History Lesson Audiobook By Arthur C. Clarke cover art

History Lesson

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History Lesson

By: Arthur C. Clarke
Narrated by: Ray Porter
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"History Lesson" was first published in the May 1949 issue of Startling Stories.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008) is regarded as one of the most-influential science fiction writers of all time. He was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.

©2000 Arthur C. Clarke (P)2016 Audible, Inc. Anthologies & Short Stories Fiction Science Fiction Fantasy
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Arthur C. Clarke’s History Lesson is what happens when you mix the end of the world, alien archaeologists, and one of the greatest comedic sucker punches in sci-fi history.

The setup: Earth is freezing over, humanity is doomed, and the last survivors decide to preserve their culture for future intelligent life. Noble. Tragic. Very dramatic. So they pack their most important artifacts into a vault and launch them off to be discovered by some hopefully smarter, hopefully warmer species.

Cut to a few thousand years later: aliens from Venus (because sure, why not?) arrive and stumble across this time capsule. These lizardy scholars are trying so hard to understand us. They analyze the tech. They study the images. They try to piece together what humans were like based on the sacred cultural treasures we left behind.

And then comes the final line — a gut punch of cosmic hilarity that I won't spoil, but trust me, it’s the sci-fi equivalent of slipping on a banana peel at your own funeral.

The whole story reads like a straight-faced eulogy to humanity, but then Clarke hits you with a twist so gloriously absurd you can't help but laugh and wince at the same time. It’s the literary version of leaving your entire life’s work behind, only for future generations to remember you as that species that worshipped cartoons.

Short, sharp, and savagely funny. Read it. You’ll never look at time capsules — or Mickey Mouse — the same way again.

Highly recommended if you enjoy a good punchline w

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