
A lone figure stands on a wet shore, still haunted by a vivid, brutal film projected by a mentor who insists that the past holds the keys to understanding the present. Their conversation drifts from telepathy to ancient myths, weaving philosophy with the raw sensations of sand, sea and scarlet memory. The world they inhabit bears the scars of a long‑ago catastrophe, its landscape a patchwork of ruins and strange, glowing horizons that hint at deeper mysteries.
Compelled to move beyond the beach, the protagonist joins a small band of seekers traveling toward the forbidden region known as Aptor. Along the way they confront strange phenomena, confrontations with hostile forces, and the ever‑present question of why history repeats itself. As the journey unfolds, each step brings new clues about the “jewels” hidden within the wasteland, inviting listeners to ponder what truly shapes a civilization—and what might still be salvaged from its ashes.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (284K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2013-02-03
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

b. 1942
A groundbreaking voice in science fiction and literary criticism, his work helped expand what the genre could do with language, sexuality, and social thought. He is especially known for ambitious novels like Dhalgren and Babel-17, as well as memoir and criticism that brought the same fearless intelligence to real life.
View all books
by Samuel R. Delany

by Mary E. Bradley Lane

by Various Authors

by Ray Cummings
by Sewell Peaslee Wright

by Andre Norton

by Randall Garrett

by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells