Out Like a Light

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

3.3

Word count: 303K words
Chapters: 31

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.Out Like a Light by Randall GarrettAuthor: Garrett, Randall, 1927-1987,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jan 28, 2008

Editor's review

Out Like a Light is a short piece by Randall Garrett from the golden age of science fiction magazines, a classic light science-fiction mystery. Garrett excelled at grafting detective-story structure onto science-fiction premises, and this piece follows that path: it opens with a seemingly simple anomaly, advances through dialogue and step-by-step investigation, and ends with an explanation that holds together within science-fiction logic. It is short and brisk, driven largely by dialogue, and easy to read—good for a commute or a bedtime diversion. As a free electronic text from Project Gutenberg, it also offers a low-barrier entry for readers curious about mid-twentieth-century English-language science fiction in short form. Note that the work bears clear marks of its time; neither its scientific setup nor its characterization aims at depth, so it is better read as a light genre pleasure than as serious literary study.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers who enjoy short science fiction and science-fiction mystery
Office workers who want a complete story in fragmented time
Students curious about the style of mid-twentieth-century English-language short science fiction

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting hard science fiction or deep scientific extrapolation
Readers uncomfortable with English originals who need a Chinese translation

Reading tips

Read it straight through first, then go back and trace where the clues appear to appreciate the mystery structure.
Read it alongside other golden-age science-fiction shorts to observe how similar formulas evolved.
Don't stop for every unfamiliar expression; follow the dialogue-driven plot first.

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

What language is this work in, and how long is it?

The original is in English. It is a short story included in the free Project Gutenberg ebook project; it is brief and can usually be read in one sitting.

Do I need to know the author's other works first?

No. The story stands alone and does not depend on series continuity or prior background; you can start reading and enter the plot directly.

Is it more science fiction or more mystery?

Both, but closer to light mystery with a science-fiction shell. The story moves through an anomaly and step-by-step investigation, with science-fiction elements serving the solution of the puzzle.

Comments

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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.