PRoblem

Nourse, Alan Edward, 1928-1992Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 28K words
Chapters: 3

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.PRoblem by Alan Edward NourseAuthor: Nourse, Alan Edward, 1928-1992,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jan 15, 2008

Editor's review

PRoblem is a novella by science fiction writer Alan Edward Nourse, a product of the mid-twentieth-century American science fiction golden age, now presented by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain ebook in the original English and of short length. As an early science fiction text, it carries that era's typical imagination about the boundaries of science, runaway technology and human weakness, reading more like a slice of science fiction history than contemporary hard SF. The value of the Gutenberg edition lies in low-cost access to the original English text, suitable for understanding the feel, narrative rhythm and thematic concerns of genre writing of the period. In terms of reading situations, it is better suited as English extensive reading material, supplementary text in a science fiction course, or an observation sample of the public-domain ebook ecosystem from a digital humanities perspective. Note that this is not a mass-market bestseller; its narrative style and scientific premises bear obvious marks of their time, and readers should approach it with a historicized eye rather than demand the polish of today's science fiction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in twentieth-century American science fiction history who want to read original texts
English learners who need short English extensive reading material and prefer genre fiction
Readers studying public-domain ebooks and the textual ecosystem of Project Gutenberg
Teachers and students needing supplementary early novella cases in science fiction courses

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting contemporary hard SF premises and complex worldbuilding
Readers unused to reading original English and needing a Chinese translation
Readers who prefer full-length narratives and find novellas unsatisfying

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp plot and premise, then go back to see how the author handles the conflict between science and people.
Read alongside mid-century American science fiction novellas to appreciate the period commonalities of genre writing.
When English reading is difficult, first mark unfamiliar words and period expressions, then look them up after finishing the whole piece.
After reading, briefly note the period marks in the premises to form your own science fiction history reading notes.

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 work?

From the Gutenberg entry, it is a novella by Alan Edward Nourse, not a novel. For the exact length, refer to the actual pages of the ebook; when reading, you can finish it in one sitting at a novella's pace, then revisit details and premises.

What is special about the Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg is one of the earliest projects providing free ebooks, founded by Michael Hart in 1971. This edition is a public-domain ebook, making the original English text freely accessible, but it usually contains no modern introduction or annotations, suiting independent reading and research use.

Can I read this book if my English is not good?

The book is in original English and carries mid-twentieth-century science fiction usage, so it requires some English foundation. If reading is difficult, first read through with a dictionary, or treat it as extensive reading material, focusing on plot and theme rather than every word.

Related on WeRead

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Nourse, Alan Edward, 1928-1992 Author

Alan Edward Nourse (1928-1992) is a science fiction author with 24 works held in this collection, though public information about him is limited and biographical details remain to be filled in. Judging from the available titles, he wrote both novels and short stories, often centering on space exploration, medical ethics, and the risks of technology: titles such as Star Surgeon and Brightside Crossing suggest an interest in the intersection of interstellar travel and surgery, while An Ounce of Cure, Consignment, and Marley's Chain reveal a cool scrutiny of technological consequences. He was skilled at carrying speculation through tight plotting, placing ordinary people in extreme situations and using professional detail to heighten realism. Some short pieces, such as Meeting of the Board, adopt a satirical tone, showing that his style was not monolithic. His work had some influence among mid-twentieth-century English-language science fiction readers, but details of awards and sales cannot be verified and are therefore not speculated upon.