The World Set Free by H. G. Wells

The World Set Free is a novel published in 1914 by H. G. Wells. The book is considered a prophetical novel foretelling the advent of nuclear weapons.

A constant theme in Wells's work, such as his 1901 nonfiction book Anticipations, was the role of energy and technological advance as a determinant of human progress. The novel opens: "The history of mankind is the history of the attainment of external power. Man is the tool-using, fire-making animal."

Scientists of the day were well aware that the slow natural radioactive decay of elements like radium continues for thousands of years, and that while the rate of energy release is negligible, the total amount released is huge. Wells used this as the basis for his story.

Listen below, or on Archive.org.

Audio Files	128Kbps MP3	Ogg Vorbis	64Kbps MP3
00 - Prelude	51.2 MB	32.9 MB	25.6 MB
01 - Ch 1, The Sun Snarers, sections 1-4	36.2 MB	22.6 MB	18.1 MB
02 - Ch 1, The Sun Snarers, sections 5-8	34.8 MB	21.5 MB	17.4 MB
03 - Ch 2, The Last War, sections 1-4	42.1 MB	26.6 MB	21.0 MB
04 - Ch 2, The Last War, sections 5-10	47.0 MB	29.7 MB	23.5 MB
05 - Ch 3, The Ending of War, sections 1-5	54.0 MB	34.1 MB	27.0 MB
06 - Ch 3, The Ending of War, sections 6-8	36.1 MB	22.7 MB	18.1 MB
07 - Ch 4, The New Phase, sections 1-8	50.4 MB	34.2 MB	25.2 MB
08 - Ch 4, The New Phase, sections 9-12	33.1 MB	22.5 MB	16.5 MB
09 - Ch 5, The Last Days of Marcus Karenin, sections 1-5	33.1 MB	20.7 MB	16.5 MB
10 - Ch 5, The Last Days of Marcus Karenin, sections 6-10	31.1 MB	19.4 MB	15.5 MB