
Memories Of The Future Being Memoirs Of The Years 1915-1972, written In The Year Of Grace 1988
By Ronald Arbuthnott KnoxLength19h 26m
About this audiobook
Ronald Knox's "Memories of the Future: Being Memoirs of the Years 1915–1972, Written in the Year of Grace 1988" is a sly, imaginative memoir-in-disguise that playfully reimagines history through the eyes of a narrator writing from the distant perspective of 1988, long before that year had actually arrived. Best known as a theologian, satirist, and mystery writer, Knox constructs a fictional future history layered with irony, wit, and sharp commentary on the politics, culture, and social changes of the twentieth century. Blending speculative fiction with memoir, he positions his narrator as both participant and observer of a wildly altered timeline, allowing him to comment on real events—like the two World Wars and shifting moral landscapes—while bending them with a satirical twist that feels uncannily relevant today. As we navigate our own flood of competing narratives and predictions about the future, Knox's book reminds us of the fragility and absurdity of forecasting, poking fun at our attempts to predict and control the flow of history. It's especially meaningful for readers who enjoy thought-provoking satire, fans of alternate history, and anyone curious about how past generations imagined the future—and what that reveals about their own time. This quirky, clever work will resonate most with those who appreciate dry humor, intellectual play, and a timeless sense of irony about human progress.
Audiobook details
GenreScience Fiction
Length19 hrs 26 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateMar 19, 2024
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION
2ILLUSTRATIONS
3INTRODUCTION
4BOOK I THE DERIVATIONS OF MAGIC א—ALEPH
5CHAPTER I FABULOUS SOURCES
Show all chaptersShow less
6CHAPTER II MAGIC OF THE MAGI
7CHAPTER III MAGIC IN INDIA
8CHAPTER IV HERMETIC MAGIC
9CHAPTER V MAGIC IN GREECE
10CHAPTER VI MATHEMATICAL MAGIC OF PYTHAGORAS
11CHAPTER VII THE HOLY KABALAH
12BOOK II FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF DOGMAS ב—BETH
13CHAPTER I PRIMITIVE SYMBOLISM OF HISTORY
14CHAPTER II MYSTICISM
15CHAPTER III INITIATIONS AND ORDEALS
16CHAPTER IV THE MAGIC OF PUBLIC WORSHIP
17CHAPTER V MYSTERIES OF VIRGINITY
18CHAPTER VI SUPERSTITIONS
19CHAPTER VII MAGICAL MONUMENTS
20BOOK III DIVINE SYNTHESIS AND REALISATION OF MAGIA BY THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION ג—GIMEL
21CHAPTER I CHRIST ACCUSED OF MAGIC BY THE JEWS
22CHAPTER II THE WITNESS OF MAGIC TO CHRISTIANITY
23CHAPTER III THE DEVIL
24CHAPTER IV THE LAST PAGANS
25CHAPTER V LEGENDS
26CHAPTER VI SOME KABALISTIC PAINTINGS AND SACRED EMBLEMS
27CHAPTER VII PHILOSOPHERS OF THE ALEXANDRIAN SCHOOL
28BOOK IV MAGIC AND CIVILISATION ד—DALETH
29CHAPTER I MAGIC AMONG BARBARIANS
30CHAPTER II INFLUENCE OF WOMEN
31CHAPTER III THE SALIC LAWS AGAINST SORCERERS
32CHAPTER IV LEGENDS OF THE REIGN OF CHARLEMAGNE
33CHAPTER V MAGICIANS
34CHAPTER VI SOME FAMOUS PROSECUTIONS
35CHAPTER VII SUPERSTITIONS RELATING TO THE DEVIL
36BOOK V THE ADEPTS AND THE PRIESTHOOD ה—HE
37CHAPTER I PRIESTS AND POPES ACCUSED OF MAGIC
38CHAPTER II APPEARANCE OF THE BOHEMIAN NOMADS
39CHAPTER III LEGEND AND HISTORY OF RAYMUND LULLY
40CHAPTER IV ON CERTAIN ALCHEMISTS
41CHAPTER V SOME FAMOUS SORCERERS AND MAGICIANS
42CHAPTER VI SOME MAGICAL PROSECUTIONS
43CHAPTER VII THE MAGICAL ORIGIN OF FREEMASONRY
44BOOK VI MAGIC AND THE REVOLUTION ו—VAU
45CHAPTER I REMARKABLE AUTHORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
46CHAPTER II THAUMATURGIC PERSONALITIES OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
47CHAPTER III PROPHECIES OF CAZOTTE
48CHAPTER IV THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
49CHAPTER V PHENOMENA OF MEDIOMANIA
50CHAPTER VI THE GERMAN ILLUMINATI