The Status Civilization (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Sci-Fi NovelBy Robert Sheckley
Length6h 17m
About this audiobook
In The Status Civilization, Robert Sheckley constructs a sharp dystopian satire around Will Barrent, an amnesiac condemned to Omega, a prison planet where criminality is not merely tolerated but codified as social advancement. The novel's brisk, ironic prose and episodic structure expose the absurd logic of hierarchies built on violence, fear, and ritualized transgression. Situated within mid-twentieth-century science fiction's anxieties about conformity, bureaucracy, and social engineering, it combines adventure with philosophical critique. Sheckley, one of the most incisive satirists of the American science-fiction boom, was renowned for turning speculative premises into mordant examinations of human institutions. His experiences in postwar America, his service in the army, and his work during an era marked by Cold War paranoia and mass consumer culture all inform the novel's suspicion of official virtue. Like much of his fiction, this book distrusts systems that define morality for their own convenience. Readers drawn to dystopian fiction, social satire, and intellectually agile science fiction will find The Status Civilization both entertaining and unsettling. It is recommended for those who value speculative narratives that move quickly while asking enduring questions about freedom, guilt, punishment, and the manufactured nature of respectability.
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, Dystopia
Length6 hrs 17 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateAug 1, 2019
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
20Chapter Sixteen
2Introduction
21Chapter Seventeen
3Synopsis
22Chapter Eighteen
4Historical Context
23Chapter Nineteen
5Chapter One
24Chapter Twenty
Show all chaptersShow less
6Chapter Two
25Chapter Twenty-One
7Chapter Three
26Chapter Twenty-Two
8Chapter Four
27Chapter Twenty-Three
9Chapter Five
28Chapter Twenty-Four
10Chapter Six
29Chapter Twenty-Five
11Chapter Seven
30Chapter Twenty-Six
12Chapter Eight
31Chapter Twenty-Seven
13Chapter Nine
32Chapter Twenty-Eight
14Chapter Ten
33Chapter Twenty-Nine
15Chapter Eleven
34Chapter Thirty
16Chapter Twelve
35Analysis
17Chapter Thirteen
36Reflection
18Chapter Fourteen
37Memorable Quotes
19Chapter Fifteen
More from Robert Sheckley
The Greatest Works of Jules VerneJules Verne246h 57m$2 · $0.00
Judgment DayRick Partlow10h 44m$20
ViniumS. H. Jucha14h 7m$23
AdventSeth Ring13h 20m$27
Sons of War 4: SoldiersNicholas Sansbury Smith, Tom Abrahams12h 54m$25
Hell to PayMichael Anderle7h 50m$20
A Civil CampaignLois McMaster Bujold18h 49m$32
Warrior’s FateWalt Browning10h 37m$20
The RisenErica Stevens10h 17m$20
100 Years to ExtinctionPeter Solomon14h 48m$27
Amazing Tales Volume 1Max Williams et al.4h 5m$2.30
H. G. Wells: Collected Works (Annotated)H. G. Wells427h 28m$2 · $0.00
Scars of RebellionAnthony J. Melchiorri12h 56m$25
The Galaxy, and the Ground WithinBecky Chambers9h 56m$29 · $0.00
AvengerBlair Howard9h 54m$23
Core’s AttackS.E. Smith5h 57m$17
TimelessR. A. Salvatore12h 30m$33 · $0.00
The Extinction New Zealand Series Box SetAdrian J. Smith23h 7m$30
The Quantum ChainNick Jones12h 59m$23
Thud!Terry Pratchett12h 29m$8 · $0.00
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd & The HollowAgatha Christie14h 6m$33 · $0.00
Les MisérablesVictor Hugo57h 49m$35
The Lincoln MoonMichael Price Nelson7h 38m$17
The Rose CodeKate Quinn16h 2m2 (1)$33 · $0.00
Crack in the SkyTerry C. Johnston21h 57m$35
The Castilian PomegranateAnna Belfrage15h 35m$23
My Dear HamiltonStephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie23h 7m$46 · $0.00
Sweet Home Highland ChristmasMay McGoldrick, Jan Coffey2h 54m$7 · $0.00
Better Lucky and GoodLarry Jeram-Croft8h 7m$23
Red ClayCharles B. Fancher10h 35m$25
Philip K. Dick: SF Boxed SetPhilip K. Dick29h 38m$1 · $0.00
The Act of DisappearingNathan Gower12h 23m$8 · $0.00
Beyond the Crescent SkyA. L. Sowards13h 6m$27
The Consequences of FearJacqueline Winspear10h 28m$29 · $0.00
At the Foot of the Cherry Tree: The bestselling, heart-warming novel based on a true story of forbidden love & heartbreak SHORTLISTED FOR THE DYMOCKS 2023 BOOK OF THE YEARAlli Parker10h 8m$29 · $0.00
When Nietzsche WeptIrvin D. Yalom MD15h 26m$23
The Oceans and the StarsMark Helprin21h 37m$30
The Extinction Cycle Boxed Set, Books 1–3Nicholas Sansbury Smith25h 30m$30
Presidential MissionUpton Sinclair26h 46m$40
Missions from the Extinction Cycle, Vol. 2Amanda J. Spedding, Geoff Brown, Michael Patrick Hicks, G. Michael Hopf, Rachel Aukes, Eloise J. Knapp, various authors, Nicholas Sansbury Smith11h 34m$23
You may also like
The Status CivilizationRobert Sheckley5h 24m$2.30
An Unkindness of GhostsRivers Solomon11h 53m$23 · $0.00
The Last Place On Earth and five more storiesJim Harmon4h 45m$2.30
Destination: VoidFrank Herbert9h 43m$17
The Ticket That ExplodedWilliam S. Burroughs9h 24m$20
A Tranquil StarPrimo Levi3h 53m$15 · $0.00
GOING NOWHERE? – Perchance to Dream & The Guardians (Dystopian Classics) (Annotated)Richard Stockham, Irving E. Cox1h 35m$2 · $0.00
The York Problem And Four More StoriesHerbert D. Kastle2h 44m$2.30
FreesetSarina Dahlan11h 4m$25
Far FuturesGreg Bear, Donald Kingsbury, Poul Anderson, Joe Haldeman, Charles Sheffield16h 52m$23
To Live ForeverJack Vance7h 49m$20
WeYevgeny Zamyatin9h 12m$29 · $0.00
The Status CivilizationRobert Sheckley5h$10 · $0.00
The Status CivilizationRobert Sheckley5h 24m$2.30
BlindsightMatt Johnson PhD, Prince Ghuman9h$20 · $0.00
Against the Written WordIan F. Svenonius6h 3m$17 · $0.00
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol. 2-BIsaac Asimov, Jack Vance, others22h 43m$25
AnthemAyn Rand2h 12m$10 · $0.00
Amazing Tales Volume 8Fritz Leiber et al.3h 56m$2.30
Eyes Wide OpenNoreena Hertz8h 43m$26 · $0.00