If you ask Stephen King, he’ll tell you that H.P. LoveÂcraft was “the twenÂtiÂeth cenÂtuÂry’s greatÂest pracÂtiÂtionÂer of the clasÂsic horÂror tale.” And Joyce CarÂol Oates will readÂiÂly admit that LoveÂcraft had “an incalÂcuÂlaÂble influÂence on sucÂceedÂing genÂerÂaÂtions of writÂers of horÂror ficÂtion.” In these modÂern times, you can revisÂit LoveÂcraft’s clasÂsic horÂror tales by downÂloadÂing his works in text or audio. (See below.) Or, you can revisÂit his cosÂmic horÂror tales by pickÂing up The LoveÂcraft AntholÂoÂgy, a new graphÂic novÂel series that brings LoveÂcraft’s writÂings to “vivid and malevÂoÂlent life.” The video above gives you a preÂview of what the series has to offer. It feaÂtures an aniÂmaÂtion of “The Call of CthulÂhu,” LoveÂcraft’s famous pulp stoÂry from 1926.
Today we’re bringÂing you a roundup of some of the great SciÂence FicÂtion, FanÂtaÂsy and DystopiÂan clasÂsics availÂable on the web. And what betÂter way to get startÂed than with Aldous HuxÂley readÂing a draÂmaÂtized recordÂing of his 1932 novÂel, Brave New World. The readÂing aired on the CBS Radio WorkÂshop in 1956. You can lisÂten to Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
(FYI: You can downÂload HuxÂley’s origÂiÂnal work — as opposed to the draÂmaÂtized verÂsion — in audio by signÂing up for a Free TriÂal with Audible.com, and that applies to othÂer books menÂtioned here as well.)
LitÂtle known fact. Aldous HuxÂley once gave George Orwell French lessons at Eton. And, 17 years after the release of Brave New World, HuxÂley’s pupil pubÂlished 1984. The semÂiÂnal dystopiÂan work may be one of the most influÂenÂtial novÂels of the 20th cenÂtuÂry, and it’s almost cerÂtainÂly the most imporÂtant politÂiÂcal novÂel from that periÂod. You can find it availÂable on the web in three forÂmats: Free eText — Free Audio Book – Free Movie.
In 1910, J. SearÂle DawÂley wrote and directÂed FrankenÂstein. It took him three days to shoot the 12-minute film (when most films were actuÂalÂly shot in just one day). It marked the first time that Mary Shelley’s clasÂsic monÂster tale (text — audio) was ever adaptÂed to film. And, someÂwhat notably, Thomas EdiÂson had a hand (albeit it an indiÂrect one) in makÂing the film. The first FrankenÂstein film was shot at EdiÂson StuÂdios, the proÂducÂtion comÂpaÂny owned by the famous invenÂtor.
Stephen King and Joyce CarÂol Oates — they both pay homage to H.P. LoveÂcraft and his great tales. And you can too by spendÂing time with his colÂlectÂed works, availÂable in etext forÂmats here and audio forÂmats here (Free Mp3 Zip File – Free Stream).
Philip K. Dick pubÂlished 44 novÂels and 121 stoÂries durÂing his short lifeÂtime, solidÂiÂfyÂing his posiÂtion as one of AmerÂiÂca’s top sci-fi writÂers. If you’re not intiÂmateÂly familÂiar with his novÂels, then you almost cerÂtainÂly know major films based on Dick’s work – Blade RunÂner, Total Recall, A ScanÂner DarkÂly and MinorÂiÂty Report. To get you acquaintÂed with PKD’s writÂing, we have culled togethÂer 14 short stoÂries for your enjoyÂment.
Back in the late 1930s, Orson Welles launched The MerÂcury TheÂatre on the Air, a radio proÂgram dedÂiÂcatÂed to bringÂing draÂmatÂic, theÂatriÂcal proÂducÂtions to the AmerÂiÂcan airÂwaves. The show had a fairÂly short run, lastÂing from 1938 to 1941. But it made its mark. DurÂing these few years, The MerÂcury TheÂatre aired The War of the Worlds, an episode narÂratÂed by Welles that led many AmerÂiÂcans to believe their counÂtry was under MarÂtÂian attack. The legÂendary proÂducÂtion, perÂhaps the most famous ever aired on AmerÂiÂcan radio, was based on H.G. Wells’ earÂly sci-fi novÂel, and you can lisÂten to the broadÂcast right here.
Between 1951 and 1953, Isaac AsiÂmov pubÂlished three books that formed the now famous FounÂdaÂtion TrilÂoÂgy. Many conÂsidÂered it a masÂterÂwork in sciÂence ficÂtion, and that view became offiÂcial docÂtrine in 1966 when the trilÂoÂgy received a speÂcial Hugo Award for Best All-Time Series, notably beatÂing out Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. EvenÂtuÂalÂly, the BBC decidÂed to adapt Asimov’s trilÂoÂgy to the radio, draÂmaÂtizÂing the series in eight one-hour episodes that aired between May and June 1973. Thanks to The InterÂnet Archive you can downÂload the full proÂgram as a zip file, or stream it online:
Part 1 |MP3| Part 2 |MP3| Part 3 |MP3| Part 4 |MP3| Part 5 |MP3| Part 6 |MP3| Part 7 |MP3| Part 8 |MP3|
Before the days of HarÂry PotÂter, genÂerÂaÂtions of young readÂers let their imagÂiÂnaÂtions take flight with The ChronÂiÂcles of NarÂnia, a series of sevÂen fanÂtaÂsy novÂels writÂten by C. S. Lewis. Like his friend J.R.R. Tolkien, Lewis served on the EngÂlish facÂulÂty at Oxford UniÂverÂsiÂty and took part in the Inklings, an Oxford litÂerÂary group dedÂiÂcatÂed to ficÂtion and fanÂtaÂsy. PubÂlished between 1950 and 1956, The ChronÂiÂcles of NarÂnia has sold over 100 milÂlion copies in 47 lanÂguages, delightÂing younger and oldÂer readÂers worldÂwide.
Now, with the apparÂent blessÂing of the C.S. Lewis estate, the sevÂen volÂume series is availÂable in a free audio forÂmat. There are 101 audio recordÂings in total, each averÂagÂing 30 minÂutes and read by ChrisÂsi Hart. DownÂload the comÂplete audio via the web or RSS Feed.
Neil Gaiman has emerged as one of today’s best fanÂtaÂsy writÂers. He has made comics respectable and pubÂlished novÂels, includÂing one that will be adaptÂed by HBO. A great deal of his outÂput, though, has been in the form of short stoÂries, some availÂable on the web in text forÂmat, othÂers in audio.
The Truth Is a Cave in the Black MounÂtains – Read Online
Between 1982 and 2000, Rudy RuckÂer wrote a series of four sci-fi novÂels that formed The Ware TetralÂoÂgy. The first two books in the series – SoftÂware and WetÂware – won the Philip K. Dick Award for best novÂel. And William GibÂson has called RuckÂer “a natÂurÂal-born AmerÂiÂcan street surÂreÂalÂist” or, more simÂply, one sui generÂis dude. And now the even betÂter part: RuckÂer (who hapÂpens to be the great-great-great-grandÂson of Hegel) has released The Ware TetralÂoÂgy under a CreÂative ComÂmons license, and you can downÂload the full text for free in PDF and RTF forÂmats. In total, the colÂlecÂtion runs 800+ pages.
In 2009, BrookÂlyn-based Web develÂopÂer Casey Pugh was lookÂing for a new way to explore the potenÂtial of crowd-sourcÂing when he hit upon an idea of galacÂtic proÂporÂtions. He took the origÂiÂnal 1977 Star Wars film (latÂer known as Episode IV: A New Hope in the chronoÂlogÂiÂcalÂly ordered six-part series) and chopped it into 15-secÂond pieces, invitÂing fans from around the world to choose a piece and re-creÂate it in whatÂevÂer mediÂum they liked: live-action, pupÂpetry, aniÂmaÂtion, you name it. Three years and one Emmy Award latÂer, Pugh and his team have put the best pieces togethÂer and (with the blessÂing of Star Wars creÂator George Lucas) released the finÂished film, Star Wars Uncut: The DirecÂtor’s Cut. It runs a fun two hours and five minÂutes. You can watch the comÂplete movie above and learn more on the offiÂcial webÂsite.
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletÂter, please find it here. It’s a great way to see our new posts, all bunÂdled in one email, each day.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
If you’re not intiÂmateÂly familÂiar with his novÂels, then you assuredÂly know major films based on Dick’s work – Blade RunÂner, Total Recall, A ScanÂner DarkÂlyand MinorÂiÂty Report. Today, we bring you anothÂer way to get acquaintÂed with his writÂing. We’re preÂsentÂing a selecÂtion of DickÂ’s stoÂries availÂable for free on the web. Below we have culled togethÂer 11 short stoÂries from our colÂlecÂtions. Some of the stoÂries colÂlectÂed here have also found their way into the recentÂly-pubÂlished book, SelectÂed StoÂries by Philip K. Dick, which feaÂtures an introÂducÂtion by Jonathan Lethem.
Let’s do the time warp today and revisÂit the Not-S0-GoldÂen Age of AmerÂiÂcan TeleÂviÂsion. The year was 1978. Star Wars fever still gripped AmerÂiÂca, and the VariÂety Show TV forÂmat wouldÂn’t say die. So, proÂducÂing The Star Wars HolÂiÂday SpeÂcial was a no-brainÂer. The two-hour show takes you inside the domesÂtic world of ChewÂbacÂca and his famÂiÂly — his father Itchy, his wife MalÂla, and his son Lumpy — and feaÂtures guest appearÂances by JefÂferÂson StarÂship, HarÂvey KorÂman and Bea Arthur, plus a litÂtle stock footage of Alec GuinÂness. As for the proÂducÂtion qualÂiÂty and speÂcial effects? They’re all textÂbook kitsch.
You’ve heard enough to know that this wasÂn’t the finest hour for the Star Wars franÂchise. One critÂic called it the “the worst two hours of teleÂviÂsion ever.” And, when he’s willÂing to acknowlÂedge the exisÂtence of the TV speÂcial, George Lucas readÂiÂly admits that turnÂing Star Wars into a variÂety show “wasÂn’t the smartest thing to do.” But because the show only aired once in its entireÂty, the holÂiÂday speÂcial has gained someÂthing of a cult staÂtus and cirÂcuÂlates “underÂground” on the web. VanÂiÂty Fair has more on this misÂadÂvenÂture in teleÂviÂsion proÂgramÂming here. H/T goes to DanÂgerÂous Minds.
In 1941, direcÂtor Dave FleisÂchÂer and ParaÂmount PicÂtures aniÂmaÂtors Steve MufÂfati and George GerÂmanetÂti proÂduced SuperÂman: The MechanÂiÂcal MonÂsters — a big-budÂget aniÂmatÂed adapÂtaÂtion of the popÂuÂlar SuperÂman comics of that periÂod, in which a mad sciÂenÂtist unleashÂes robots to rob banks and loot museÂums, and SuperÂman, natÂuÂralÂly, saves the day. It was one of sevÂenÂteen films that raised the bar for theÂatriÂcal shorts and are even conÂsidÂered by some to have givÂen rise to the entire AniÂme genre.
More than a mere treat of vinÂtage aniÂmaÂtion, the film capÂtures the era’s charÂacÂterÂisÂtic ambivaÂlence in recÂonÂcilÂing the need for progress with the fear of techÂnolÂoÂgy in a culÂture on the brink of incredÂiÂble techÂnoÂlogÂiÂcal innoÂvaÂtion. It was the dawn of the techÂno-paraÂnoia that perÂsistÂed through the 1970s, famousÂly capÂtured in the TV series Future Shock narÂratÂed by Orson Welles, and even through today. Take for examÂple books like Nicholas CarÂr’s The ShalÂlows and SherÂry Turkle’s Alone TogethÂer: Why We Expect More from TechÂnolÂoÂgy and Less from Each OthÂer.
SuperÂman: The MechanÂiÂcal MonÂsters is availÂable for downÂload on The InterÂnet Archive, and ToonÂaÂmi DigÂiÂtal ArseÂnal has the comÂplete series of all sevÂenÂteen films. Find more vinÂtage aniÂmaÂtion in Open CulÂture’s colÂlecÂtion of Free Movies Online.
Maria PopoÂva is the founder and ediÂtor in chief of Brain PickÂings, a curatÂed invenÂtoÂry of cross-disÂciÂpliÂnary interÂestÂingÂness. She writes for Wired UK, The Atlantic and DesigÂnObÂservÂer, and spends a great deal of time on TwitÂter.
In 1964, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, the futurÂist and sci-fi writer best known for his novÂel 2001: A Space Odyssey, peered into the future, to the year 2000, and described what he saw. And a pretÂty good guess it was. Ours would be a world in which…
We could be in instant conÂtact with each othÂer, wherÂevÂer we may be, where we can conÂtact our friends anyÂwhere on earth, even if we don’t know their actuÂal physÂiÂcal locaÂtion. It will be posÂsiÂble in that age, perÂhaps only 50 years from now, for a man to conÂduct his busiÂness from TahiÂti or Bali just as well as he could from LonÂdon.… Almost any execÂuÂtive skill, any adminÂisÂtraÂtive skill, even any physÂiÂcal skill, could be made indeÂpenÂdent of disÂtance. I am perÂfectÂly seriÂous when I sugÂgest that one day we may have brain surÂgeons in EdinÂburgh operÂatÂing on patients in New Zealand.
By 2001, CalÂiÂforÂnia docÂtors were already conÂductÂing virÂtuÂal surgery on patients in Rome. And, by 2005, Thomas FriedÂman pubÂlished his bestÂseller, The World is Flat, which pretÂty much told us that us that Clarke’s imagÂined world had arrived — with, of course, one big excepÂtion. Cities? They’re still standÂing…
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletÂter, please find it here. It’s a great way to see our new posts, all bunÂdled in one email, each day.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
As we were sayÂing, the film got off to a very shaky start. The proÂducÂtion was a mess. CritÂics panned the film. FilmÂgoÂers went to see ET. And all of the rest.
It was time to pull out the stops. So, M. K. ProÂducÂtions was enlistÂed to shoot a 16 mm proÂmoÂtionÂal feaÂturette that cirÂcuÂlatÂed through AmerÂiÂca’s horÂror, fanÂtaÂsy and sci-fi conÂvenÂtions. FeaÂturÂing interÂviews with RidÂley Scott, Syd Mead (visuÂal futurÂist), and DouÂglas TrumÂbull (speÂcial effects), the short proÂmoÂtionÂal film let viewÂers peer inside the makÂing of the magÂiÂcal Blade RunÂner uniÂverse. And now you can do the same.
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletÂter, please find it here. It’s a great way to see our new posts, all bunÂdled in one email, each day.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
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