The Triumph of Time by James Blish (American, 1958)

Summary:
In the year 3995, John Almafi, mayor of a utopian New York City landed on a planet outside the galaxy, bored with the peaceful life on New Earth, he wishes to go and travel across space like he used to do. Then, a planet called “He” gets close to New Earth, “He” is a planet known by Almafi, and it bears the news that the universe is coming to an end. After researching for a few years, scientists from He and New Earth discover that they have four years left before the Ginnangu Gap (or the aniquilation of the universe), which is provoked by a problem related to anti-matter. However, there is something called the “Metagalactic center”, which was the point where the Big Bang took place. They figure that, when the end came, there were two options: if an object survives the Ginnangu Gap, two universes would reset and their histories would repeat just as they had before. On the other hand, if a person survived the end, then a new universe would be created as the person pleased. “He”, along with John Almafi and a group of scientifics and allies, head to the Metagalactic center. They plan to survive the Ginnangu Gap enough time to create new universes, each person in charge of creating a new universe, and they would be influenced by their own beliefs. However, Almafi had lived long enough to know that he didn’t want any other universe like the one he knew for thousands of years. So, in the end, Almafi decides to auto-destroy his spacesuit to let a new and unknown universe take place, one that would have an uncertain fate.

Another summary:
It begins with John Amalfi, an inhabitant of New Earth. New Earth's inhabitants were once residents of Okie city in New York. John is bored of his long life and misses the space-flying days. Together with Jake Freeman, an astronomer, they realize that an enormous flying object is coming their way. They discern that the flying object is the planet He led by Miramon. Miramon explains to New Earth's scientists that the Hevians scientists have discovered the birthplace of continuous creation. They learned that there would be an inevitable catastrophic collision between their universe and a universe based on anti-matter. The slightest contact between universes meant the end for both. John, Jake, and some other scientists go to He to discuss a plan to face the inevitable end. While the physicists are arguing about how and why the universe is about to end, the leader of a religious cult, Warriors of God, threatens New Earth. Consequently, John has to go back to New Earth to stop the Warrior of God. After some years, the New Earth's scientists have agreed that the end is getting closer. They have only three years until the collision day. John Amalfi and some other inhabitants decide to go to He as it heads towards the Metagalactic center. Scientists speculate that by being in there, they might outlive the coming destruction. When the moment of extinction of the present universe comes, the characters have the chance to create new universes in a split second. At the moment of his death, Amalfi decides to blow himself up and create a new universe. That is how creation began.

Another summary:
It is the year 3995 and legendary Okie city mayor John Amalfi, blessed or cursed with a very long life, is bored of his peaceful existence on New Earth, of fancy fashions and outlandish pets, and misses the old space-flying days. He goes poking around the now-abandoned city of New York, chatting to the city’s former chief astronomer, Jake Freeman, about maybe salvaging part of it and going roaming again, until he’s told a huge object is heading their way.
 
 It seems to be the planet He, a planet with a primitive civilization which was cursed with an overwhelming tropical jungle climate. Amalfi had made a contract to change and improve it by fitting “spindizzies” to the planet’s cardinal points. He had tried to alter its rotation movement a little to give it a milder climate but ended up miscalculating and sending the planet wrecking not only out of the orbit of its sun, but flying faster than the speed of light right out of the galaxy.
 
 Out of the blue, as if by some miracle, the people of He have mastered the technique of steering their planet and are heading straight for New Earth. Radio communication is achieved and it turns out the entire planet is now led by Miramon, who had been Amalfi’s lead contact in the original story. Miramon explains that they made it all the way to the next galaxy in the universe, Andromeda, but on the way discovered something: Space and Time are coming to an unavoidable end.
 
 Following up the Hevian's discovery, scientists of New Earth learned of the existence of a Universe based on Anti-Matter energy - a chemical and physical structure so antagonistic to their own Universe that the slightest contact meant instantaneous oblivion for both worlds.
 
 In desperation, the scientists join forces to create a missile to explore this mysterious and hostile Anti-Matter Universe.
 
 Towards the end of the novel, the author describes the end of the universe which is very simple. They go through the instructions one last time and climb into spacesuits. When the moment of annihilation of the present universe comes, the spindizzies will operate at peak performance for a few micro-seconds during which the half dozen of them, here at the core, the center of the annihilating universe – Mark, Dee, Estelle, Web, Miramon and Amalfi – will have a split second to create new universes. The clock ticks down. The City Fathers say goodbye. The end comes instantly and completely. Amalfi is aware of the others and their human emotions. But he has lived long enough, seen the universe of human suffering, he wants to try something else.
 
 What would happen if he just touches the detonator button on his spacesuit, blows himself up, and let all the elements of which he and the suit are composed flash into the plasma which will form the basis of a new universe, perhaps?

World view: Describes in a variety of aspects and with some consistency an imaginary state or society which is regarded as better, in some respects at least, than the one in which its author lives.
Future projections: The perfectibility of mankind through science and technology is presented as desirable.
Ideology: Portrays the enforcement of justice in a positive manner and has faith in human capacity to build a better future.
Characters, plot and writing style: Black humor and satire are employed to expose, criticize or shame individuals or the society itself into improvement.
Classification: Dystopia