Listen and read

Step into an infinite world of stories

  • Read and listen as much as you want
  • Over 1 million titles
  • Exclusive titles + Storytel Originals
  • 7 days free trial, then €9.99/month
  • Easy to cancel anytime
Subscribe Now
Cover for The Pause
Editions

2

7 Ratings

3.7

Duration
0H 28min
Language
English
Format
Category

Science fiction

The Pause is a short story by Isaac Asimov, first published in 1954. The story is about a nuclear physicist named Alexander Johannison who discovers that radioactivity has disappeared from the Earth. He soon realizes that he is the only one who remembers it, and that everyone else has forgotten all about it.

The story explores the themes of memory, knowledge, and power. Johannison is initially horrified to find that he is the only one who remembers radioactivity, and he fears that the world is now vulnerable to nuclear attack. However, he eventually comes to realize that the disappearance of radioactivity is a chance for humanity to start over, without the threat of nuclear war.

The Pause is a thought-provoking story that raises important questions about the nature of knowledge and the power of memory. It is a reminder that even the most basic facts of our world can be changed, and that we must always be vigilant in protecting our knowledge and our way of life.

Award winning audiobook narrator Mike Vendetti brings this well-written and engaging short story to life and it is sure to leave listeners thinking about the implications of its premise. It is a classic example of Asimov's ability to take a simple idea and turn it into a thought-provoking exploration of the human condition.

© 2023 Mike Vendetti Productions (Audiobook): 9798368958224

Release date

Audiobook: 3 May 2023

Other editions

Others also enjoyed ...

  1. The Martian Way: And Other Stories
    The Martian Way: And Other Stories Isaac Asimov
  2. The Stars, Like Dust
    The Stars, Like Dust Isaac Asimov
  3. Beyond Lies the Wub
    Beyond Lies the Wub Philip K. Dick
  4. Worlds Within Worlds - The Story of Nuclear Energy
    Worlds Within Worlds - The Story of Nuclear Energy Isaac Asimov
  5. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol. 2-B: The Greatest Science Fiction Novellas of All Time Chosen by the Members of the Science Fiction Writers of America
    The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol. 2-B: The Greatest Science Fiction Novellas of All Time Chosen by the Members of the Science Fiction Writers of America Isaac Asimov, Jack Vance, others
  6. Expanded Universe, Vol. 2
    Expanded Universe, Vol. 2 Robert A. Heinlein
  7. 3 Science Fiction Stories
    3 Science Fiction Stories Frank Herbert
  8. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol. 2-A: The Greatest Science Fiction Novellas of All Time Chosen by the Members of The Science Fiction Writers of America
    The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol. 2-A: The Greatest Science Fiction Novellas of All Time Chosen by the Members of The Science Fiction Writers of America H. G. Wells, Poul Anderson, others
  9. Tony and the Beetles
    Tony and the Beetles Philip K. Dick
  10. Great Classic Science Fiction
    Great Classic Science Fiction various authors, H. G. Wells, Philip K. Dick, Frank Herbert, Stanley G. Weinbaum, James Schmitz, Lester del Rey, Fritz Leiber
  11. Robot Visions
    Robot Visions Isaac Asimov
  12. Pebble in the Sky
    Pebble in the Sky Isaac Asimov
  13. The Rest of the Robots
    The Rest of the Robots Isaac Asimov
  14. The Currents of Space
    The Currents of Space Isaac Asimov
  15. The Caves of Steel
    The Caves of Steel Isaac Asimov
  16. Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams
    Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams Philip K. Dick
  17. Second Variety
    Second Variety Philip K. Dick
  18. The End of Eternity
    The End of Eternity Isaac Asimov
  19. The Heaven Makers
    The Heaven Makers Frank Herbert
  20. The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag
    The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag Robert A. Heinlein
  21. The Number of the Beast
    The Number of the Beast Robert A. Heinlein
  22. The Rolling Stones
    The Rolling Stones Robert A. Heinlein
  23. 99 Classic Thriller Short Stories:: Works by Philip K. Dick, Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells, Wilkie Collins...and many more !
    99 Classic Thriller Short Stories:: Works by Philip K. Dick, Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells, Wilkie Collins...and many more ! Arthur Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells, Rafael Sabatini, Edgar Allan Poe, Edgar Wallace, O.Henry, E.Nesbit, Baroness Orczy, Philip K. Dick, Wilkie Collins, W.W. Jacobs, Sax Rohmer, E.W. Hornung, Alexander Pushkin, Algernon Blackwood, Edward S. Ellis, Stewart Edward White, Fred M. White, Frank L. Packard, Cleveland Moffett, Arthur Train, Guy Boothby, Arthur Quiller-Couch, Wadsworth Camp, Arthur Stringer, H.C. Bailey, Harold Bindloss, Henry C. Rowland, Charles E. Van Loan, G.B. Lancaster, Hapsburg Liebe, Arthur O. Friel, Barry Pain, Compton Mackenzie, Cy Warman, Ethel Turner, Eugene Manlove Rhodes, George Newnes, Gilbert Parker, H.A. Lamb, Harold Titus, Harvey J. O'Higgins, Jack Holt, James Aquila Kempster, Josephine Dodge Daskam, Mary Heaton Vorse, Mary Shipman Raymond Andrews, Mrs. Belloc Lowndes, Wilbur Daniel Steele, William McLeod Raine, Readym Anthologies, James B. Connolly, H. Bedford-Jones
  24. Piper in the Woods
    Piper in the Woods Philip K. Dick
  25. The Hanging Stranger
    The Hanging Stranger Philip K. Dick
  26. Time Enough for Love: The Lives of Lazarus Long
    Time Enough for Love: The Lives of Lazarus Long Robert A. Heinlein

This is why you’ll love Storytel

  • Listen and read without limits

  • 800 000+ stories in 40 languages

  • Kids Mode (child-safe environment)

  • Cancel anytime

Unlimited stories, anytime

Unlimited

Listen and read as much as you want

9.99 € /month

  • 1 account

  • Unlimited Access

  • Offline Mode

  • Kids Mode

  • Cancel anytime

Try now