Decision

Frank M. RobinsonProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

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.Decision by Frank M. RobinsonAuthor: Robinson, Frank M., 1926-2014,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Aug 12, 2009

Editor's review

Decision is a short English-language work by Frank M. Robinson published in the mid-twentieth century and now circulating as a free public-domain eBook through Project Gutenberg. Robinson was long active in American popular science-fiction magazines, and his work often uses a spare style to probe the tension between technological ethics and individual choice. The book is brief and tightly paced; its main appeal lies in compressing an abstract moral dilemma into a concrete situation so that readers quickly enter the characters' circumstances within a limited space. For readers who want to understand the development of American science fiction or who hope to approach public-domain English originals with a relatively low language threshold, this is a light but typical sample. When reading, one need not look for elaborate plotting; it is better to appreciate how the author expresses the theme through minimal dialogue and scene. Suitable for a short bedtime read, fragmented commuting reading, or as extensive reading material for English learners seeking the feel and narrative habits of mid-twentieth-century American genre fiction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers curious about mid-twentieth-century American science-fiction short stories
English learners who want to practice extensive reading with short English originals
Readers interested in the themes of technological ethics and individual choice
Reading promoters who need free public-domain eBook material

Not a good fit for

Deep science-fiction fans who prefer long, complex world-building and series
Readers expecting contemporary hard science-fiction technical detail
Readers impatient with English originals who read only Chinese translations

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the plot, then revisit key dialogue to appreciate the turning points in the characters' choices.
When using it for extensive reading, do not look up every word; finish the whole piece first, then organize vocabulary.
Read it alongside other public-domain short stories by the same author to observe recurring themes and methods.
After reading, write a hundred-word review recording your own judgment of the choice situation in the book.

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?

Judging from the Project Gutenberg record, this is a short English-language work by Frank M. Robinson. It is brief, suitable for reading in one or two sittings, and should not be approached as a full-length novel.

How difficult is the English?

As a work in the style of mid-twentieth-century American popular magazines, it relies mainly on narrative and dialogue, with uncomplicated sentences. Readers with roughly CET-4 reading ability can finish it with a dictionary, making it suitable as extensive reading material.

Why is the Project Gutenberg edition recommended?

Project Gutenberg was the first project to provide free eBooks, and this book is released there as a public-domain eBook. It is easy to obtain and free, suitable for readers who want low-cost access to English originals.

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About the author

Frank M. Robinson Author · American · 1926–2014

Frank M. Robinson (Frank Malcolm Robinson, 1926–2014) was an American writer of science fiction and techno-thrillers, born in Chicago and died in San Francisco. From 1950 he published stories in magazines such as Astounding Science Fiction. His representative works include The Power and, with Thomas N. Scortia, The Glass Inferno, which was adapted into the film The Towering Inferno. Six of his works are held in this collection: Decision, The Fire and the Sword, The Girls From Earth, Two Weeks in August, The Worlds of Joe Shannon, and The Reluctant Heroes, with themes centering on science-fiction premises and techno-thriller plots. Beyond fiction, he worked for many years as a magazine editor and served as a speechwriter for the San Francisco politician Harvey Milk. Public information on his life and writing is limited; the above account relies only on reliable records.