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The City at World's End

Author:
Edmond Hamilton
Read by:
Mark Nelson
Read Read Own Own

Unabridged Audiobook

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Ratings
Book
330
Narrator
132
Release Date
January 1, 2011
Duration
7 hours 8 minutes
Summary
A surprise nuclear war may cause the End of the World, but not the way anyone could have imagined. A classic science fiction tale from Galaxy Magazine.
Reviews
Profile Avatar Apr 2018

Very good book, excellent narrator. I’m actually very surprised no one has made this into a movie yet. This is exactly how an audiobook should be!

Profile Avatar Ken B. Jun 2018

love the narration. and yes this book should be made into a movie. I love how narrator brought the characters to life.

Profile Avatar Judith M. Sep 2021

I like the 1950’s vibe of this novel and how it creates dissonance when it throws the inhabitants of Middletown into the far future. The stereotyping of the sexes may grate on a nerve or two but it is a great insight into people’s mindset, xenophobia, and how change creates and separates the strong and the weak. It showed maculine weakness v. feminine strength also. I also really liked how it showed how quickly young people adapt.

Profile Avatar acacia colter Nov 2020

like this book I love how they think all women you will go into hysterics

Profile Avatar Sherry L. Mar 2024

I gave this book for stars as I enjoyed The story. It’s not one of those amazing books, but as it was a freebie book, using my VIP Credit, I felt it was well worse, it. It was a completely different spin on a sci-fi story, wish I found refreshing. The narrator was brilliant. I’m really brought the story alive.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Dec 2021

This is one of the most subtly sexist, chauvinistic books I have read. Women have ‘simple, frightened brains’ and are girls, and men go out and save the day. So sad and boring…Would be funny, never. Story line is basic. Writing is basic. Plot is predictable. 2/5.

Profile Avatar Anonymous May 2019

First of all, I’m planning on listening to more stories read by Mark Nelson the narrator. He is excellent! I’m glad you can click on his name to see what else he has done. That aside this was an enjoyable book in both dialogue and the plot. The writing style felt older, which I enjoy. No stereotypical tech was described to make it like any other modern sci-fi story. Instead you were left imagining how things worked, much like the protagonist. A very good listen!

Profile Avatar Carol B. Sep 2024

I really enjoyed this audio book. The story took me by surprise because of the events that unfolded. I want to listen to more from this author.

Profile Avatar James W. Jul 2024

Interesting concept, a well-told story, and the best Librivox narrator I've heard thus far.

Profile Avatar pjbfsc Apr 2024

Over all a enjoyable book, a few twists and turns

Profile Avatar Anonymous Apr 2024

I really enjoyed this book.

Profile Avatar Sharon W. Feb 2024

Great adventure and the writing was clever and creative.

Profile Avatar Steve H. Jun 2023

Great classic story!

Profile Avatar Joyce M. Jun 2023

Loved this made me believe I was there.

Profile Avatar Brian S. Mar 2023

excellent easy to follow

Profile Avatar Rachael L. Mar 2023

Interesting premise, but the extreme sexism finally got to me after two hours in.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Feb 2023

Wonderful story and the narrator was excellent

Profile Avatar Jamie S. Jan 2023

Exceptionally well narrated, I give this title three stars because it is competently written. I give it only three stars because the story is a misogynist's vision of utopia. The hero is the embodiment of 1950s male virtue, arrogant but insecure, long on platitudes about the rule of law but readily willing to use violence to accomplish his goals and accountable only to his own shifting conscience. The impotence of the galactic government is beyond comprehension, the victory of bravado complete. As science fiction, it sets aside science altogether, from dismissing the necessity of stars in setting habitable conditions to ignoring the self-defeating nature of a nuclear reaction based on iron (which produces less energy than it consumes) to the absurd notion that a planet deprived of heat for a million years -- yes, ONE MILLION years -- will nonetheless spontaneously sprout grass within a few weeks of renewed warmth. Lip service paid to popular self-determination is a weak cover here for a world in which the scientists do whatever they want, law and opinion be damned, and if a woman is in authority, well, the right and proper thing to do is apparently to grab her and shake until she is back in her proper place. There's an interesting premise here, but to read "City at World's End" is to observe the heroes making endless ridiculous choices that should doom everyone only to keep coming out ahead. When he changes his tune 180 degrees, as he does several times, reality itself reorients so that he just keeps winning. I guess that, for a man with technical training and self-assurance in the 1950s, that's how the world might have seemed. Reading it today, it's silly.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Jan 2023

Such an interesting and awesome concept. However, I found the people's reactions extremely illogical and unlikely to ever happen. When you're faced with zero survivable options except one, you don't choose to die and fight those trying to save you, you choose to live no matter how new or scary that might be. I also found the ending with his wife very disappointing. The people's reactions and the way the story ended completely ruined the book in my opinion. Don't waste your time.

Profile Avatar GilbertMouse Nov 2022

Interesting and strange storyline utilizing space/time continuum and nuclear weapons. The narrator, Mark Nelson, gives the story more heft and depth as he does in all that he narrates. Certainly worth a listen.

Profile Avatar Keith Oct 2022

Great story for a long drive, but loses its way a little in the last hour

Profile Avatar Steebruh Oct 2022

Any books like this ?

Profile Avatar Anonymous Aug 2022

Loved it! Like a classic science fiction movie!

Profile Avatar Eric C. Aug 2022

Excellent narrator! The story was short and sweet, and definitely intriguing! A pleasant read overall.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Jun 2022

love the old books

Profile Avatar Charlie J. Jun 2022

I Loved it!

Profile Avatar Lia M. Jun 2022

A really good book! I wished it was longer.

Profile Avatar Karolina M. Jan 2022

Amusing story, splendit narrator.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Nov 2021

Really good old SiFi, have to laugh at the references and tech of the time. Really enjoyed it

Profile Avatar Kim K. Nov 2021

Excellent story and narration. Really puts the times into perspective.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Oct 2021

Excellent book and great quality narration. Nailed the voices for each character

Profile Avatar Jacyn G. Jun 2021

Great Book, kept us interested. Narrator was great. Live Dystopian type books.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Jun 2021

I enjoyed both the story and the narrator

Profile Avatar DonL Jun 2021

I have always enjoyed Mark Nelson's work. He makes the reader feel like (he or she) is a larger part of the story. Please keep doing your thing sir

Profile Avatar Adrian P. Mar 2021

loved all of it

Profile Avatar Anonymous Jan 2021

Great book got lost in the book during reading

Profile Avatar Anonymous Jan 2021

Pretty sexist comments here and there. Besides that, it was alright.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Dec 2020

Enjoyable story.

Profile Avatar JACQUELINE Miller Nov 2020

Excellent book, great narrator

Profile Avatar R. Salvtore Aug 2020

Really enjoyed this selection. Would make a good movie.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Aug 2020

Excellent book and reader. Able to bring to life the story and draw you into a new world.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Mar 2020

Liked it very much. I kept thinking that they had been transported to a different planet, instead of a future time on earth

Profile Avatar Ray S. Nov 2019

good book. read this book many years ago. narrator voice was impressive.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Sep 2019

Enjoyable though dated story

Profile Avatar Amy H. Aug 2019

Although the narrator was superb and the story was interesting, the sexism and misogyny completely ruined it. I couldn't finish it.

Profile Avatar Anonymous May 2019

Excellent narration, I’ve downloaded some more books simply because Mark Nelson is the narrator.

Profile Avatar Anonymous Mar 2019

Fantastic narrator really brings the characters and story to life thoroughly enjoyed it the chapters just flew by

Profile Avatar Anonymous Feb 2019

Really enjoyable listening, great concept and good narration!!

Profile Avatar WR K. Feb 2019

LOVED IT! What a fantastic tale!

Profile Avatar Jade Grace W. Feb 2019

What a fantastic classic sci-fi. Loved it from start to finish and Nelson had a fantastic voice. Great!

Profile Avatar Luke S. Jan 2019

I loved this free listen! Through the narrator's voice and the author's carefully chosen words I felt the pain, fear, and eventual triumph of the people of Middletown.

Profile Avatar Daniel M. Aug 2018

Great story. Great narration. Wish it was longer.

Profile Avatar Kelly D. Jul 2018

Really enjoyed this book, slow to start and typically sexist for the era. Liked the narrator, perfect voice for the era. All in all a good book.

Profile Avatar Richard C. Jun 2018

Enjoyable as 1950’s sci-fi, holds up nicely today. When I hear words like vacuum tubes and relays, it really shows the time it was written in.

Profile Avatar Rod M. May 2018

This was so well done I had to double check the date it was written. It is amazing that an author could write something in the fifties that holds up so well today! If you like science fiction I would highly recommend this book. Gratefully to the reader was excellent!

Profile Avatar Lesa Ullig Aug 2016

Best book I've heard in a long while Its timeless. I couldn't stop listening. Mark is my favorite narrator too I listen to all books he reads!

Profile Avatar Andrew Susin Jun 2016

Surprisingly good fast paced story and excellent narration. Wasn't expecting to like it but did

Profile Avatar Dina Heard Feb 2016

Oh my god epic story of a Tyrannical Universal government combats small town USA. But what do you expect after a town is thrust 1,000,000 years in the future and they are the last of the primary human being archetype!

The City at World's End

The City at World's End

Author: Edmond Hamilton
Read by: Mark Nelson
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