Be It Ever Thus

Williams, Robert Moore, 1907-1977Project Gutenberg · United StatesMar 2023

2.7

Word count: 27K words
Chapters: 3

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.Be It Ever Thus by Robert Moore WilliamsAuthor: Williams, Robert Moore, 1907-1977,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jun 25, 2009

Editor's review

Robert Moore Williams was a 20th-century American author of science fiction and popular fiction, and Be It Ever Thus is one of his short works, prepared by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain ebook. Judging by its classification, it belongs to American literature; it is not long and carries the speculative quality common in early science fiction magazines: setting drives the plot while exploring human nature, social order, or the consequences of technology. Its value lies in presenting the narrative rhythm and thematic concerns of popular science fiction around the golden age, making it a useful sample for understanding American science fiction short stories of that period. The language is straightforward and the plot moves quickly, so the reading threshold is not high, but its depth of thought and character development may not meet the expectations of contemporary readers of long-form science fiction. It is suitable for reading in one sitting during a commute or short break, then revisiting the metaphor behind its setting.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy early American science fiction short stories and want to broaden their reading range
Enthusiasts and researchers studying mid-20th-century popular-magazine science fiction
English readers who want to finish a complete story in a short time
Those interested in public-domain ebooks and the organization of science fiction documents

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer hard science fiction with technical detail and rigorous worldbuilding
Readers expecting long-form character growth and complex worldbuilding
Readers still at a beginner level in English who need Chinese assistance

Reading tips

Read it through in one sitting first to grasp the plot and core setting, then go back to analyze the author's metaphorical intent.
After reading, look up the background of author Robert Moore Williams's writing period to understand the context of popular science fiction.
Compare it with other magazine science fiction short stories of the same period to observe commonalities and differences in themes and methods.
If using it for research, record the text's narrative perspective and way of presenting exposition as material for genre analysis.

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 genre is this work, and how long is it?

This is a short work by Robert Moore Williams, classified under American literature and bearing the flavor of early popular science fiction. The Project Gutenberg version is a short electronic text that can be finished in one reading session.

Do I need to know the author's other works first?

No. This is a standalone short story with a self-contained plot and setting. If you are interested after reading, you can look up the author's other public-domain works for further reading.

What is the reading experience of the Project Gutenberg version like?

The text is a free public-domain ebook with plain formatting and no commercial annotations, suitable for direct reading on electronic devices. When citing or researching, check the original publication information and text version.

Is it suitable as an introduction to science fiction?

It can serve as a light sample for understanding early American science fiction short stories, but it does not represent the mainstream style of contemporary science fiction. Beginner readers who prefer strong settings and complex narratives may find it unsatisfying.

Comments

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About the author

Williams, Robert Moore, 1907-1977 Author

Robert Moore Williams (1907–1977) was an American science fiction writer; available public information about him is limited. This library holds nine of his works, including Thompson's Cat, New Lamps, The Lost Warship, Sinister Paradise, Publicity Stunt, Be It Ever Thus, The Next Time We Die, and Doomsday Eve. These works are mostly science fiction and fantasy, often set against interstellar voyages, lost warships, doomsday scenarios, and strange paradises. Their plots are tightly paced and their imagination bold, echoing the narrative style of mid-twentieth-century American pulp science fiction magazines. On this Chinese book site his works are categorized under inspirational growth, suggesting that, beyond adventure, some pieces also touch on psychology and personal growth when characters face hardship and choice. Overall, Williams is known for short stories and popular novels, skilled at building suspense and a sense of wonder.