Greylorn

John Keith LaumerProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 111K words
Chapters: 12

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.Greylorn by Keith LaumerAuthor: Laumer, Keith, 1925-1993,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Oct 13, 2007

Editor's review

Greylorn is a novella by Keith Laumer, released as a public-domain ebook by Project Gutenberg. Laumer was known for military science fiction and space adventure, and this work follows the typical framework of the genre: a ship on a mission, a commander under pressure, and critical decisions that must be made on limited information. It is short and tightly paced, suitable for reading in one sitting, and offers a concentrated sense of the efficiency and tension of mid-twentieth-century American science-fiction magazine storytelling. As a public-domain text, it has the added value of letting readers see directly how science fiction of that era imagined organization, command, responsibility, and unknown threats. The language advances mainly through dialogue and action, with moderate English difficulty, making it suitable as an introduction or change of pace for reading science fiction in the original. It should be noted that the work is driven primarily by concept and plot, with relatively functional characterization, so readers expecting deep literary quality should be prepared for that.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy military science fiction, space adventure, and starship settings
Readers who want to experience mid-twentieth-century science-fiction style in a short format
Learners who need English-language short science fiction as reading practice
Enthusiasts interested in public-domain science fiction texts and early science-fiction magazine storytelling

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer long-form world-building and detailed character arcs
Readers expecting hard science-fiction technical detail or rigorous scientific settings
Beginner English readers who need a Chinese translation or extensive annotations

Reading tips

It is suitable for reading in one sitting: first grasp the overall mission framework, then revisit the key decision passages.
While reading, pay attention to the dialogue between the commander and the crew, as it carries most of the information forward.
It can be compared with other public-domain military science-fiction short stories to observe similarities and differences in similar narrative patterns.
There is no need to look up every military and ship term; follow the plot first and fill in details later.

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 long? How long does it take to finish?

It is a short to medium-length science-fiction work. Readers with average English reading speed can usually finish it in one or two sittings. It is suitable for focused reading in spare moments and as an introductory sample of short science fiction.

Can I read it without a background in science fiction?

Yes. The work advances mainly through the mission and dialogue, and the conceptual barrier is not high; no prior knowledge of complex settings is required. If you rarely read English science fiction, it is advisable to read a chapter or two first to get used to the language rhythm, then continue straight through.

Does this book have a Chinese edition or annotations?

This version is an English public-domain ebook released by Project Gutenberg and contains no Chinese translation or annotations. Readers who need support can prepare a dictionary themselves, or first read Chinese science-fiction short stories on similar themes before attempting the original.

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About the author

John Keith Laumer Author · American · 1925–1993

Keith Laumer (1925–1993), born John Keith Laumer, was an American science fiction writer from Syracuse, New York. He served in the U.S. Air Force and worked as a foreign diplomat, experiences that informed the action and satire in his later writing. In 1959 he published his first science fiction story, "Greylorn," and entered the field of science fiction. His representative works include the "Bolo" series, centered on self-aware super tanks, and the "Retief" series, which satirizes diplomatic life; he also excelled at time-travel and parallel-world themes, and his work is often marked by tight plotting and dry humor. He was nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards multiple times and had a notable influence on twentieth-century American science fiction.