A Voyage to Arcturus details from uread

“The greatest novel of the twentieth century" - Colin Wilson "One of the most brilliant flights of pure fancy ever recorded" – The Irish Times “Compelling, almost mesmerising influence.” - The Guardian "It's riven with passion and violence, and haunted by mystery." – Philip Pullman “Lindsay's engrossing book, a mixture of metaphysics and surreal dream-quest, stands as one of the great originals.” - Alan Moore "Masterpiece” - The Encyclopaedia of Fantasy “Brilliant and unique” - The Glasgow Herald Maskull, the story's hero, is transported from earth to planet Tormance in the distant star system of Arcturus, a place filled with the wondrous and the bizarre, and inhabitants like no other. Strange and new sense organs seem to grow naturally, and indeed prove necessary for survival. But they can also have hidden risks. The veil is constantly lifted as Maskull discovers truths within truths and the quest ends with an astounding revelation. Many describe it as the science fiction version of The Pilgrim's Progress, with an inward journey through a land of metaphorical landscapes and encounters representing a state of mind. A major underground novel of the 20th century, David Lindsay's mesmerising metaphysical masterwork is an attempt to define the very nature of good and evil in relation to human existence. David Lindsay was a Scottish fantasy writer whose work has been far more widely read and discussed after his death than it ever was during his lifetime. He belongs to the tradition of modern fantasy, as distinct from science-fiction, which has its pedigree in the writings of, amongst others, George Macdonald, and has been enhanced in the works of Charles Williams, Mervyn Peake and J. R. R. Tolkien. His obsession with the metaphysical world has earned him followers, but he remained a commercial failure throughout his life, thanks to his lack of understanding of the literary techniques and the commerce related to it. His seminal work, A Voyage to Arcturus has been a strong influence on writers like C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, and has placed him in the league of extraordinary fantasists of all time.