progress and the meaning of life. The Vril-ya aim for a harmonious existence that aligns with what they believe to be the conditions of divine beings, further emphasizing the utopian ideal of their society compared to the conflict-ridden human world.