A Voyage to Arcturus is a novel by Scottish writer David Lindsay, first published in 1920. An interstellar voyage is the framework for a narrative of a journey through fantastic landscapes. The story is set at Tormance, an imaginary planet orbiting Arcturus, which, in the novel (but not in reality) is a double star system, consisting of stars Branchspell and Alppain. The lands through which the characters travel represent philosophical systems or states of mind, through which the main character, Maskull, passes on his search for the meaning of life. The novel combines fantasy, philosophy, and science fiction in an exploration of the nature of good and evil and their relationship with existence. It has been described by critic and philosopher Colin Wilson as the greatest novel of the twentieth century and was a central influence on C. S. Lewis Space Trilogy. J. R. R. Tolkien said he read the book with avidity . Clive Barker has stated A Voyage to Arcturus is a masterpiece and called it an extraordinary work . . . quite magnificent. David Lindsay (1876-1945) was a Scottish author now best remembered for the philosophical science fiction novel A Voyage to Arcturus (1920). Other novels by Lindsay include: The Haunted Woman (1922), Sphinx (1923), Adventures of Monsieur de Mailly (1926) [UK] A Blade for Sale (1927) [US], Devil s Tor (1932), The Violet Apple and The Witch (1976) and A Christmas Play (2003).
