Derelict

Nourse, Alan Edward, 1928-1992Project Gutenberg · United StatesMar 2023

2.8

Word count: 40K 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.Derelict by Alan Edward NourseAuthor: Nourse, Alan Edward, 1928-1992,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Apr 13, 2010

Editor's review

Derelict is a short work by science fiction writer Alan Edward Nourse, made available as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg. Nourse was a physician by profession, and his science fiction often combines cool technical extrapolation with observations of human nature, lending his stories a layer of realism beyond their premises. This piece revolves around abandoned things; it is concise and tightly paced, suited to being read in one sitting during a spare moment. As a public-domain eBook, its value lies not only in the story itself but also in presenting a typical example of mid-twentieth-century American short science fiction: it opens with a simple scene, drives the reading with suspense, and often leaves room for afterthought at the end. For readers studying the evolution of genre literature or seeking a low-threshold introduction to early science fiction, it is a light but meaningful sample. While reading, note how the author builds the world and delivers the turn within a limited space—this is where the craft of short science fiction lies.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers who want to read short science fiction in spare moments
Genre fans interested in mid-twentieth-century American science fiction
Learners who need lightweight English originals for extensive reading practice
Those studying public-domain eBooks and the early science fiction publishing ecosystem

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer long, grand narratives and complex worldbuilding
Readers expecting contemporary hard science fiction's technical detail
Beginners unaccustomed to reading English originals

Reading tips

Read it in one sitting on a commute or before bed, then reflect on how the ending's turn is designed.
On a second reading, note how scene descriptions hint at the characters' situations and the theme.
If the English is difficult, read through for plot first, then look up key vocabulary, avoiding stopping at every word.

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 how Project Gutenberg presents it and the author's working habits, this is a short story, suitable for reading in one sitting; no long-term chapter-by-chapter reading plan is needed.

Do I need to know the author's background before reading?

Not necessarily. The story can be understood on its own; to deepen the experience, note the calm narrative perspective that comes from the author's medical background, but this is supplementary context and does not affect a first reading.

This is an English book; how should Chinese readers approach it?

First read quickly for plot, then return to difficult words and details. The short length keeps rereading costs low, making it suitable as English extensive reading material.

Comments

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About the author

Nourse, Alan Edward, 1928-1992 Author

Alan Edward Nourse (1928-1992) is a science fiction author with 24 works held in this collection, though public information about him is limited and biographical details remain to be filled in. Judging from the available titles, he wrote both novels and short stories, often centering on space exploration, medical ethics, and the risks of technology: titles such as Star Surgeon and Brightside Crossing suggest an interest in the intersection of interstellar travel and surgery, while An Ounce of Cure, Consignment, and Marley's Chain reveal a cool scrutiny of technological consequences. He was skilled at carrying speculation through tight plotting, placing ordinary people in extreme situations and using professional detail to heighten realism. Some short pieces, such as Meeting of the Board, adopt a satirical tone, showing that his style was not monolithic. His work had some influence among mid-twentieth-century English-language science fiction readers, but details of awards and sales cannot be verified and are therefore not speculated upon.