Blind Man's Lantern

Allen Kim LangProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 71K words
Chapters: 8

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. Blind Man's Lantern by Allen Kim Lang. Author: Lang, Allen Kim, 1928-, Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Feb 10, 2008

Editor's review

Blind Man's Lantern is a short science fiction work by the American writer Allen Kim Lang, released as a public-domain eBook by Project Gutenberg. Judging from the title and the author's field, the story has a speculative bent; it is short and serves as a sample of mid-twentieth-century American short science fiction. The work drives its narrative through a premise and touches on themes of cognitive limits, tools, and judgment; readers can finish it quickly and go on to discuss it. Being a public-domain electronic text, it has no introduction or notes, so readers must situate it in its period themselves. It is better suited as a supplementary title in the science fiction genre than as a first choice for beginners. While reading, note how the author builds the premise and creates the twist within a limited space, and how the title image resonates through the story.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy American short science fiction from the Golden Age to the New Wave
Learners who want to complete an English-language science fiction reading in a short time
General readers interested in themes of cognition and perception in science fiction
Teachers who need a public-domain English text as classroom discussion material

Not a good fit for

Science fiction readers looking for a full-length, fully built world
Readers with weak English who need sentence-by-sentence translation support
Researchers expecting a detailed introduction to the author's life and work

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the plot, then revisit how the title image echoes the ending.
While reading, note the key constraints in the premise and consider how the author uses them to create tension.
Read it alongside other public-domain short science fiction to observe common approaches to the same period's themes.
After reading, try summarizing the core premise in a few sentences to check whether you have grasped the narrative focus.

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

How long is this story?

It is a short science fiction story, not long, usually finishable in one or two sittings. The exact page count varies with the eBook's layout; refer to the text as actually opened.

What does the title "Blind Man's Lantern" mean?

The title itself forms a paradoxical image, suggesting the story may revolve around limits of perception, the role of tools, or the reliability of judgment. Its specific meaning depends on the plot; after finishing, revisit the title to appreciate the author's intent.

Do I need a background in science fiction reading?

No specialized science fiction reading is required, though familiarity with common approaches in mid-twentieth-century American short science fiction helps. If you seldom read English science fiction, start with one or two similar short stories to get used to the language and pace.

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About the author

Allen Kim Lang Author · American · 1928

Allen Kim Lang (born 1928) was an American science fiction writer born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He began publishing in 1950 with "The Machine from Klamugra" and went on to place numerous short stories in science fiction magazines. His work is often satirical, examining future societies and human nature from a sociological perspective, and belongs to the tradition of sociological science fiction. His representative works include Blind Man's Lantern, The Great Potlatch Riots, and The Cinderella Story, as well as the novel Beyond the Wilds. Four of his works are held in the collection, including Blind Man's Lantern, World in a Bottle, Gourmet, and The Great Potlatch Riots. Public information about his life and career is limited, and his common classification is unknown, but his stories are noted for their ingenious premises and humorous tone, earning him a place in the satirical tradition of mid-twentieth-century American science fiction magazines.