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
Before the Coffee Gets Cold: A Toshikazu Kawaguchi Book SetToshikazu Kawaguchi18h 55m4.5 (1.4K)$40 · $0.00
PRIMAL 2055 - EscapeJack Silkstone6h 47m4.4 (232)$14 · $0.00
Magician's EndRaymond E. Feist17h 5m4.4 (21.7K)$40 · $0.00
Good OmensNeil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett12h 14m4.4 (1M)$29 · $0.00
The Emperor's FistJay Allan8h 37m4.5 (272)$26 · $0.00
The DispossessedUrsula K. Le Guin13h 26m4.4 (189.3K)$33 · $0.00
1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four)George Orwell11h 10m4.3 (5.3M)$7 · $0.00
Lost ValleyWalt Browning7h 47m4.3 (5.4K)$20 · $0.00
The Best of H. G. Wells: The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine & The Invisible ManH. G. Wells14h 58m4.3 (3K)$2 · $0.00
AgincourtBernard Cornwell16h 18m4.3 (41.4K)$40 · $0.00
Frankenstein (The Uncensored 1818 Edition) (Annotated)Mary Shelley9h 25m4.3 (1.7M)$3 · $0.00
The World Wasn't Ready for YouJustin C. Key11h 34m4.4 (812)$5 · $0.00
Godzilla vs. KongGreg Keyes10h 32m4.3 (1.4K)$20 · $0.00
Alas, Babylon (Annotated)Pat Frank12h 32m4.3 (11.6K)$2 · $0.00
Day of WrathWilliam R. Forstchen4h 36m4.3 (1.9K)$14 · $0.00
StargodsIan Douglas12h 15m4.4 (732)$5 · $0.00
Two Plays for VoicesNeil Gaiman2h 4m4.3 (1K)$16 · $0.00
The Mysterious IslandJules Verne22h 13m4.2 (87.3K)$2 · $0.00
March UpcountryDavid Weber, John Ringo17h 17m4.2 (17.1K)$28 · $0.00
Freedom’s FireBobby Adair7h 50m4.3 (7.6K)$20 · $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
MicromegasVoltaire48m3.9 (8.6K)$2.30
When the Heavens Went on SaleAshlee Vance18h 20m4.4 (3K)$40 · $0.00
All Around the MoonJules Verne11h 27m3.8 (10K)$1.20 · $0.00
The Universe in the Light of Modern PhysicsMax Planck3h 40m4.1 (787)$1 · $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$1.99 · $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