The Writing of Fiction by Edith Wharton audiobook.

Genre: self help

In The Writing of Fiction, acclaimed novelist Edith Wharton turns from the page to the workshop, offering a clear-eyed guide to how stories are built and why certain novels endure. Drawn from her lectures and steeped in a lifetime of practice, Wharton walks aspiring writers and serious readers through the essential architecture of fiction: the seed of a situation, the shaping of plot, the creation of character, and the disciplined choices that give a narrative its force. She examines viewpoint and narrative distance, the timing of revelation, the use of scene versus summary, and the often invisible work of selection and omission that makes a story feel inevitable rather than accidental. Along the way, Wharton brings in examples from classic literature not as name-dropping, but as case studies that reveal craft decisions at work on the sentence and on the structure. The result is both practical and bracing: an invitation to treat imagination as only the beginning, and to embrace form, restraint, and purposeful design as the real engines of compelling fiction.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:24:24) Chapter 02

(00:48:40) Chapter 03

(01:15:42) Chapter 04

(01:59:11) Chapter 05

(02:28:10) Chapter 06

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The Master Mind of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs audiobook.

Genre: scifi

The protagonist is a soldier from the Great War whose tale John Carter has brought to Earth. Having saved the life of an ancient Martian who sells new bodies to wealthy Martians, he learns from this genius the arts of suspended animation and brain transplantation. During his apprenticeship, he falls in love with one of the victims of his master's profitable trade. When her body becomes the property of the evil ruler of a distant city, he revives experimental subjects and sets forth to recover her body. The team includes the man he killed almost the moment he arrived on the planet, a great white ape with half of the brain of a human being, and a famous assassin. After many adventures, they succeed in their quest, end the misrule of the evil Jeddara, and secure a happy ending for every member of the team. The narrative includes a hefty dose of satire against organized religion, one passage being worthy of Jonathan Swift.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 1

(00:06:55) Chapter 2

(00:29:19) Chapter 3

(00:47:31) Chapter 4

(01:17:38) Chapter 5

(01:44:47) Chapter 6

(02:01:51) Chapter 7

(02:25:34) Chapter 8

(02:44:13) Chapter 9

(03:07:31) Chapter 10

(03:37:17) Chapter 11

(03:59:32) Chapter 12

(04:27:28) Chapter 13

(04:49:53) Chapter 14

(05:12:48) Chapter 15

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The Eternal Savage by Edgar Rice Burroughs audiobook.

Genre: adventure

On a visit to the African jungle and the famed Greystoke estate, spirited American Victoria Custer expects big game, bigger stories, and perhaps a glimpse of the legendary Tarzan. Instead, she becomes entangled in something far stranger: a rupture in time that hurls Nu, a fearless warrior from a remote Stone Age world, into the modern era. Nu is no polished gentleman, but his raw courage and unwavering devotion shake Victoria's certainty about who she is and what she wants, especially when his presence awakens a haunting connection to Nat-ul, the cave-maiden he once loved. As danger closes in from human enemies in the present day and primeval terrors in a prehistoric wilderness, Victoria and Nu are pulled between two ages, two identities, and two very different kinds of survival. With kidnappings, pursuits through unforgiving jungle, and clashes of instinct versus civilization, The Eternal Savage blends romance and high adventure into a tale that asks whether love can endure when time itself refuses to stand still.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:20:08) Chapter 02

(00:34:42) Chapter 03

(00:51:43) Chapter 04

(00:59:29) Chapter 05

(01:08:24) Chapter 06

(01:16:46) Chapter 07

(01:32:02) Chapter 08

(01:45:40) Chapter 09

(02:02:32) Chapter 10

(02:09:53) Chapter 11

(02:17:35) Chapter 12

(02:35:43) Chapter 13

(02:40:44) Chapter 14

(02:45:16) Chapter 15

(03:09:55) Chapter 16

(03:30:18) Chapter 17

(03:55:57) Chapter 18

(04:11:08) Chapter 19

(04:30:39) Chapter 20

(04:43:43) Chapter 21

(05:01:39) Chapter 22

(05:19:42) Chapter 23

(05:38:43) Chapter 24

(06:03:19) Chapter 25

(06:23:35) Chapter 26

(06:42:36) Chapter 27

(07:09:14) Chapter 28

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Tarzan and the Lost Empire by Edgar Rice Burroughs audiobook.

Genre: adventure

When rumors surface of a forgotten colony hidden deep in Africa, Lord Greystoke - better known as Tarzan - finds himself drawn into a mystery that feels older than the jungle itself. A strange map, whispered legends of an ancient people, and the disappearance of travelers point toward a region no outsider is meant to reach. Tarzan joins an expedition led by determined scholars and wary guides, but the journey quickly becomes more than a simple search for ruins. Rival interests close in, the wilderness turns treacherous, and every mile deeper into the interior tests the party's courage and loyalty.As Tarzan navigates shifting alliances and mounting dangers, he must rely on both his keen instincts and his hard-won understanding of civilization to keep the expedition alive. The discovery they seek could reshape everything the world believes about history - but it also threatens to awaken forces and ambitions that cannot be easily contained. In a landscape where the jungle hides as much as it reveals, Tarzan confronts the pull of the unknown and the cost of uncovering a lost empire.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:14:06) Chapter 02

(00:33:17) Chapter 03

(00:44:16) Chapter 04

(01:04:27) Chapter 05

(01:22:29) Chapter 06

(01:41:59) Chapter 07

(02:01:37) Chapter 08

(02:27:04) Chapter 09

(02:57:08) Chapter 10

(03:22:30) Chapter 11

(03:34:47) Chapter 12

(03:49:00) Chapter 13

(04:18:34) Chapter 14

(04:37:38) Chapter 15

(04:57:59) Chapter 16

(05:14:43) Chapter 17

(05:31:11) Chapter 18

(05:44:41) Chapter 19

(06:01:53) Chapter 20

(06:10:32) Chapter 21

(06:26:49) Chapter 22

(06:46:48) Chapter 23

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A Fighting Man of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs audiobook.

Genre: scifi

Under the double moons of Barsoom, an invisible flier sped to the mysterious city of Jahar where Sanoma Tora, the kidnapped princess of Helium had been taken. Hadron of Hastor was at the controls, hatching a rescue plan that required unusual daring and great ingenuity. For invisibility alone was not a great enough weapon against 'The Death.' And should Hadron succeed, what fate would await him at the hands of the madman whose very genius had created the means of that rescue? A FIGHTING MAN OF MARS is the exciting story of Martian adventure as transmitted by Ulysses Paxton on Mars to Edgar Rice Burroughs in Tarzana, by means of Pellucidar's Gridley Wave

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 00

(00:13:12) Chapter 01

(00:43:41) Chapter 02

(01:10:38) Chapter 03

(01:40:06) Chapter 04

(02:07:11) Chapter 05

(02:38:27) Chapter 06

(03:11:54) Chapter 07

(03:50:43) Chapter 08

(04:19:27) Chapter 09

(04:50:00) Chapter 10

(05:14:43) Chapter 11

(05:42:45) Chapter 12

(06:16:49) Chapter 13

(06:43:09) Chapter 14

(07:13:56) Chapter 15

(07:53:01) Chapter 16

(08:28:15) Chapter 17

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Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers audiobook.

Genre: mystery

When a wealthy, seemingly harmless old woman dies after a brief illness, the attending doctor and the family accept it as nature taking its course. Lord Peter Wimsey does not. A stray remark, an odd choice of nurse, and the quiet haste with which everyone wants the matter settled prick at his sense that something has been arranged to look ordinary. Following the trail from a respectable English household to a close-knit village where gossip is currency and outsiders are watched, Wimsey finds that motive can hide behind piety, good breeding, and proper manners. To uncover the truth, he enlists allies who can move where he cannot, including the sharp and unassuming Miss Climpson, whose very invisibility becomes a weapon. As Wimsey pieces together medical details, family tensions, and a web of small lies, he must decide how far to press when the evidence points toward a carefully planned, almost invisible crime. Unnatural Death is a classic puzzle mystery about justice, social masks, and the danger of underestimating the people who seem least capable of violence.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:21:19) Chapter 02

(00:36:50) Chapter 03

(01:03:35) Chapter 04

(01:25:24) Chapter 05

(01:47:55) Chapter 06

(02:26:17) Chapter 07

(02:51:50) Chapter 08

(03:15:26) Chapter 09

(03:30:19) Chapter 10

(04:07:17) Chapter 11

(04:47:20) Chapter 12

(05:13:29) Chapter 13

(05:33:23) Chapter 14

(06:02:47) Chapter 15

(06:25:41) Chapter 16

(06:42:04) Chapter 17

(07:08:02) Chapter 18

(07:36:07) Chapter 19

(08:15:23) Chapter 20

(08:38:18) Chapter 21

(09:09:49) Chapter 22

(09:49:48) Chapter 23

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Aspects of the Novel by E. M. Forster audiobook.

Genre: philosophy

In Aspects of the Novel, E. M. Forster turns from writing fiction to asking a deceptively simple question: what, exactly, makes a novel work? Drawn from his celebrated Cambridge lectures, this compact classic invites listeners into a brisk, witty tour of storytelling as an art form. Forster begins with the basic building blocks of narrative and then tests them against the living reality of great books, moving from the pleasures of plot and the pull of curiosity to the more elusive forces of character, pattern, rhythm, and voice. Along the way, he distinguishes between 'flat' and 'round' characters, explores how a novelist creates the illusion of time and causality, and weighs the tension between a story's forward drive and a book's deeper design. Grounded in close attention to English and European fiction, Forster balances firm opinions with generous curiosity, speaking as a practicing novelist who knows the risks, compromises, and triumphs behind the page. Clear, humane, and unexpectedly funny, this is both a guide for readers who want to see more and a touchstone for writers learning how craft becomes imagination.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:39:21) Chapter 02

(01:12:13) Chapter 03

(01:50:57) Chapter 04

(02:23:38) Chapter 05

(03:00:47) Chapter 06

(03:35:21) Chapter 07

(04:17:44) Chapter 08

(04:56:45) Chapter 09

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Battles for the Stars by Dave Dryfoos audiobook.

Genre: scifi

Battles for the Stars is a fast-moving anthology of classic short science fiction centered on conflict in many forms: battlefield action, cold war brinkmanship, and moral battles over what it means to be human. Across a wide range of settings, the collection follows desperate diplomats trying to stop an alien threat before it can report back to its empire, commanders and scientists forced to weigh duty against conscience, and professional fighters pushed into contests where the odds are never what they seem. Other tales explore the machinery of future war, from uncanny weapons and military automation to grim social experiments that send the young to fight for the sake of 'peace.' Dave Dryfoos appears as one of the contributing authors, with a tense, near-future chase in which Robbie must choose where his loyalty lies - with a robot or with a man - as danger closes in on the Golden Gate Bridge. Read as a set, these stories deliver quick hooks, sharp twists of premise, and the uneasy question that lingers after the shooting stops: what, exactly, is worth defending when the battlefield is the stars?

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:28:45) Chapter 02

(00:57:48) Chapter 03

(01:11:28) Chapter 04

(01:23:39) Chapter 05

(01:44:45) Chapter 06

(02:04:55) Chapter 07

(02:16:21) Chapter 08

(02:20:47) Chapter 09

(03:22:00) Chapter 10

(03:49:43) Chapter 11

(04:24:24) Chapter 12

(04:37:58) Chapter 13

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Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers audiobook.

Genre: mystery

On a bleak morning in the English countryside, an aristocratic family is jolted by violence at their ancestral home. The victim is found on the grounds of the Duke of Denver's estate, and suspicion quickly gathers around the Duke's brother - Lord Peter Wimsey - who is both uncomfortably close to the scene and all too aware of how scandal can ruin a name. When the case tightens into a noose around the Denver household, Wimsey is forced into a role he dreads: defender of his own blood, investigator of a killing that may have begun with old grudges, and reluctant guide through the rigid rituals of class, honor, and public judgment. As official inquiries grind forward and society whispers sharpen into accusations, Wimsey must untangle conflicting testimony, evasions, and motives hidden behind impeccable manners. With his keen eye for human weakness and his sensitivity to the costs of truth, he races to find the real story before the law claims the wrong man. Clouds of Witness blends courtroom tension, family loyalty, and classic British detection into a mystery where reputation can be as dangerous as guilt.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(01:09:04) Chapter 02

(02:09:35) Chapter 03

(03:12:50) Chapter 04

(03:56:15) Chapter 05

(04:38:35) Chapter 06

(05:12:46) Chapter 07

(05:46:01) Chapter 08

(05:56:34) Chapter 09

(06:34:56) Chapter 10

(07:09:59) Chapter 11

(07:53:52) Chapter 12

(08:34:11) Chapter 13

(08:55:17) Chapter 14

(09:37:10) Chapter 15

(09:52:38) Chapter 16

(10:08:08) Chapter 17

(10:27:57) Chapter 18

(11:05:54) Chapter 19

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The First Epistle of Paul to Timothy, Analytically Expounded by David Dickson audiobook.

Genre: religion

In The First Epistle of Paul to Timothy, Analytically Expounded, Scottish divine David Dickson (1583-1663) offers a clear, pastorally minded commentary on one of the New Testament's key letters for church life and spiritual leadership. Moving through 1 Timothy passage by passage, Dickson breaks the epistle into its parts, traces Paul's line of thought, and draws out the doctrinal and practical weight of each section. Listeners follow Paul's counsel to his younger coworker Timothy as questions of sound teaching, public worship, and personal integrity come into sharp focus, alongside the challenges posed by false instruction and misplaced priorities. Dickson lingers over themes that remain pressing for any Christian community: guarding the gospel, cultivating prayerful and orderly worship, recognizing qualified leaders, caring wisely for the vulnerable, and pursuing godliness in everyday conduct. Written to serve preachers and serious readers of Scripture, this exposition aims less at novelty than at steady illumination, offering concise observations designed to help the Bible's own emphases stand out and press home to conscience and practice.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 00

(00:02:10) Chapter 01

(00:18:13) Chapter 02

(00:28:14) Chapter 03

(00:42:35) Chapter 04

(00:54:50) Chapter 05

(01:10:19) Chapter 06

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