In the title tale of this original collection, Voltaire addresses the social and political problems of his own day in an ancient Babylonian setting. "Zadig" challenges 18th-century religious orthodoxy by portraying life's vicissitudes as the product of destiny rather than individual choice...

In the title tale of this original collection, Voltaire addresses the social and political problems of his own day in an ancient Babylonian setting. "Zadig" challenges 18th-century religious orthodoxy by portraying life's vicissitudes as the product of destiny rather than individual choices. Additional selections of the Enlightenment philosopher's short fiction include "Micromegas," "The World As It Is," "Jeannot and Colin," and other stories.