Caesar’s Column. By Ignatius Donnelly. Full Audiobook
Published in 1890, Ignatius Donnelly's dystopian novel "Caesar's Column: A Story of the Twentieth Century" paints a bleak picture of the United States in the year 1988, where a wealthy and ruthless plutocracy has enslaved the working class, leading to widespread poverty, inequality, and social unrest.

The story unfolds through the eyes of Julian West, an American who has been living in a Swiss colony in Uganda for the past 92 years. Upon his return to New York City, he is horrified by the transformation it has undergone. The once-thriving metropolis is now a desolate wasteland, dominated by towering skyscrapers inhabited by the wealthy oligarchs and squalid tenements teeming with exploited laborers.

The oppressed masses, driven to the brink of desperation, are stirred by the charismatic rhetoric of Gabriel Grant, a former slave who has become a revolutionary leader. Grant's impassioned speeches call for the overthrow of the plutocracy and the establishment of a just and equitable society.

As tensions escalate, the oppressed workers rise up in a violent rebellion, seizing control of New York City and overthrowing the ruling elite. The city is thrown into chaos as the revolutionaries dismantle the old order, establishing a new republic based on principles of equality and communal ownership.

However, the new republic faces its own challenges. The revolutionary fervor wanes, and the utopian ideals of the past give way to corruption and political infighting. The once-unified workers become divided, and the new rulers prove to be as oppressive as the ones they replaced.

Into this turbulent landscape steps Julian West, a man out of time and place. He is torn between his admiration for the revolutionaries' ideals and his dismay at their descent into tyranny. As he witnesses the disintegration of the new society, he begins to question the very nature of human society and the possibility of a truly just and equitable order.

"Caesar's Column" concludes with a sense of pessimism and disillusionment. Donnelly's bleak vision of the future reflects his own concerns about the growing economic disparity and social unrest of his own time. Despite the aspirations of the revolutionaries, he suggests that human nature is ultimately corruptible, and that any attempt to create a perfect society is doomed to failure.

The novel's impact was profound, sparking debates about social justice, the role of labor unions, and the potential for revolution. Its popularity waned in the early 20th century, but it has since been rediscovered and appreciated for its insightful commentary on the pitfalls of unchecked capitalism and the enduring struggle for social equality.
More: Caesar's Column, Ignatius Donnelly, Audiobook
Science fiction, Dystopian, Political fiction
Social commentary, Revolution, 19th century
Future prediction, Political corruption, Class conflict
Social inequality, Utopian socialism, American literature
Classic literature

00:00:00 To The Public
00:05:13 Chapter 1. The Great City
00:29:36 Chapter 2. My Adventure
00:38:55 Chapter 3. The Beggar's Home
01:00:23 Chapter 4. The Under-World
01:15:00 Chapter 5. Estella Washington
01:27:36 Chapter 6. The Interview
01:46:08 Chapter 7. The Hiding-Place
01:56:35 Chapter 8. The Brotherhood
02:10:16 Chapter 9. The Poisoned Knife
02:33:10 Chapter 10. Preparations For To-Night
02:38:43 Chapter 11. How The World Came To Be Ruined
03:02:27 Chapter 12. Gabriel's Utopia
03:32:34 Chapter 13. The Council Of The Oligarchy
03:45:17 Chapter 14. The Spy's Story
04:01:42 Chapter 15. The Master Of "The Demons"
04:10:17 Chapter 16. Gabriel's Folly
04:15:19 Chapter 17. The Flight And Pursuit
04:26:50 Chapter 18. The Execution
04:42:17 Chapter 19. The Mamelukes Of The Air
04:54:22 Chapter 20. The Workingmen's Meeting
05:29:55 Chapter 21. A Sermon Of The Twentieth Century
05:56:31 Chapter 22. Estella And I
06:09:22 Chapter 23. Max's Story-The Songstress
06:21:07 Chapter 24. Max's Story Continued--The Journeyman Printer
06:36:39 Chapter 25. Max's Story Continued--The Dark Shadow
06:51:54 Chapter 26. Max's Story Continued--The Widow And Her Son
06:59:46 Chapter 27. Max's Story Continued--The Blacksmith Shop
07:04:40 Chapter 28. Max's Story Concluded--The Unexpected Happens
07:17:11 Chapter 29. Elysium
07:36:13 Chapter 30. Upon The House-Top
07:44:05 Chapter 31. "Sheol"
07:51:46 Chapter 32. The Rat-Trap
08:00:09 Chapter 33. "The Ocean Overpeers Its List"
08:09:46 Chapter 34. The Prince Gives His Last Bribe
08:17:47 Chapter 35. The Liberated Prisoner
08:28:51 Chapter 36. Cæsar Erects His Monument
08:44:29 Chapter 37. The Second Day
08:54:48 Chapter 38. The Flight
09:10:45 Chapter 39. Europe
09:20:17 Chapter 40. The Garden In The Mountains

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