Alien Minds

E. Everett EvansProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 381K words
Chapters: 39

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.Alien Minds by E. Everett EvansAuthor: Evans, E. Everett (Edward Everett), 1893-1958,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jan 7, 2016

Editor's review

Alien Minds is an early science fiction work by E. Everett Evans, reissued as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg. As mid-twentieth-century American pulp science fiction, it preserves the era's ways of imagining alien life and psychic powers, and holds documentary value for readers studying the evolution of the genre or the narrative tastes of the pulp magazine period. Evans writes directly and moves the plot briskly, making the book suitable for light English-language reading. Note that the work dates from decades ago, and its language habits, character conventions, and scientific assumptions bear clear marks of its time; readers may treat it as a window onto early science fiction rather than expecting the rigorous world-building of contemporary hard SF. The Project Gutenberg edition is easy to open on a phone or e-reader, suited to fragmented reading on a commute or before sleep, and also serves as introductory material for English learners approaching original popular fiction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in early science fiction and genre history
Learners who want to practice extensive reading with original English popular fiction
Readers who enjoy fast-paced, plot-driven science fiction
Readers who need free public-domain eBooks to fill their e-readers

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking the rigorous world-building of contemporary hard SF
Readers unaccustomed to English originals or early narrative style
Readers expecting deep character development and literary expression

Reading tips

Read the work information on the Project Gutenberg page first to learn its publication era and genre context before entering the text
Read it as a specimen of genre history, noting ways of imagining that differ from contemporary science fiction
If English reading is difficult, read a chapter first to grasp the plot, then return to unfamiliar words
Best read in segments on a commute or before sleep; there is no need to finish in one sitting

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

Is this book a novel or a short story?

According to Project Gutenberg, the book is classified under American and Canadian literature, and its length suits one or several sittings. The exact word count can be found on its eBook page; readers should rely on that page rather than arranging their reading pace as if for a full-length novel.

How difficult is the English? Is it suitable for English learners?

The work is mid-twentieth-century popular science fiction. Sentence structure is generally straightforward, though it carries the usage and genre terminology of its time. Learners with intermediate English can read it with a dictionary, focusing on understanding the plot rather than parsing every word.

Why can this book be downloaded for free?

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books and specializes in works whose copyright has entered the public domain. This book was prepared and released by Project Gutenberg, so readers can obtain it legally and free of charge; specific terms of use are as stated on its page.

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About the author

E. Everett Evans Author · American · 1893–1958

E. Everett Evans (1893–1958) was an American science fiction writer born in Michigan. In his early years he was active in science fiction fandom and moved among people who later became well-known writers in the field, an experience that gave him a firsthand understanding of readers' tastes and of fan culture. He began publishing in the late 1940s; his career was not long, yet he left several distinctive novels, including The Planet Mappers, Man of Many Minds and Alien Minds, as well as The Masters of Space, co-written with E. E. Smith. His work often centers on interstellar exploration, telepathy and extraordinary minds, with bold imagination, brisk narration and the optimistic temper of Golden Age science fiction. The Big Heart Award, named in his honor, is given to outstanding science fiction fans, a sign of his influence within fan culture. Public information about him is limited, and the details of his life and the full range of his work remain to be clarified.