Chapter 1 of The Cosmic Snare is here in full — 517 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Cosmic Snare is here in full — 517 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds. It was uncharted, and--Liddell knew--a death trap! Liddell stared expectantly at the blank screen of the transfer unit. It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank. "See anything?"
Chapter 1 of The Cosmic Snare is here in full — 517 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/103 · 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.
in an alarming manner
From this reading “It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.”
occurring with no delay
From this reading “Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.”
in a cryptic manner
From this reading “It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.”
the state of nonexistence
From this reading “Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.”
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading “Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.”
transfer somebody to a different position or location of work
From this reading “Liddell stared expectantly at the blank screen of the transfer unit.”
(of unknown regions) not yet surveyed or investigated
From this reading “It was uncharted, and--Liddell knew--a death trap!”
any division of quantity accepted as a standard of measurement or exchange
From this reading “Liddell stared expectantly at the blank screen of the transfer unit.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was uncharted, and--Liddell knew--a death trap!
any thing at all
From this reading "See anything?"
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Liddell stared expectantly at the blank screen of the transfer unit.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.
(of a surface) not written or printed on
From this reading Liddell stared expectantly at the blank screen of the transfer unit.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading It was uncharted, and--Liddell knew--a death trap!
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.
in a cryptic manner
From this reading It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.
at any time
From this reading It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.
in an expectant manner
From this reading Liddell stared expectantly at the blank screen of the transfer unit.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.
in an alarming manner
From this reading It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.
occurring with no delay
From this reading Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was uncharted, and--Liddell knew--a death trap!
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading It was uncharted, and--Liddell knew--a death trap!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was uncharted, and--Liddell knew--a death trap!
in a cryptic manner
From this reading It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.
the state of nonexistence
From this reading Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Liddell stared expectantly at the blank screen of the transfer unit.
a white or silvered surface where pictures can be projected for viewing
From this reading Liddell stared expectantly at the blank screen of the transfer unit.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "See anything?"
from a time in the past until now
From this reading It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Liddell stared expectantly at the blank screen of the transfer unit.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Liddell stared expectantly at the blank screen of the transfer unit.
transfer somebody to a different position or location of work
From this reading Liddell stared expectantly at the blank screen of the transfer unit.
a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading It was uncharted, and--Liddell knew--a death trap!
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.
(of unknown regions) not yet surveyed or investigated
From this reading It was uncharted, and--Liddell knew--a death trap!
any division of quantity accepted as a standard of measurement or exchange
From this reading Liddell stared expectantly at the blank screen of the transfer unit.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It had been blank ever since he had arrived with his wife at the doorway, enigmatically, mysteriously, sometimes frighteningly blank.
plural of “world” — everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Sub-space was a vast nothingness used for instantaneous travel between stellar worlds.
Chapter 1 of The Cosmic Snare by Stephen Marlowe holds 517 sentences, grouped into 104 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 517 sentences of The Cosmic Snare, unabridged, divided into 104 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Cosmic Snare by Stephen Marlowe exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 517 sentences, grouped into 104 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 104 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 104 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 The Cosmic Snare by Stephen Marlowe on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 517 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #66714 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #66714, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 43 minutes of reading across 104 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Cosmic Snare section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Cosmic Snare 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 The Cosmic Snare, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
