Well known for his part sf, part futurist novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley shortly thereafter in 1948 produced another novella, Ape & Essence. Also done in a futurist/sf manner, Ape & Essence delves into the ideas of religious philosophy & theology & does so in a short piece, presented in the form of a prose-laden screen play complete with scene descriptions & narrator asides. This may sound a strange way to produce a storyline, but he utilizes it well. The screen descriptions are rather short & don't drop layer upon layer of details. The narrator asides that punctuate the story before it moves to scripted scene areas (fortunately done more in a prose style rather than a labeled script) are done from a near-monologue point of view that add fascinating insights to the plot. Apparent by the writing style & presiding plot, the novella is from the 40s. It stands the test of time however by providing an interesting insight that isn't marred by being decades old from today. Sardonically written with a flair of satire, Ape & Essence is a study in theology & sociology.--Marcus Pan (edited)