The Coming Race Audiobook By Edward Bulwer Lytton cover art

The Coming Race

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The Coming Race

By: Edward Bulwer Lytton
Narrated by: William Hope
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Edward Bulwer-Lytton's book is ostensibly a work of Science Fiction. It deals with an underground race of advanced beings, masters of Vril energy - a strange power that can both heal and destroy - who intend to leave their subterranean existence and conquer the world. But the original book has been seen by many as a barely concealed account of Hidden Wisdom, a theory that has attracted many strange bed-fellows, including the French author Louis Jacolliot, the Polish explorer Ferdinand Ossendowsky, and Adolf Hitler.

©2013 Edward Bulwer Lytton (P)2013 Audible Ltd Classics Science Fiction

Editorial reviews

This post-Darwinian novel was published in the same year as The Descent of Man. Written in the Victorian era, it was an influential work of science fiction. The ideas contained within were borrowed/endorsed by an assortment of interesting historical figures. An American engineer slips into a subterranean world, where he encounters a race of humans known as the Vril-ya. The Vril-ya escaped an aboveground catastrophe by hiding in this underground, where they discovered an energy that comes to shape their civilization into a utopia, barring one issue. Narrator William Hope enlivens the first-person narrative with his clean American accent and conversational tone. Hope’s sincere and accessible voice helps to normalize the story and to illuminate its philosophical themes.

Critic reviews

" The Coming Race was enormously influential in its day and traces of its influence remain with us: the title of the book is namechecked in Bowie's Oh You Pretty Things and Vril, the mysterious energy force utilised by the Vril-Ya, supplied the suffix for Bovril." ( The Independent)
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great story. id like to hear more great introduction to scifi for any kiddos that would like to start reading it. i highly recommend this

loved it

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I have 91 titles here on audible and this is my favorite book so far. amazing story true or not.

fantastic story

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Inner Earth civilizations are always interesting especially when they are not human and more advanced.

Inner Earth civilizations

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The book is extremely detailed and descriptive of the world of the Vrilia (sp) I appreciate the time taken to establish the visual structure. The story itself is endearing and compelling. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Overall a fantastic story.

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Wanted to listen for the historical significance but much of it was tedious to me.

dated - worked to get through it

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