Brain Teaser

Godwin, Tom, 1915-1980Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 42K words
Chapters: 5

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.Brain Teaser by Tom GodwinAuthor: Godwin, Tom, 1915-1980,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: May 23, 2019

Editor's review

Brain Teaser is a short science fiction work by Tom Godwin, presented here in its original English through Project Gutenberg. Godwin's science fiction is often marked by coolly reasoned premises and moral dilemmas, and this short story likewise builds on an ingenious premise; it is brief yet sustains tension within a limited setting. Its pleasure comes from a puzzle-solving progression: readers keep guessing the rules behind the premise and are rewarded with a twist or resolution at the end. As a public-domain short story, it also serves as a light sample of English-language science fiction for observing the narrative pacing and language style of mid-twentieth-century American science fiction magazines. Note that the short form means relatively restrained characterization and no exhaustive world-building, so readers used to long-form development may find it unsatisfying. Treat it as a short reading session: finish it in one sitting, then go back over the clues to appreciate the author's design.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy short science fiction and speculative premises
Science fiction fans who want short pieces to practice reading English
Those interested in mid-twentieth-century American science fiction
Readers who want a complete story for a commute or a spare moment

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer long-form world-building and complex character arcs
Readers expecting rigorously consistent hard science detail
Beginners unused to reading in English

Reading tips

Read it through in one sitting without looking up words, to preserve the suspense.
Afterward, revisit key passages to map the rules of the premise and the planted clues for the twist.
Compare it with other short stories by the same author to note recurring themes and techniques.
English learners can do a second, close reading, noting descriptive and dialogue patterns.

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 a novel or a short story?

It is a short story with limited length, suitable for reading in one sitting. Because of this, it relies more on a single core premise and an ending twist for its effect; do not expect extensive world-building.

How difficult is the English? Is it good for language learners?

It has the language style of mid-twentieth-century American popular science fiction; the sentences are not very difficult, but there are period expressions and science fiction terminology. Readers with some English foundation can use it for close reading practice; beginners are advised to read a translation first and then compare it with the original.

Is it consistent in style with the author's other works?

Godwin's science fiction often centers on choices and rule-based reasoning in extreme situations, and this story continues that emphasis on premise and reversal. If you like this coolly reasoned style, you can look for his other public-domain short stories for comparison.

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

Godwin, Tom, 1915-1980 Author

Tom Godwin (1915–1980) was an English-language writer known chiefly for his science fiction short stories and novellas. Public information about him is limited, and details of his life are scarcely recorded. Seven of his works are held in this collection, including Space Prison, The Helpful Hand of God, —And Devious the Line of Duty, The Nothing Equation, Cry from a Far Planet, The Barbarians, and Brain Teaser. Judging from these titles and themes, his writing often revolves around survival in space, moral dilemmas, and human choices under extreme conditions. His plots are tightly paced, and his narratives are frequently driven by stark physical and ethical premises. Works such as Space Prison in particular reflect his interest in isolation and the cost of survival. His short stories are cleanly structured with clear conflicts, and they are representative of mid-twentieth-century science fiction magazine writing, leaving a mark on later hard science fiction and survival-themed fiction.