Conditionally Human

Miller, Walter M., 1923-1996Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

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.Conditionally Human by Walter M. MillerAuthor: Miller, Walter M., 1923-1996,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Apr 3, 2016

Editor's review

Walter M. Miller is best known for A Canticle for Leibowitz, and Conditionally Human continues his cool-eyed examination of human nature, ethics, and the limits of institutional power. The work is short, yet it pushes the idea of the "conditionally human" to an extreme: when human identity is made conditional, subject to review and granted or revoked, readers are forced to confront a question that is not far off—who defines what a human is, and on what grounds? Miller's narration is restrained; it does not rely on sentimentality, but lets unease accumulate through detail and institutional logic. It is best read in one sitting in a quiet setting, then revisited in its key passages. As a public-domain eBook, it is also an entry point for understanding how mid-twentieth-century American science fiction engaged with social issues, and can be read alongside dystopian classics. Note that this is the original English edition, whose style bears the marks of its era; non-native readers may need tools to assist them.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy dystopian and ethical science fiction and are willing to think about institutions and human nature
Readers who have read A Canticle for Leibowitz and want to explore more of Miller's shorter fiction
Researchers with strong English reading ability who want to approach classic science fiction through shorter works
Readers interested in the social issues of mid-twentieth-century American science fiction

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer light entertainment and fast-paced plots may find it dull
Chinese readers with weak English who are unwilling to use tools to look up words
Science fiction fans expecting a full-length world and plenty of action

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the plot, then return to the passages involving "condition" judgments and sort out the institutional logic.
Keep pen and paper handy to note the criteria by which "human" is defined, and compare them with your own judgment after finishing.
Read alongside A Canticle for Leibowitz or dystopian classics to compare how the issues are handled.
For the original English edition, read the introduction or look up the historical background first before entering the text, to lower the barrier to understanding.

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 available information, this is one of Miller's works and is relatively compact, closer to novella or short-story length. You need not plan your reading around a novel's pace; it is suited to being read in one or two evenings, with time left afterward to reflect.

Do I need to read A Canticle for Leibowitz first?

No. The two books are independent and have no plot continuity. However, reading A Canticle for Leibowitz first helps in understanding the ethical and religious issues Miller consistently cared about, making it easier to grasp his line of thought when reading this book.

How difficult is the original English edition?

The language carries mid-twentieth-century habits of expression; the sentences are not complex, but the wording is rather literary. Readers with college-level English can finish it with a dictionary; for a smoother experience, it is advisable to read relevant Chinese reviews first, then the original.

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About the author

Miller, Walter M., 1923-1996 Author

Walter M. Miller (1923–1996) was an American science fiction writer. Seven of his works are included in this catalog: Conditionally Human, The Ties That Bind, Death of a Spaceman, Way of a Rebel, The Hoofer, Check and Checkmate, and It Takes a Thief. Public information about him is limited, and biographical details are difficult to verify. These titles nonetheless show that he worked mainly in the short-story form, dealing with space adventure, human predicaments, and moral choice. His narratives are concise and often marked by grim irony and reflection. Most of these pieces appeared during the mid-twentieth-century golden age of science fiction magazines, balancing technical speculation with psychological portraiture and embedding concerns about civilization and individual fate within the popular framework of genre fiction, leaving a modest influence on later short science fiction.