Indirection

Cole, Everett B., 1918-1977Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 43K 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.Indirection by Everett B. ColeAuthor: Cole, Everett B., 1918-1977,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 5, 2007

Editor's review

Indirection is a science fiction short story by Everett B. Cole published in the mid-twentieth century, now made available as a free electronic text by Project Gutenberg, allowing contemporary readers to rediscover the science fiction imagination of that era. The work is short, with a narrative built around a suspenseful technological or psychological premise; it reads at a brisk pace and serves as a sample of short-form writing from the American pulp science fiction magazine period. Its value lies not in an elaborate world-building but in creating unexpected twists through concise dialogue and plot development, reflecting early science fiction authors' engagement with the theme of "indirect means." For readers researching the history of science fiction, or those who want to finish a complete story in fragmented time such as a commute or lunch break, this e-book is accessible and length-friendly. As it is a public-domain electronic text, it is best read on a reader that supports ePub or plain text, and the English original can be used alongside to understand the language style.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Science fiction fans who want to finish a complete short story in fragmented time
Researchers interested in mid-twentieth-century American pulp science fiction
Learners who need free English electronic texts for reading practice
Readers who enjoy suspenseful short stories and unexpected endings

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a long-form worldview and complex character arcs
Readers unaccustomed to reading English originals who need a Chinese translation
Contemporary readers who find early science fiction writing styles alienating

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the plot, then go back to notice the foreshadowing and turning points planted in the dialogue.
Use background material on the author's life and pulp science fiction magazines to understand the work's period context.
If English reading is difficult, read a plot summary before the original to lower the comprehension barrier.
After finishing, try to summarize in one or two sentences the specific meaning of "indirect means" in the story.

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?

It is a short science fiction story, not long, usually readable in one or two sittings, suitable for fragmented time.

Do I need to pay to buy it?

No. The book is published by Project Gutenberg as a free public-domain e-book, and the electronic text is available on its platform.

Can I read it if my English is not good?

The work is in English, and the sentence structures are generally not complex, but there are period expressions. Readers with weaker English can use a summary or dictionary to assist reading.

Comments

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About the author

Cole, Everett B., 1918-1977 Author

Everett B. Cole (1918–1977) was an American science fiction writer whose biography and educational background are poorly documented; only a limited body of work survives, mainly from the mid-twentieth-century science fiction magazine era. Seven of his works are held in this collection: The Best Made Plans, The Weakling, Final Weapon, Millennium, Indirection, Alarm Clock, and The Players, all short stories or short science fiction pieces. They generally revolve around future technology, social systems, and human weakness, often using ingenious premises and ironic narration to show the consequences of technology out of control or rigid institutions, and frequently ending with unexpected twists. Cole's style is concise and brisk, with attention to narrative pace and suspense, making him a reasonably representative writer of the popular science fiction magazines of his time.