A Short History of Decay (1949) is E. M. Ciorans nihilistic and witty collection of aphoristic essays concerning the nature of civilization in mid 20th-century Europe. Touching upon mans need to worship, the feebleness of God, the downfall of the Ancient Greeks and the melancholy baseness of all existence, Ciorans pieces are pessimistic in the extreme, but also display a beautiful certainty that renders them delicate, vivid, and memorable. Illuminating and brutally honest, A Short History of Decay dissects mans decadence in a remarkable series of moving and beautiful pieces.