The Sky Is Falling (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Science Fiction NovelBy Lester del Rey
Length4h 40m
About this audiobook
The Sky Is Falling is a brisk, inventive fantasy-science fiction hybrid in which Lester del Rey sends a twentieth-century man into a remote future where the categories of magic, religion, and technology have collapsed into one another. Its central premise—the threatened disintegration of the heavens—allows del Rey to stage an adventure of cosmic urgency while also satirizing credulity, priestcraft, and the fragile authority of "rational" knowledge. Written in the clear, propulsive idiom of mid-century magazine fiction, the book belongs to that fertile period when American speculative writing freely crossed pulp adventure with philosophical speculation. Lester del Rey, born Ramón Felipe Alvarez-del Rey, was one of the shaping figures of American science fiction: writer, editor, critic, and later a major force in publishing. His fiction often reflects a practical fascination with engineering, survival, belief systems, and the human need to make sense of catastrophe. In The Sky Is Falling, those concerns converge in a tale where scientific habits of mind become both a tool of liberation and a source of comic misunderstanding. Readers who enjoy classic speculative fiction, especially works that blend lost-world romance, future history, and ironic social commentary, will find this novel rewarding. It is concise, imaginative, and historically revealing: a compact example of del Rey's gift for making large metaphysical questions move with the speed of adventure.
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
Rating★★★★ 4.1 (23)
Includes Amazon
GenreFantasy, Science Fiction
Length4 hrs 40 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJul 3, 2019
LanguageEnglish
A Trip to the Red Plane (Annotated)Lester del Rey9h 21m$2 · $0.00
The Stars Look Down (Illustrated) (Annotated)Lester del Rey5h 51m$2 · $0.00
Victory (Annotated)Lester del Rey2h 49m$2 · $0.00
Police Your Planet (Annotated)Lester del Rey5h 54m3.5 (685)$2 · $0.00
I Am Tomorrow - Lester del Rey Collection (Annotated)Lester del Rey21h 36m$2 · $0.00
Badge of Infamy (Annotated)Lester del Rey4h 25m3.5 (275)$2 · $0.00
The Invasion From Above (Annotated)Lester del Rey4h 53m$2 · $0.00
LESTER DEL REY - Boxed Set (Illustrated Edition)Lester del Rey22h 2m$2 · $0.00
Badge of Infamy (Pandemic Sci-Fi Classic)Lester del Rey4h 16m3.7 (417)$1 · $0.00
The Sky Is FallingLester Del Rey3h 38m3.4 (209)$2 · $0.00
Police Your PlanetLester Del Rey3h 53m3.4 (795)$2 · $0.00
Pursuit (Sci-Fi Classic)Lester del Rey2h 45m3.2 (37)$1 · $0.00
PursuitLester Del Rey1h 56m3.2 (37)$1 · $0.00
A Trip to the Red Planet: Police Your Planet & Badge of InfamyLester del Rey9h 9m$1 · $0.00
Let'em Breathe Space (Annotated)Lester del Rey2h 50m4.2 (11)$1.99 · $0.00
Police Your Planet (Sci-Fi Classic)Lester del Rey5h 43m3.5 (684)$2 · $0.00
The Invasion From Above: Pursuit &VictoryLester del Rey4h 44m$2 · $0.00
LESTER DEL REY - Boxed Set (Illustrated Edition) (Annotated)Lester del Rey21h 35m3.5 (16)$1.99 · $0.00
Badge of Infamy & The Sky Is Falling (Annotated)Lester del Rey8h 7m$1.99 · $0.00
Demon CopperheadBarbara Kingsolver21h 3m4.5 (949.4K)$46 · $0.00
Remarkably Bright CreaturesShelby Van Pelt11h 17m4.4 (1.7M)$29 · $0.00
Before the Coffee Gets Cold: A Toshikazu Kawaguchi Book SetToshikazu Kawaguchi18h 55m4.5 (1.4K)$40 · $0.00
The Song of AchillesMadeline Miller11h 15m4.3 (2.3M)$29 · $0.00
The Left and the LuckyWilly Vlautin6h 40m4.4 (1.1K)$24 · $0.00
Hunt of the DragonJuliette Cross9h 46m4.4 (736)$20
Deadly GameChristine Feehan13h 20m4.3 (15.8K)$30
The Leo Tolstoy CollectionLeo Tolstoy9h 1m4.5 (4.9K)$12 · $0.00
Sword and ShadowMichelle Sagara16h 51m4.5 (2.2K)$40 · $0.00
A Tree Grows in BrooklynBetty Smith14h 55m4.4 (577.6K)$33 · $0.00
Dark GuardianChristine Feehan12h 32m4.5 (26.3K)$33 · $0.00
The Neil Gaiman ReaderNeil Gaiman27h 3m4.5 (3.2K)$53 · $0.00
The HobbitJ. R. R. Tolkien10h 51m4.4 (4.9M)$12 · $0.00
Bad HabitAlana S. Portero5h 37m4.4 (52.3K)$24 · $0.00
Science Fiction & Fantasy CollectionH. P. Lovecraft16h 32m4.5 (2.7K)$2 · $0.00
The Undead PoolKim Harrison16h 13m4.4 (34.6K)$33 · $0.00
The Edge of DawnBeverly Jenkins10h 15m4.5 (1.1K)$29 · $0.00
The Tapestry of FateShannon Chakraborty20h 2m4.4 (3.4K)$46 · $0.00
The Lack of LightNino Haratischwili26h 20m4.4 (9.2K)$53 · $0.00
My Dear HamiltonStephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie23h 7m4.4 (63.6K)$46 · $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
Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen (Annotated)H. Beam Piper8h 23m4.5 (1.6K)$2 · $0.00
Philip K. Dick: SF Boxed SetPhilip K. Dick29h 38m4.5 (608)$1 · $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
You may also like
Warriors: Omen of the Stars #6: The Last HopeErin Hunter8h 41m4.6 (20.2K)$4 · $0.00
The Faerie Path #4: The Immortal RealmFrewin Jones9h 41m4.0 (3.5K)$29 · $0.00
Alvin JourneymanOrson Scott Card15h 2m3.9 (19.8K)$20
Seven Wonders Book 4: The Curse of the KingPeter Lerangis7h 21m4.2 (4.2K)$24 · $0.00
The Magician's NephewC. S. Lewis3h 56m4.2 (627.9K)$20 · $0.00
Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Book of AnansiAngie Thomas13h 18m4.6 (328)$33 · $0.00
Tales of an 8-Bit Kitten: Lost in the NetherCube Kid4h 12m4.5 (2.8K)$15
The Marked GirlLindsey Klingele10h 44m3.7 (2K)$29 · $0.00
The Faerie PathFrewin Jones8h 27m3.7 (12.7K)$26 · $0.00
A Most Puzzling MurderBianca Marais15h 20m3.5 (1.6K)$33 · $0.00
The Darkwood ChroniclesAnthea Sharp59h 34m4.4 (448)$35 · $0.00
The Lost GateOrson Scott Card12h 22m3.9 (33.8K)$23
Fatal RevenantStephen R. Donaldson32h 42m4.0 (7.2K)$30
The Lost Wonderland DiariesJ. Scott Savage9h 18m4.2 (962)$20
Summoning ShenanigansChris Moushon15h 38m4.5 (1.5K)$30
Three Dark CrownsKendare Blake9h 52m3.9 (163.8K)$29 · $0.00
The Wicked Will RiseDanielle Paige9h 5m4.0 (43.6K)$29 · $0.00
Heir of ProphecyAnaleigh Sbrana16h 30m4.1 (287)$33 · $0.00
The Seventh SunLani Forbes10h 24m3.9 (2.8K)$20
Bamboo Kingdom #1: Creatures of the FloodErin Hunter6h 55m4.2 (1.4K)$24 · $0.00