Ten Steps on the Quest for the Ideal | Chrononauts Episode 4

Containing discussions of ten individual Stories, represented by Eight authors, concerning three Modes of the Ideal; the First encapsulating Sketches of the Mad Scientist, pursued thither in Grains granulating on the Gradient from the Coarse to the Refined; the Second presenting an Understanding and an Excitement of Sound, Music, Acoustics and Art; and the Third in the preaching of Doomsday in the Russian Orthodox tradition, in which a passionate Defense of the Character of Constance Garnett is offered by one of the Hosts (though Whom at this Time we will not say), which may surprize the Listener.

Timestamps:

The First Steps: The Mad Scientist's Miscellany

Introduction, background on Nathaniel Hawthorne (0:00)

Nathaniel Hawthorne - "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" (1837) (16:11)

Nathaniel Hawthorne - "Rappacini's Daughter" (1844) (27:16)

E.T.A. Hoffman - "The Sandman" (1816) (46:38)

Fitz-James O'brien - "The Diamond Lens" (1858) (1:18:46)

The Second Steps: Acoustical Resonations

James Davenport Whelpley - "The Atoms of Chladni" (1860) (1:42:55)

Honoré de Balzac - "Gambara" (1837) (2:12:40)

The Third Steps: Russian Doomsday

Semyon Dyachkov - "A Trip to the Moon in a Wonderful Machine With a Description of the Countries There, Customs and Various Rarities" (1844) (2:42:40)

Dmitry Sigov - "Journey to the Sun and the Planet Mercury and All the Visible and Invisible Worlds " (1832), and "The Talk of Moscow Citizens about the Comet of 1832" (1832) (2:55:54)

Vladimir Odoevsky - "The Year 4338: The Petersburg Letters" (3:15:14)

Bibliography:

Boczkowska, Kornelia. "Space exploration in 20th century American and Soviet literature and art". Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu 2015