Tarrano the Conqueror (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. An Early Pulp Science Fiction Adventure of Planetary Conquest, Interplanetary War, and Futuristic DictatorshipBy Ray Cummings
Length8h 20m
About this audiobook
Tarrano the Conqueror is a vigorous early work of American scientific romance, unfolding a future Solar System of political intrigue, strange technologies, and imperial ambition. Centered on the charismatic and ruthless Tarrano, whose genius threatens Earth, Venus, and Mars alike, the novel combines adventure melodrama with speculative machinery, exotic planetary settings, and the moral anxieties of the interwar pulp imagination. Its style is rapid, theatrical, and inventive, reflecting the transitional moment when nineteenth-century romance was becoming modern science fiction. Ray Cummings, a formative figure in the development of pulp science fiction, brought to his fiction both technical curiosity and narrative exuberance. Having worked for Thomas Edison, he absorbed the era's faith in invention as a force capable of reshaping civilization. Cummings's best-known works often explore scale, power, and scientific wonder; in Tarrano, those interests converge in the figure of the superman-conqueror, a fantasy shadowed by contemporary fears of dictatorship and technological domination. Readers interested in the origins of science fiction will find Tarrano the Conqueror especially rewarding. Though its conventions are unmistakably pulp, its energy, imaginative scope, and historical significance make it a valuable encounter with the genre's early architecture.
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.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreScience Fiction
Length8 hrs 20 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateFeb 27, 2020
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
24Chapter XVIII. Passing of a Friend
2Introduction
25Chapter XIX. Waters of Eternal Peace
3Synopsis
26Chapter XX. Unseen Menace
4Historical Context
27Chapter XXI. Love, Music—and a Warning
5Tarrano the Conqueror
28Chapter XXII. Revolution!
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6Foreword
29Chapter XXIII. First Retreat
7Chapter I. The New Murders
30Chapter XXIV. Attack on the Palace
8Chapter II. Warning
31Chapter XXV. Immortal Terror
9Chapter III. Spy in the House
32Chapter XXVI. Black Cloud of Death
10Chapter IV. To the North Pole
33Chapter XXVII. Tarrano the Man
11Chapter V. Outlawed Flight
34Chapter XXVIII. Thing in the Forest
12Chapter VI. Man of Destiny
35Chapter XXIX. A Woman's Scream
13Chapter VII. Prisoners
36Chapter XXX. The Monster
14Chapter VIII. Unknown Friend
37Chapter XXXI. Industriana
15Chapter IX. Paralyzed!
38Chapter XXXII. Departure
16Chapter X. Georg Escapes
39Chapter XXXIII. First Assault
17Chapter XI. Recaptured
40Chapter XXXIV. Invisible Assailants
18Chapter XII. Tara
41Chapter XXXV. Attack on the Power House
19Chapter XIII. Love—and Hate
42Chapter XXXVI. City of Ice Besieged
20Chapter XIV. Defying Worlds
43Chapter XXXVII. Battle
21Chapter XV. Escape
44Analysis
22Chapter XVI. Playground of Venus
45Reflection
23Chapter XVII. Violet Beam of Death
46Memorable Quotes
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