Infinity's Child

De Vet, Charles V., 1911-1997Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 61K words
Chapters: 7

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.Infinity's Child by Charles V. De VetAuthor: De Vet, Charles V., 1911-1997,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jan 13, 2019

Editor's review

This is a science fiction short story by Charles V. De Vet, included in a public-domain e-book project. It is not long and can be read in a single commute or on a quiet afternoon. The story revolves around ideas of extraordinary abilities and the human condition, with the speculative interest common to Golden Age science fiction: a concise premise poses a question, and characters under pressure must choose. As an early science fiction short story, its technical description is not elaborate; the focus is on concept and twist, letting readers experience the pace and concerns of science fiction magazine fiction of that period. It works as an introduction to science fiction or as a sample for short-story writing, and is also suitable for comparative reading with works of the same era.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to finish a science fiction story in a short time
Science fiction fans interested in early science fiction magazine fiction
Beginning science fiction writers looking for short-story examples
Readers who enjoy conceptual premises and twist endings

Not a good fit for

Hard science fiction readers who prefer long-form worldbuilding and complex settings
Readers expecting deep character development and literary description
Readers uncomfortable with early science fiction style and likely to find it crude

Reading tips

Read it in one sitting, first grasping the overall twist, then going back over the foreshadowing details.
After reading, note the core premise and the characters' choices, and consider what questions the author wanted to explore.
Compare it with other science fiction short stories of the same period to observe shared themes and methods.
If using it for writing study, try analyzing how it builds suspense within a short length.

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

About how long is this work?

This is a short story in a public-domain e-book, relatively brief and usually readable in one or two sessions. It suits fragmented reading time and is easy to revisit for details and twists.

Can I read it without a background in science fiction?

Yes. The premise is relatively self-contained and does not rely on extensive background knowledge; the focus is on the concept and the characters' situation. Readers need only accept one assumption of extraordinary ability to enter the story.

Why is it recommended to read this alongside science fiction short stories of the same era?

Early science fiction short stories share common concerns and narrative rhythms; comparative reading makes the author's choices and the tastes of the era clearer, and helps judge which premises were novel at the time.

Comments

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About the author

De Vet, Charles V., 1911-1997 Author

Charles V. De Vet (1911–1997) is an English-language science fiction author about whom little biographical information is publicly available; the library holds nine of his works. Judging from titles such as There is a Reaper ..., Infinity's Child, Monkey On His Back, Wheels Within, Vital Ingredient, Delayed Action, Metamorphosis, and Growing up on Big Muddy, he mainly wrote short science fiction, often centering on unknown threats, unusual situations, and individual choices under pressure, with the compactness and suspense typical of mid-twentieth-century science fiction magazine stories. Though his output was modest, his bizarre premises and brisk storytelling left an impression on readers. Because public information is limited, details of his life and the full scope of his work remain to be verified; this introduction is based only on the library's holdings and confirmed public common knowledge.