Divinity

Samachson, Joseph, 1906-1980Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 37K words
Chapters: 4

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. Divinity by Joseph Samachson. Author: Samachson, Joseph, 1906-1980. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: Sep 16, 2007

Editor's review

Divinity is a short work by Joseph Samachson (1906–1980), classified under American and Canadian literature. Samachson wrote for pulp science fiction magazines for many years, and his work often carries a speculative edge and a light ironic tone. This piece is brief, building an imaginative narrative around the theme of "divinity," and serves as a useful sample of mid-20th-century American pulp science fiction short stories. Its strength lies in a simple premise and a direct entry point: rather than relying on an elaborate world, it drives the plot through a single core idea, making for a brisk read. For readers studying the ecology of early science fiction magazines, it offers a slice of the author's style and the tastes of the era; for general readers, it is a short story that can be finished during a commute. A caveat: the work bears clear marks of its time, and some ideas and expressions may seem sketchy by today's standards; it is best read with an eye to literary history rather than judged harshly for depth.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in mid-20th-century American pulp science fiction short stories
Light readers who want a complete short story in fragmented time
Literary enthusiasts studying early science fiction magazine authors and themes

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer long-form grand worldbuilding and hard science fiction settings
Readers expecting deep theological or philosophical argument
Readers unaccustomed to the narrative pacing of early pulp magazines

Reading tips

Read the short story in one sitting first, then revisit the opening to see how the premise plants its seeds.
Read it alongside other short stories from the same period's magazines to observe shared themes and techniques.
Write a few sentences of reflection afterward, noting differences between its premise and today's science fiction.

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 work hard science fiction or soft science fiction?

Based on the available information, it is a speculative short story from an early pulp magazine, emphasizing ideas and plot momentum rather than rigorous extrapolation of technical details, so it reads more like soft science fiction.

About how long is it, and when is a good time to read it?

As a magazine short story, it is not long and is suitable for reading in one go during a commute, before bed, or in other fragmented time; it does not require long, continuous commitment.

Is there anything else noteworthy about the author, Samachson?

The information shows he was born in 1906 and died in 1980 and wrote for pulp science fiction magazines for many years. Beyond these basic facts, one should not speculate about his life; readers can get a sense of his writing style from this piece.

Comments

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About the author

Samachson, Joseph, 1906-1980 Author

Joseph Samachson (1906–1980) is an author about whom little biographical information is publicly available, yet whose works show considerable variety in subject matter. The library holds 13 of his works, including Picture Bride, A Feast of Demons, The Weather on Mercury, Unwelcomed Visitor, Bedside Manner, The Hunters, Runaway, and Dead Man's Planet. Judging from these titles, his writing ranges across science fiction and fantasy, alien environments, strange visitors, and suspenseful human situations, often advancing the narrative through vividly imagined premises and combining imagination with the appeal of popular storytelling. Because public sources are limited, his nationality, full life story, and the concrete course of his writing career remain unknown; the existing entry relies chiefly on the titles and thematic features of these works to present his profile as a writer, offering readers a reference point when approaching his work.