A Man Obsessed

Nourse, Alan Edward, 1928-1992Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 244K words
Chapters: 25

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. A Man Obsessed by Alan Edward Nourse. Author: Nourse, Alan Edward, 1928-1992. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: Jul 26, 2015

Editor's review

A Man Obsessed is an English-language short work by American writer Alan E. Nourse, published in the mid-twentieth century and made available as a free electronic text by Project Gutenberg. Nourse had a medical background, and his science fiction often reflects an interest in scientific ethics and the human condition. This story is short and tightly paced, a light sample of Golden Age science fiction short stories. The electronic edition is easy to obtain and can be read in one sitting during a commute or in spare moments. Note that this is a genre story rather than a literary classic; the focus is on plot momentum and thematic interest rather than complex stylistic experimentation. For readers looking to broaden their English-language science fiction reading or explore the style of early science fiction magazines, it is a low-cost entry point.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy Golden Age English-language science fiction short stories
Learners who want to practice extensive reading in English with short fiction
Enthusiasts interested in the style of early science fiction magazines
Readers who need a short work to fill spare moments

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting deep literary quality and complex narrative structure
Those who are not used to reading in English and do not need a bilingual edition
Science fiction fans looking for a full-length world-building novel

Reading tips

Read through once for the plot, then read again to notice details enriched by the author's medical background.
Don't look up every unfamiliar word; keep the reading rhythm first and review afterward.
Read it alongside other Golden Age science fiction short stories to see the common features of magazine-style narrative.
After reading, briefly note the themes and character motivations for discussion with friends or a short review.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What language is this story in?

The original is in English, with an electronic edition released by Project Gutenberg. It is suitable for readers with some English reading ability, and a dictionary tool can help with comprehension.

Is it long? How long does it take to read?

This is a short work. It is not long and can usually be finished in one or two hours, making it suitable for reading in one sitting during a commute or in spare moments without a long commitment.

What is the author Nourse's background?

Alan E. Nourse (1928–1992) was an American writer with a medical background whose work includes science fiction and genre fiction. This background often gives his work a professional edge in scientific setup and human situations.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Nourse, Alan Edward, 1928-1992 Author

Alan Edward Nourse (1928-1992) is a science fiction author with 24 works held in this collection, though public information about him is limited and biographical details remain to be filled in. Judging from the available titles, he wrote both novels and short stories, often centering on space exploration, medical ethics, and the risks of technology: titles such as Star Surgeon and Brightside Crossing suggest an interest in the intersection of interstellar travel and surgery, while An Ounce of Cure, Consignment, and Marley's Chain reveal a cool scrutiny of technological consequences. He was skilled at carrying speculation through tight plotting, placing ordinary people in extreme situations and using professional detail to heighten realism. Some short pieces, such as Meeting of the Board, adopt a satirical tone, showing that his style was not monolithic. His work had some influence among mid-twentieth-century English-language science fiction readers, but details of awards and sales cannot be verified and are therefore not speculated upon.