master of the world, The

This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice. In The Master of the World, Jules Verne blends early science fiction with political intrigue, technological wonder, and philosophical reflection. First published in 1904, this thrilling novella follows government agent John Strock as he investigates strange sightings of a mysterious vehicle—capable of traveling across land, sea, and sky—emerging from the shadows of the Great Eyrie in North Carolina. Strock’s pursuit of the enigmatic inventor Robur, last seen in Verne’s earlier novel Robur the Conqueror, leads him through perilous landscapes and moral quandaries. As Robur’s awe-inspiring creation—the all-terrain craft Terror—proves to be both a marvel and a menace, the novel raises questions about the limits of human ambition, the dangers of unchecked genius, and the thin line between mastery and madness. With its fusion of steampunk aesthetics and speculative science, The Master of the World is a compelling testament to Verne’s visionary imagination. Tense, atmospheric, and intellectually provocative, it remains a landmark of early 20th-century science fiction. This audiobook edition brings Verne’s lesser-known masterpiece to life, capturing the grandeur of invention and the shadow it casts over humanity.