Firth's World

Cox, Irving E., 1917-2001Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 19K words
Chapters: 2

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.Firth's World by Irving E. CoxAuthor: Cox, Irving E., 1917-2001,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Apr 11, 2019

Editor's review

Firth's World is a science-fiction short story by Irving E. Cox, included in a Project Gutenberg public-domain e-book. Cox's science fiction often takes the working-out of a single premise as its core, and this story likewise revolves around the concept of a "world", creating cognitive tension through characters' situations and choices in a particular environment. Its value lies in presenting, in a short space, a thought experiment open to discussion: when the established order conflicts with personal judgement, how does a person confirm the reality of what he sees? The narrative pace is fairly tight, and the background information must be pieced together by the reader, making it suitable for science-fiction readers who like a lingering aftertaste in short fiction. The e-edition is convenient for reading in one sitting and also works as discussion material for a science-fiction book club or an English reading class. Note that this material provides only the author, length category and publication information, with no plot details, so readers should approach the text with an open mind; the work also carries the science-fiction conventions of its period and should not be judged by the technical density of contemporary hard science fiction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who like short science fiction and thought experiments and enjoy piecing together the setup themselves
Organisers who need short discussion material for a class or book club
Science-fiction fans who want to practise rapid reading with English short stories
Exploratory readers interested in public-domain science fiction from Project Gutenberg

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer lengthy world-building and complex character arcs
Readers expecting hard-science detail and rigorous scientific extrapolation
Beginners whose English reading is still laborious and who dislike filling in background themselves

Reading tips

Read it through in one go first, then go back to the key turning points and trace how the setup is gradually revealed.
Note down your questions about the "world" setup as you read, and discuss them together after finishing.
If using it for a book club, list two or three topics around the characters' choices and judgements of reality.
Mark unfamiliar science-fiction terms first and look them up after finishing, so as not to break the rhythm.

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

What is this story roughly about?

The material identifies it only as a science-fiction short story by Cox, with a title pointing to a setup centred on a "world". The specific plot must be judged from the text itself. As you read, pay attention to how the characters understand their environment and how the setup is gradually revealed in the narrative.

Is it suitable for English reading practice?

As a public-domain English short story, it is fairly short and suitable for practising rapid reading and picking out setup information. But science fiction often contains invented terms and implied background, so beginners may need to look up words and reread; using it with a guide or discussion is recommended.

Does this e-edition include an introduction or notes?

Public-domain e-books released by Project Gutenberg usually present the original text and generally carry no modern introduction or detailed notes. Readers who need background can consult material on the author and work themselves, or supplement it through book-club discussion.

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About the author

Cox, Irving E., 1917-2001 Author

Irving E. Cox (1917–2001) was an American science fiction writer about whom public information is limited. Ten of his works are held in this collection, including Impact, The Cartels Jungle, The Guardians, The Instant of Now, Miracle by Price, Firth's World, Love Story, and Adolescents Only. Judging from these titles, he was active in the mid-twentieth-century science fiction magazine era and worked mainly in short and novella forms. His themes often involve future social structures, the workings of business and power, the ethical dilemmas raised by technology, and the situation of adolescents. Titles such as The Cartels Jungle suggest an interest in economic combines and institutionalized power, while The Guardians and Adolescents Only point to guardian figures and generational relations. His prose is generally direct and brisk, emphasizing plot momentum and conceptual presentation, placing him among the writers of the Golden Age science fiction milieu. Because biographical material is scarce, his specific career and the full scope of his work await more complete bibliographic and archival research.