The Ship of Ishtar
A Babylonian Mythic Adventure of Forbidden Religion, Lost Worlds, Supernatural Romance, and Heroic SwordplayBy Abraham Merritt
Length8h 37m
About this audiobook
Abraham Merritt's *The Ship of Ishtar* (1926) is a richly imagined lost-world fantasy in which John Kenton, an American archaeologist, is transported through an ancient artifact into a supernatural Mesopotamian realm. There he encounters the goddess Ishtar, the warrior-priestess Sharane, rival gods, and contending forces of love, empire, and violence. Merritt combines archaeological speculation, mythic romance, occult adventure, and the "weird" atmosphere associated with early twentieth-century pulp fiction. Its elaborate world-building, sensuous imagery, archaic diction, and grand conflicts reflect both the popular fascination with ancient civilizations and the period's revival of epic and supernatural literature, while also revealing the Orientalist assumptions characteristic of its era. Merritt, a journalist, editor, and prolific writer of speculative fiction, drew upon his sustained interest in archaeology, comparative mythology, folklore, and esoteric traditions. Like his other fantasies, the novel transforms scholarly and occult materials into an escapist narrative of discovery, using the imagined past to explore desire, power, sacrifice, and the persistence of myth in the modern world. His journalistic experience is evident in the brisk pacing and vivid descriptive presentation, while his imaginative temperament gives the book its dreamlike scale and emotional intensity. Readers interested in the origins of modern fantasy, pulp adventure, mythic romance, or literary treatments of the ancient Near East will find *The Ship of Ishtar* especially rewarding. Though some cultural representations belong unmistakably to its historical moment, the novel remains compelling for its atmospheric prose, imaginative audacity, and fusion of archaeological mystery with epic supernatural drama.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.6 (669)
Includes Goodreads
GenreFantasy, Fairy Tales and Folklore
Length8 hrs 37 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJun 13, 2018
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1A Journey to the Centre of the Earth & The Mysterious Island (Illustrated) (Annotated)
2016. How The Ship Was Manned
2PART I
2117. They Seek Sorcerers’ Isle
31. The Coming of the Ship
22PART IV
42. The First Adventure
2318. In the Sorcerers’ City
53. The Ship Returns
2419. The Lord Of The Two Deaths
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6PART II
2520. Behind The Wall
74. The Sin of Zarpanit
2621. Before The Altar Of Bel
85. How The Gods Judged
2722. How Narada Danced
96. “Am I Not — Woman!”
28PART V
107. Slave Of The Ship
2923. Dancer and Priest
118. The Tale Of Sigurd
3024. The Gods — And Man’s Desire
129. The Bargaining Of Sharane
3125. In The Bower Of Bel
1310. On The Ship A-Sailing
3226. The Passing Of Zubran
1411. Gigi Snaps The Chains
3327. How They Fared Back To The Ship
1512. Master Of The Ship:
3428. The Vision Of Kenton
1613. Master Of — Sharane!
3529. How The Strife Was Ended
17PART III
3630. The Last Battle
1814. The Black Priest Strikes
37PART VI: 31. The Ship Goes
1915. Down The Rope Of Sound
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