A Voyage to Arcturus [Paperback]

David Lindsay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 8, 2008

A Voyage to Arcturus is a novel by Scottish writer David Lindsay. First published in 1920, it combines fantasy, philosophy, and science fiction in an exploration of the nature of good and evil and their relationship with existence. The book has been described by the critic and philosopher Colin Wilson as the "greatest novel of the twentieth century," and it was a central influence on C. S. Lewis's Space Trilogy. The strange lands visited in the novel represent philosophical systems, or states of mind, through which the main character, Maskull, passes on his search for the meaning of life. Longing for adventure, Maskull accepts an invitation from Krag, an acquaintance of his friend Nightspore, to travel to Tormance. The three set off from an abandoned observatory in Scotland, but Maskull finds himself alone on Tormance, a planet of Arcturus. In every land he passes through, he usually meets only one or two people, and these meetings often end in their deaths. Then, learning of his own impending death, he meets Krag again but learns that he himself is Nightspore. The book concludes with a final revelation from Krag (who claims to be known on Earth as "pain") to Nightspore about the nature and origin of the Universe.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Calvinist mysticism, triple-distilled, is the dangerous juice that fuels this blazingly strange Scottish rocket-ship of a novel from 1920... brilliant... unique... --The Glasgow Herald --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

<DIV>David Lindsay's other books include The Haunted Woman, Sphinx, and Devil's Tor. John Clute is the coeditor of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and the author of Look at the Evidence: Essays & Reviews.</DIV> --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: Waking Lion Press (January 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1434102238
• ISBN-13: 978-1434102232
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,550,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique proto-sci-fi psychodrama; brilliant descriptive prose, February 12, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Sydney,Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voyage to Arcturus (Fantastic fiction library) (Paperback)

I was handed this book years ago by a friend at school, who had in turn been given it by another. I read it, passed it on to a friend and later found out that it was then read by several others before being lost without trace. It is an unforgettable book, extraordinarily rich in imaginative and descriptive brilliance, about one man's journey through a far-away world which may in fact be the mirror of his own psyche. While the writing can be at times turgid, it is more often inspired; the author has a great gift for description, and the various tableaux he describes remind one of the best bits of Tolkien, although perhaps even more evocative. But this is no "Lord of the Rings". Rather than enacting a classic tale of epic heroism, Lindsay takes us on a gripping journey through a planet where good and evil are not only locked in struggle, but cloaked in impenetrable disguise. It is the hero Maskull's task to unmask the truth, and thereby attain his own redemption. The real genius of this book lies in its ability to defy prediction. At no stage does the reader have the slightest inkling of where the narrative might be heading, or how the threads might eventually tie up; but one is nevertheless compelled to read on. A definite must-read for all sci-fi and fantasy buffs; would also be enjoyed by visual artists, psychoanalysts, anyone interested in pagan religion, or just anyone who likes great descriptive writing.

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The world through sharpened sight, January 6, 2001

By 

Philip Challinor - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Voyage to Arcturus (Paperback)

David Lindsay is one of the twentieth century's greatest and least appreciated geniuses. This, his first book, is also his best known, although it's debatable whether the science-fiction/Tolkien-fantasy crowd, into whose hands it has generally fallen, quite have the measure of its overarching ambition and audacious vision. Tormance, a planet of the star Arcturus, is a young world where raw particles of life flow and are trapped in the creations of Crystalman, the god of the visible world. Maskull, a human being, comes to Tormance from Earth and embarks upon an epic journey towards Muspel, the source of all genuine life, which is in constant danger from Crystalman's vulgar machinations. Maskull meets a succession of characters whose various philosophies and points of view represent the stages of his own spiritual progress, until finally he sheds his "Maskull" (mask, shell) self and awakes to the truth which Crystalman's world keeps hidden. The fight goes on, a fight in which pain is an ally and "nothing will be done without the bloodiest blows." This summary cannot begin to convey the complexity of this work nor do justice to its vast scope or the astounding variety of its invention. As he travels through the book's epic landscapes Maskull constantly mutates, growing new eyes, new arms and new organs, seeing new colours and encountering a member of a third sex. Almost everyone he meets soon dies, killed either by Maskull himself or by their own inability to evolve as he does - bloodiest blows indeed. Lindsay's prose is pedestrian and often clumsy, but always clear and never verbose; the story moves quickly, its most complex ideas given concrete shape rather than conveyed through abstract discussion. A Voyage to Arcturus is neither science fiction nor fantasy, but a vision in words, as raw, bleak and powerful as a Scottish mountain. The problems it raises are deathly serious and forever immediate.

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth Searching/Waiting For, January 7, 2001

By 

A. Wolverton (Crofton, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Voyage to Arcturus (Paperback)

David Lindsay's "A Voyage to Arcturus" is difficult to categorize. The book has been labeled "Science Fiction/Fantasy," but it is much more. The novel's hero/Everyman Maskull starts out on a journey to the planet Tormance, but is quickly separated from his two traveling companions. Maskull's journey takes him on an unusual search for the discovery of the truths of the planet and of his own being. He meets several unusual but memorable characters who are so interesting they could each become the subjects of their own novels. The entire book deals with a search for the truth and the struggle between good and evil...and it's not always easy to distinguish which character is on which side.

This is a vast over-simplification of the story. The novel is rich, bold, and imaginative. The reader has absolutely no idea what is about to happen next as the story moves. I found the unpredictability (especially in light of current novels) very refreshing. Several reviewers are hoping for a film version of the book. Some novels should never reach the screen and this is one of them. First, no studio could produce the special effects necessary to bring the novel to the screen without cheapening the story. Second, I don't want to see George Clooney running around attempting to contemplate the meaning of life while playing a caricature of Maskull. Don't wait for the movie...read the novel and enjoy.