Judas Ram

Sam Merwin Jr.Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 40K words
Chapters: 4

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.Judas Ram by Sam MerwinAuthor: Merwin, Sam, 1910-1996,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jan 27, 2016

Editor's review

Judas Ram is a short novel or novelette by the American science fiction writer Sam Merwin, prepared by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain eBook. Merwin was active in mid-twentieth-century American pulp magazines, and his science fiction is known for concise premises and suspenseful pacing. The title Judas Ram suggests a combination of betrayal with mechanical or biological imagery, typical of Golden Age short science fiction: premise first, brisk pace, manageable length. Its value lies not in a grand system but in showing the narrative conventions and imaginative limits of short science fiction of that era, making it a good entry point to the American science fiction magazine tradition. Since it is a public-domain English text, the barrier is mainly language, not length. It suits a single read on a commute or in fragments, and can also serve as a reference sample for short science fiction writing.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in American Golden Age short science fiction
Science fiction fans who want to know Sam Merwin's style
Readers who need short English science fiction material
Readers studying mid-twentieth-century science fiction magazine traditions

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer long hard science fiction or fully built worlds
Readers with limited English who need a translation
Literary readers expecting deep character development

Reading tips

Read it in one sitting to feel the suspense rhythm and how the short piece closes.
After reading, note the core premise and compare it with common patterns in short science fiction of the same era.
Read alongside other public-domain short science fiction collections for thematic comparison.
If English is difficult, read for plot first, then go back to key dialogue passages.

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

Who is Sam Merwin?

The materials show Sam Merwin lived from 1910 to 1996 and was an American author whose work is classified under American and Canadian literature. He wrote mainly popular fiction and short science fiction, and this book is one of his public-domain works. Specific biographical details are not expanded in these materials.

Is this book long?

The materials do not give a word count, but judging by the public-domain classification and the title, it is a short novel or novelette, usually finishable in one or two readings. It suits fragmented reading time and need not be planned like a long novel.

Do I need a background in science fiction?

No systematic background knowledge is needed. Golden Age short science fiction is usually driven by a single premise, and readers can follow the plot. If you are familiar with the common motifs of magazine science fiction of the period, you will more easily appreciate its pleasures and limits.

Comments

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About the author

Sam Merwin Jr. Author · American · 1910–1996

Sam Merwin Jr. (1910–1996) was an American science fiction and mystery writer and editor, born in Plainfield, New Jersey, and a graduate of Princeton University. From 1945 to 1951 he edited the magazines Astonishing Stories and Thrilling Wonder Stories, and under the anonymous persona of "Sergeant Saturn" he wrote commentary and columns that helped raise the literary standards of science fiction magazines of the time. His own fiction spans science fiction and mystery, with representative works including The House of Many Worlds and The Final Figure. Six of his works are held in the collection, among them The Ambassador, A World Apart, The Final Figure and Judas Ram, whose themes often involve otherworldly settings and suspenseful mystery. He died in Los Angeles in 1996. Public information on his life and writing is limited and remains to be further organized.