Chapter 1 of Masters of Space is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Masters of Space is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist. But the Masters were gone. And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All? "But didn't you feel _anything_, Javo?" Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.
Chapter 1 of Masters of Space is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading “Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.”
completely unclothed
From this reading “Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.”
an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
From this reading “And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?”
a hand with the fingers clenched in the palm (as for hitting)
From this reading “The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist.”
United States poet (1869-1950)
From this reading “The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist.”
subject to a ruling authority
From this reading “The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist.”
(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
From this reading “Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.”
pulled or drawn tight
From this reading “Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
any thing at all
From this reading "But didn't you feel _anything_, Javo?"
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.
completely unclothed
From this reading Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the Masters were gone.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But didn't you feel _anything_, Javo?"
an opposing military force
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading "But didn't you feel _anything_, Javo?"
a hand with the fingers clenched in the palm (as for hitting)
From this reading The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist.
destroyed or killed
From this reading But the Masters were gone.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But didn't you feel _anything_, Javo?"
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.
United States poet (1869-1950)
From this reading The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
any competition
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
subject to a ruling authority
From this reading The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist.
(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
From this reading Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.
carry out
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
pulled or drawn tight
From this reading Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.
not capable of being conquered or vanquished or overcome
From this reading The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Strain was apparent in every line of Tula's taut, bare body.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But the Masters were gone.
which person or people
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
in the company of; together with
From this reading The Masters had ruled all space with an unconquerable iron fist.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "But didn't you feel _anything_, Javo?"
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading And this new, young race who came now to take their place--could they hope to defeat the ancient Enemy of All?
Chapter 1 of Masters of Space by E. E. (Edward Elmer) Smith holds 436 sentences, grouped into 88 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 1 holds 436 sentences of Masters of Space, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Masters of Space by E. E. (Edward Elmer) Smith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 436 sentences, grouped into 88 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Masters of Space by E. E. (Edward Elmer) Smith on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4769 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22754 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22754, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 397 minutes of reading across 954 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Masters of Space section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Masters of Space to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Masters of Space, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
