The Purple Cloud

M. P. Shiel (1865 - 1947)

The story, a recording of a medium's meditation over the future writing of the text, details the narrator's (Adam Jeffson's) expedition to the North Pole during the 20th century on board the Boreal. Jeffson's fiancée, the Countess Clodagh, poisons her own cousin in order to secure a place on the ship for Jeffson, because the expedition was known to be one of the best ever planned. A millionaire, who died some years previously, had ordered in his will that he would pay 175,000,000 dollars to the first person standing at the North Pole. Before Jeffson leaves, he hears a sermon by a Scottish priest named Mackay, speaking against Polar research, calling the failure of all previous expeditions the will of God, and prophesying a terrible fate for those who attempt to go against God's will in this. The narrator at the same time remembers his meeting with a man who claimed that the universe is a place of strife between vague "powers", "The White" and "The Black", for dominance. Throughout the events of the polar journey, the narrator gradually discovers that his course has been, for many years, guided by these forces, all the way up to the point where he reaches the pole first. He finds a huge, clear lake of spinning water with a rock island inlaid with inscriptions. Upon seeing this, Jeffson falls into a faint. When he returns to his camp he, along with his dogs, feels nauseous after having smelled a peculiar peach-like odor. He also notices a moving purple cloud, spreading in the far heavens. During the progress of his journey, he discovers dead animals, all without the slightest sign of injury, and he gradually learns of the death of his entire crew on board the Boreal. The ship being fairly easy to operate, he sets out by himself. (Summary by Wikipedia)

Genre(s): Action & Adventure Fiction

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 00 - Section 00 Rhajimas Holmes
00:17:48
Play 01 01 - Section 01 Nyssa E. Schmidt
00:18:48
Play 02 02 - Section 02 Anise
00:20:36
Play 03 03 - Section 03 Nyssa E. Schmidt
00:26:19
Play 04 04 - Section 04 Graham McMillan
00:13:22
Play 05 05 - Section 05 Lynne T
00:14:52
Play 06 06 - Section 06 Anise
00:29:05
Play 07 07 - Section 07 Graham McMillan
00:19:23
Play 08 08 - Section 08 Graham McMillan
00:14:46
Play 09 09 - Section 09 April Gonzales
00:10:46
Play 10 10 - Section 10 Graham McMillan
00:24:50
Play 11 11 - Section 11 Graham McMillan
00:22:19
Play 12 12 - Section 12 Graham McMillan
00:22:53
Play 13 13 - Section 13 Gabriela Cowan
00:28:18
Play 14 14 - Section 14 fshort
00:12:28
Play 15 15 - Section 15 Gabriela Cowan
00:29:51
Play 16 16 - Section 16 fshort
00:25:35
Play 17 17 - Section 17 Gabriela Cowan
00:32:18
Play 18 18 - Section 18 Gabriela Cowan
00:29:00
Play 19 19 - Section 19 Anise
00:21:19
Play 20 20 - Section 20 Gabriela Cowan
00:30:10
Play 21 21 - Section 21 Gabriela Cowan
00:24:18
Play 22 22 - Section 22 Lynne T
00:27:32
Play 23 23 - Section 23 Gabriela Cowan
00:26:24
Play 24 24 - Section 24 Gabriela Cowan
00:29:58
Play 25 25 - Section 25 Gabriela Cowan
00:17:14
Play 26 26 - Section 26 Reeses118
00:11:41
Play 27 27 - Section 27 Reeses118
00:13:10
Play 28 28 - Section 28 Matthew Walker
00:23:10
Play 29 29 - Section 29 rookieblue
00:22:33
Play 30 30 - Section 30 Gabriela Cowan
00:18:25
Play 31 31 - Section 31 UberDubber
00:14:18
Play 32 32 - Srction 32 Gabriela Cowan
00:18:10