The Philosopher's Stone

by Colin Wilson

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'An important literary achievement.' - Library Journal 'Colin Wilson has a narrative style that can make the pursuit of any idea seem like exciting detective work.' - The Times 'Colin Wilson's best novel to date.' - The Spectator Howard Lester, a young scientist, becomes obsessed with the problem of death and begins a series of unconventional experiments aimed at increasing human longevity. In the course of their research, Lester and his friend Sir Henry Littleway make a startling discovery: show more a simple and harmless operation on the brain's prefrontal cortex results in vastly expanded consciousness and mental powers. After undergoing the procedure themselves, Lester and Littleway develop remarkable abilities, including 'time vision', a means of seeing backwards into time. They begin by looking at the relatively recent past-the eighteenth century and Shakespeare's England. But they soon find they can see much further back, to the days of Stonehenge and the Mayans, and even earlier. . . . But as they get closer to uncovering the beginnings of human existence, they make a terrifying discovery: something ancient and immensely powerful, long asleep, has been awakened by their activities, and is determined to stop them at all costs. . . . In The Strength to Dream (1962), Colin Wilson had criticized the works of H.P. Lovecraft, the American writer of weird tales, which led to Lovecraft's publisher August Derleth daring Wilson to write one better. This novel, The Philosopher's Stone (1969), was the result, a fascinating blend of science fiction, horror, and philosophy, told within the framework of Lovecraft's mythos. This edition is newly typeset from the first British edition and features a new introduction by Wilson scholar and bibliographer Colin Stanley. show less

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6 reviews
Starting reading this September 2020 shortly before me leaving for Shanghai. Finished it during my quarantine in Shanghai. I was not truly as impressed as I ought to have been according to all the great reviews. I felt it was a bit turgid with long monologues that felt like going a bit astray.
Had to stop, too bored to continue. It's supposed to be a novel and it's not. Should be labeled as "man's boring explanation of boring things that could be excited if he made a novel out of them"
Roger Jackson's narration is excellent. If you've never read this classic, I highly recommend his audiobook performance.
URANIA COLLEZIONE NR. 152

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223+ Works 13,615 Members
Colin Wilson was born on June 26, 1931 in Leicester, England. He attended a local technical school, where he did well in physics and chemistry, and left at 16 to work in a wool factory. Before becoming a writer, he worked as a laboratory assistant, tax clerk, laborer and hospital porter. His first book, The Outsider, was published in 1956 when he show more was 24 years old. During his lifetime, he wrote more than 100 works on a wide variety of subjects including philosophy, religion, occult and supernatural phenomenea, music, sex, crime and critical theory. His other works include Religion and the Rebel, The Age of Defeat, Ritual in the Dark, The Strength to Dream, Origins of the Sexual Impulse, The Occult, Alien Dawn, Dreaming to Some Purpose, The Angry Years: The Rise and Fall of the Angry Young Men, and Super Consciousness. His biographies include works on Bernard Shaw, David Lindsay, Herman Hesse, Wilhelm Reich, Jorge Luis Borges, Ken Russell, Rudolph Steiner, Aleister Crowley, and P. D. Ouspensky. Wilson died on December 5, 2013 at the age of 82. (Bowker Author Biography) Colin Wilson, author of such bestsellers as "The Outsider" & "The Occult", also writes on archaeology, astronomy, & cosmology. His recent book, "From Atlantis to the Sphinx", was a London "Times" bestseller. (Publisher Provided) show less

Some Editions

Bruno, Jacopo (Cover artist)
Decker, Andreas (Translator)
Stanley, Colin (Foreword)

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Common Knowledge

Canonical title*
Der Stein der Weisen
Original title
The Philosopher's Stone)
Original publication date
1969; 1969 (Verlag Arthur Baker) (Verlag Arthur Baker)
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, Science Fiction, Horror
DDC/MDS
823.914Literature & rhetoricEnglish & Old English literaturesEnglish fiction1900-1901-19991945-1999
LCC
PR6073 .I44 .P45Language and LiteratureEnglishEnglish Literature1961-2000
BISAC

Statistics

Members
408
Popularity
76,316
Reviews
5
Rating
½ (3.74)
Languages
5 — English, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian
Media
Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
13
ASINs
11