Syntheses of (±)-2a, the racemate of the structure proposed for sorgolactone, and its three racemic stereoisomers have been accomplished with confirmation of the stereostructures of the intermediate (±)-10 and the final product (±)-2a by X-ray analysis. Its optically active form, (3aR,8S,8bS,2′R)-(+)-2a, has also been prepared from (S)-(–)-citronellal by employing radical cyclization of 18 to 19 as