Rocket Launch (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Space Travel Stories: Takeoff, The Rocket of 1955, Theory of RocketryBy Cyril M. Kornbluth
Length7h 47m
About this audiobook
Rocket Launch is a compact work of speculative fiction that turns the technological drama of spaceflight into a study of human expectation, institutional pressure, and modern mythmaking. Kornbluth's prose is characteristically brisk, sardonic, and exact, favoring sharp implication over ornament. Set within the literary climate of mid-twentieth-century science fiction, the book belongs to the era's fascination with rockets and conquest of space, yet it resists simple celebration by exposing the anxieties beneath scientific progress. Cyril M. Kornbluth, a central figure among the Futurians and one of American science fiction's most incisive satirists, brought to his work a precocious intelligence and a deep suspicion of social complacency. His wartime service, Depression-era youth, and collaborations with writers such as Frederik Pohl helped sharpen his sense of bureaucracy, propaganda, and technological ambition—concerns that naturally inform a story built around a rocket's symbolic ascent. Readers interested in classic science fiction will find Rocket Launch valuable not merely as a period piece, but as a pointed meditation on progress itself. It is recommended for those who appreciate concise, intelligent speculative writing with social bite.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
Audiobook details
GenreScience Fiction
Length7 hrs 47 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateFeb 26, 2020
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
16CHAPTER IX.
2Introduction
17CHAPTER X.
3Historical Context
18CHAPTER XI.
4Synopsis (Selection)
19CHAPTER XII.
5Takeoff
20CONCLUSION
Show all chaptersShow less
6PART I.
21CHAPTER XIII.
7CHAPTER I.
22CHAPTER XIV.
8CHAPTER II.
23CHAPTER XV.
9CHAPTER III.
24CHAPTER XVI.
10CHAPTER IV.
25CHAPTER XVII.
11CHAPTER V.
26The Rocket of 1955
12CHAPTER VI.
27Theory of Rocketry
13PART II.
28Analysis
14CHAPTER VII.
29Reflection
15CHAPTER VIII.
30Memorable Quotes
Takeoff (Annotated)Cyril M. Kornbluth7h 13m$2 · $0.00
Two Dooms: Two Dystopian Novels (Illustrated) (Annotated)Cyril M. Kornbluth, Frederik Pohl10h 37m$2 · $0.00
Search the Sky (Annotated)Cyril M. Kornbluth, Frederik Pohl7h 6m3.4 (527)$2 · $0.00
The Naked StormCyril M. Kornbluth7h 2m$2 · $0.00
Wolfbane (Illustrated) (Annotated)Cyril M. Kornbluth, Frederik Pohl5h 1m3.8 (741)$2 · $0.00
The Best Short Stories by Cyril M. Kornbluth (Illustrated Edition) (Annotated)Cyril M. Kornbluth12h 10m$2 · $0.00
TakeoffCyril M. Kornbluth6h 19m2.9 (30)$2 · $0.00
A Mile Beyond the MoonCyril M. Kornbluth6h 56m3.5 (332)$2 · $0.00
The Syndic (Illustrated) (Annotated)Cyril M. Kornbluth6h 37m$2 · $0.00
Takeoff (Sci-Fi Classic)Cyril M. Kornbluth7h 2m2.9 (30)$1 · $0.00
The Greatest Sci-Fi Books - Cyril M. Kornbluth EditionCyril M. Kornbluth, Frederik Pohl37h 11m$1 · $0.00
Reap the Dark Tide (Sci-Fi Classic)Cyril M. Kornbluth1h 28m$1 · $0.00
Wolfbane (Sci-Fi Classic)Cyril M. Kornbluth, Frederik Pohl4h 51m3.7 (1.4K)$1 · $0.00
The Essential Works of Cyril M. KornbluthCyril M. Kornbluth36h 20m4.0 (59)$2 · $0.00
Reap the Dark Tide (Annotated)Cyril M. Kornbluth2h 20m$2 · $0.00
The Sci-Fi Stories - Cyril M. Kornbluth EditionCyril M. Kornbluth11h 59m$2 · $0.00
Not This August (Christmas Eve) (Annotated)Cyril M. Kornbluth7h 5m3.5 (207)$2 · $0.00
Two DoomsCyril M. Kornbluth, Frederik Pohl10h 25m3.9 (60)$2 · $0.00
SF Boxed Set - Cyril M. Kornbluth Edition (Annotated)Cyril M. Kornbluth37h 19m$2 · $0.00
A Civil CampaignLois McMaster Bujold18h 49m4.5 (30.4K)$32
Warrior’s FateWalt Browning10h 37m4.5 (1.6K)$20
The RisenErica Stevens10h 17m4.5 (1.2K)$20
100 Years to ExtinctionPeter Solomon14h 48m4.8 (62)$27
Amazing Tales Volume 1Max Williams et al.4h 5m4.7 (183)$2.30
Scars of RebellionAnthony J. Melchiorri12h 56m4.6 (347)$25
The Galaxy, and the Ground WithinBecky Chambers9h 56m4.5 (55.2K)$29 · $0.00
AvengerBlair Howard9h 54m4.5 (2.5K)$23
Core’s AttackS.E. Smith5h 57m4.5 (2.1K)$17
TimelessR. A. Salvatore12h 30m4.5 (8K)$33 · $0.00
The Extinction New Zealand Series Box SetAdrian J. Smith23h 7m4.5 (1.3K)$30
The Quantum ChainNick Jones12h 59m4.5 (6K)$23
Thud!Terry Pratchett12h 29m4.4 (108.4K)$8 · $0.00
We’re AliveKc Wayland5h 10m4.5 (4.3K)$15
Science Fiction & Fantasy CollectionH. P. Lovecraft16h 32m4.5 (2.7K)$2 · $0.00
GhostdriftSuzanne Palmer13h 38m4.5 (862)$27
Before the Coffee Gets Cold: A Toshikazu Kawaguchi Book SetToshikazu Kawaguchi18h 55m4.5 (1.4K)$40 · $0.00
The Twilight Zone Companion, Second EditionMarc Scott Zicree16h 46m4.5 (1.8K)$28 · $0.00
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol. 1, 1929–1964Robert A. Heinlein, others, Arthur C. Clarke28h 8m4.4 (12.2K)$30
Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen (Annotated)H. Beam Piper8h 23m4.5 (1.6K)$2 · $0.00
You may also like
Across the Airless WildsEarl Swift10h 8m4.3 (1.3K)$29 · $0.00
One ClickRichard L. Brandt5h 36m3.8 (8.7K)$14 · $0.00
SpacefarersChristopher Wanjek12h 1m4.1 (471)$23
Mission to MarsBuzz Aldrin4h 47m3.9 (1.7K)$17
The First Men in the MoonH. G. Wells7h 47m3.9 (22.9K)$6 · $0.00
LiftoffEric Berger9h 4m4.6 (9.5K)$29 · $0.00
The MissionDavid W. Brown15h 17m4.1 (1.2K)$33 · $0.00
The Moon-VoyageJules Verne12h 41m3.8 (40.4K)$2.30 · $0.00
Galaxy GirlsLibby Jackson3h 8m4.4 (870)$18 · $0.00
The First Men in the MoonH. G. Wells7h 32m3.8 (29.1K)$1.20 · $0.00
Escaping GravityLori Garver10h 54m4.2 (2.2K)$20 · $0.00
American MoonshotDouglas Brinkley17h 13m4.3 (5K)$40 · $0.00
Graphic Films Collection - woman in the moon – act 2G. B. Royer7m$11 · $0.00
A plasma chemistry study on global model for argon gas as a propellant to electrostatic gridded ion thrusterBernardo Vieira Magaldi2h 15m$22 · $0.00
Mars: Our New Home? - National Plan to Conquer the Red Planet (Official Strategies of NASA & U.S. Congress) (Annotated)National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S. Congress6h 12m$0.99 · $0.00
Other WorldsGarrett Putman Serviss5h 14m3.8 (48)$2.30
Graphic Films Collection - woman in the moon – act 1G. B. Royer7m$11 · $0.00
Thinking An Warp DriveEdson Schenkel1h 11m$30 · $0.00
Mars: Our New Home?National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S. Congress5h 38m$2 · $0.00
Strange New WorldsRay Jayawardhana6h 39m3.9 (489)$20