Trip to the Moon, John Yorke
Trip to the Moon, John Yorke
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Trip to the Moon
Understanding the True Power Of Story

Author: John Yorke

Narrator: John Yorke

Unabridged: 14 hr 13 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 01/29/2026

Synopsis

Brought to you by Penguin.

A masterclass in telling stories - and how they shape our world - from the internationally renowned narrative expert

To command narrative is to control a sometimes frightening power. What is it that turbocharges some tales, and how is it possible to harness that potency?

John Yorke has revolutionised our understanding of story structure. In this new book he delves deeper – into how to put that structure to work in the world. Trip to the Moon takes us on a journey not just through drama and fiction but through politics, religion and non-western narrative, to seek out the role of story in all our lives, examining how to utilise its lessons to create life-changing tales – and, in a world aflame with conspiracy theories, to guard ourselves against their darker purpose too.

Revealing the artful symmetry and underlying principles that connect Summer beach reads to Classical Chinese poetry, superhero flicks to Russian arthouse, and classical rhetoric to state propaganda, Yorke makes dazzling connections that show how stories have the power to transfigure the chaos of our existence into a new equilibrium, and make the world anew.

© John Yorke 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Reviews

Goodreads review by Ande on February 28, 2026

Another awesome book from Mr. Yorke. I honestly thought that nothing would beat "Into the Woods", but he actually managed to outdo himself. This is the most awe-inspiring storytelling book that I have read, altogether with "Anatomy of Genres". As in the previous book, it all comes down to the questi......more

Goodreads review by S.J. on February 13, 2026

Firstly, let’s explore what this book doesn’t do. It isn’t any sort of how-to guide for authors and screenwriters on how to write a compelling narrative. Instead, it’s a progression from Yorke’s previous bestseller, Into the Woods, that I understand does look at how stories go together as a guide to......more

Goodreads review by Sian on January 21, 2026

I’m a writer who’s not really a writer. I love to write; I write for work and I write in my spare time for my blogs. And in my head, I write novels. I haven’t really ever put these to paper, but I know that one day I will, so I gather information for them like a magpie. This is written more like a se......more

Goodreads review by Pippa on February 06, 2026

Trip to the Moon is in effect as series of essays analyzing the impact of story on politics, religion, and world order, and very different to “Into the Woods”. Indeed, John Yorke’s book “Trip to the Moon” is not a writer’s manual but a philosophical examination of the purpose, structure, and influen......more

Goodreads review by Rona on February 15, 2026

I've read Into the woods by this author but I found this book so much better. The way he makes his points is so accessible and memorable, using not just literature and films but what is happening in every day life. Stories are all around us if we care to look and learn. Reading this was like having......more

Quotes

His analysis in this instance soars precisely because it escapes into the real world… gleaning joy from unlikely but convincing connections... Yorke's dismantling of how these stories work on us as citizens feels like a public service, granting literacy at a moment of bewildering global rupture Observer

In this invaluable book, John Yorke uncovers the narratives that help us make sense of the world – and offers an antidote to paint-by-numbers screenwriting manuals. You'll learn something new on every page

A masterpiece . . . genius - funny and wise and occasionally profound

Truly excellent, and the best book on "story" that I have ever read. I love the places it took me to. It is a tremendous achievement

It’s a dazzling rocket of a book that launches you on a headlong journey through time and space in pursuit of incredible, surprising truths showing how story shapes our worlds and our lives

We’re all made of stories — and made by them. No one understands this more deeply than John Yorke — and no one writes about it with greater insight and urgency, or more entertainingly. This is a wonderful book

Brilliant and Illuminating... John Yorke's Into the Woods is the second best book I know on theories of narrative structure. The best is John Yorke’s latest Trip to the Moon

I loved this... an endlessly fascinating exploration of how story and structure shape not only the television and films we consume, but also our lives... I feel immeasurably more intelligent having read it!

As a fellow story geek, I was captivated... It’s a properly impressive piece of scholarship, and above all, a highly compelling read. A real page turner

Few people can understand or explain so clearly the essence of drama and storytelling as John Yorke

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