Cover of Micromegas by Voltaire Audiobook Micromegas
Audiobook · Adelphi Press

Micromegas

Author
Voltaire
Read by
Oliver Adams
Language
English
Length
43 minutes
ISBN
9781787366114
Published
13 March 2023
Imprint
Adelphi Press
  • Philosophy
  • Science Fiction
  • Extraterrestrial Life
  • Space Travel
  • Cosmic Perspective
  • Enlightenment
  • Knowledge
  • Perception
  • Prejudice
  • Dogmatism

Description

Micromegas is a philosophical science fiction novella written by the famous French Enlightenment writer, Voltaire. It tells the story of a giant from Sirius, Micromegas, who embarks on a journey through the universe with his friend, a Saturnian philosopher. During their travels, they encounter many planets and species, each with their own unique characteristics and flaws. They discover that beings on smaller planets have shorter lifespans and limited understanding of the world around them, while beings on larger planets have longer lifespans and more advanced knowledge. Overall, Micromegas is a thought-provoking and entertaining tale that explores the nature of knowledge, perception, and humanity's place in the vastness of the universe. Read in English, unabridged.

Author

Voltaire (1694–1778) made French prose feel like a blade you could pocket. Candide moves too fast for consolation: earthquake, war, and a garden that is not a philosophy so much as a last useful sentence. The letters, the tales, the long public quarrel with superstition — they share one climate. Ridicule here is not decoration. It is how a mind stays free in a crowded century.

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