Last Enemy

Henry Beam PiperProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 142K words
Chapters: 15

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.Last Enemy by H. Beam PiperAuthor: Piper, H. Beam, 1904-1964,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jul 10, 2006

Editor's review

Last Enemy is a short science fiction story by H. Beam Piper: compact in length, with a setting that bears the distinct stamp of Cold War-era science fiction, built around a time-travel or parallel-world premise that drives character confrontation and speculation. Piper excels at establishing suspense quickly with limited scenes and spare dialogue, pitting technological premises against human judgment at the same table, and his endings typically leave a reversal or resonance worth pondering. As a Project Gutenberg electronic text, this English edition gives readers low-cost access to the narrative rhythm and language style of mid-twentieth-century American short science fiction, and serves as a light entry point into Piper's work. While reading, note how the author establishes the world through a small cast and dialogue, and how suspense is set up and resolved within the short form.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want a quick introduction to mid-twentieth-century American short science fiction
Science fiction fans who enjoy short stories built on time travel, parallel worlds, and similar premises
Science fiction reading groups and students who need English-language short story material
Writing enthusiasts who want to study how suspense and reversals are crafted in short fiction

Not a good fit for

Science fiction readers who prefer long works with grand worldbuilding and complex premises
Readers expecting deep character development and literary description
Readers sensitive to the era-bound expressions common in early science fiction

Reading tips

Read it through in one sitting, then revisit the opening to see how the foreshadowing supports the story's reversal
Read it alongside other Piper short stories to observe his recurring premises and narrative rhythm
Note how the characters' positions shift as you read, and consider the basis for their judgments in the confrontation
If using it for writing study, try breaking down its number of scenes, dialogue ratio, and pacing of information release

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 story a novel or a short story?

It is a short science fiction story, not long, and can easily be read in one sitting. Because it is short, the worldbuilding and character conflict are highly concentrated; paying attention to details early on often reveals the foreshadowing for later developments.

Do I need to have read other works by Piper?

No. This is a standalone short story that does not depend on earlier books in a series. If it sparks your interest, you can seek out the author's other short stories and observe how he handles similar premises differently.

How difficult is the English?

The text is mid-twentieth-century American popular science fiction English, with short sentences and a good deal of dialogue; overall difficulty is moderate. When you encounter period expressions, judge them from context rather than looking up every word.

Is it suitable for classroom or book club use?

Yes. It is short, has a clear premise, and leaves room for discussion, making it suitable for a science fiction-themed book club or an English extensive reading class, with discussion centered on the characters' choices and the arrangement of the ending.

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About the author

Henry Beam Piper Author · American · 1904–1964

The American science fiction writer H. Beam Piper (1904–1964) was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Self-taught, he worked for many years for the Pennsylvania Railroad. He published his first science fiction story in 1947 and went on to write prolifically; 35 of his works are held in this collection. His best-known works include Little Fuzzy, Space Viking, Omnilingual, and The Cosmic Computer, as well as the Terro-Human Future History series. His fiction often centers on contact with alien civilizations, problems of linguistics and translation, interstellar politics, and future history, driving its plots through solid technical and social world-building and combining adventure with speculative reflection; his depiction of deciphering alien documents in Omnilingual is especially admired. He died in 1964. Public information about him is limited and biographical details remain sparse, yet his work still finds readers in English-language science fiction.