Hanging by a Thread

Garrett, Randall, 1927-1987Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 54K words
Chapters: 6

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.Hanging by a Thread by Randall GarrettAuthor: Garrett, Randall, 1927-1987,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Oct 21, 2009

Editor's review

Hanging by a Thread is a short science fiction piece by Randall Garrett, an early science fiction trifle from the public-domain ebook repertoire. Garrett is known for an engineer's rigor and a light touch, and this story continues his signature approach: a technical premise plus an unexpected twist. It centers on a seemingly ordinary situation that conceals a crisis, drives its pace through dialogue, and packs high information density into a short length, often ending with a touch of dry humor. It is less a grand space opera than a neat thought experiment, suited to being read in one sitting in twenty or thirty minutes on a commute or before bed. For readers studying the tradition of early science fiction magazines, it serves as a sample of mid-twentieth-century English-language short science fiction style; for general readers, it is a light but enjoyable genre reading experience. Either a translation or the original will do; the point is to savor its pacing and conception.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to finish a complete science fiction short story in fragments of time
Those interested in mid-twentieth-century English-language science fiction short stories
Genre readers who like technical setups and twist endings
Enthusiasts studying the writing style of early science fiction magazines

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer long-form worldbuilding and character growth
Evidence-minded readers expecting strict hard-science consistency
Those sensitive to the era-specific gender and language expressions in early science fiction

Reading tips

Read it in one go; don't split it—the short story's pacing and twist depend on continuous reading.
After finishing, revisit the opening paragraphs to appreciate how the author plants clues.
Compare with other short stories by the same author to observe his common patterns of technical premise.
If reading the English original, note the colloquial and period language in dialogue; it won't hinder understanding of the main thread.

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

How long is this story, and when is a good time to read it?

It is a short story, usually readable in about half an hour. It suits a commute, lunch break, or bedtime in one sitting; because it relies on pacing and a final twist, reading it in segments weakens the effect.

Can someone without a science fiction reading habit get into it?

Yes. The story moves through dialogue and situation, the science setup is not complex, and the entry barrier is low. As long as you accept the somewhat plain narrative style of early science fiction, you can read it smoothly and appreciate the cleverness of its conception.

How is the quality of the public-domain electronic edition, and will it affect reading?

Public-domain ebooks are proofread by volunteers; they are generally readable but may contain occasional typos or inconsistent formatting. A short story is affected only minimally; when something looks suspicious, judge from context and don't agonize over every word.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Garrett, Randall, 1927-1987 Author

Randall Garrett (1927-1987) was an American science fiction writer active in the mid-twentieth century. Public information about his life is limited, and details such as his exact birth and death dates and nationality still require further verification. The library holds 43 of his works, including The Highest Treason, Dead Giveaway, The Foreign Hand Tie, Thin Edge, The Asses of Balaam, Anything You Can Do!, That Sweet Little Old Lady, and The Bramble Bush. Judging from these titles, his output consists mainly of short stories and novellas, often built around tricks, misunderstandings, and reversals. He was skilled at creating suspense within a limited space, advancing plots through witty dialogue and a brisk pace, and frequently ending with an unexpected twist. His titles often carry a playful, ironic tone, showing a confident command of science fiction conventions and a humorous attitude toward them. Although public information is limited, these works remain useful samples for studying mid-twentieth-century English-language science fiction short fiction.