Runaway

Samachson, Joseph, 1906-1980Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 26K 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. Runaway by Joseph Samachson. Author: Samachson, Joseph, 1906-1980. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: Sep 3, 2009

Editor's review

Joseph Samachson was a mid-twentieth-century American science fiction author. This short piece, Runaway, has the typical feel of old-style SF shorts: a simple premise, speculation built around an anomalous event, and an ending that usually leaves a lingering twist. As a public-domain text hosted by Project Gutenberg, it is easy to read, with direct English, and can be finished in one sitting on a commute or in spare moments. For Chinese readers, its value lies not in a grand world-building but in offering a window into mid-twentieth-century short SF technique: functional characters, concept first, tight pacing. While reading, notice how the author builds suspense with very few words, and what basic assumptions that era's SF made about technology and human nature. Readers expecting deep characterization or the complex structures of contemporary SF may find it thin.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to practice reading with short English science fiction
Fans of mid-twentieth-century American science fiction short stories
Readers looking for an English text they can finish in a short time
Enthusiasts studying public-domain science fiction and genre writing

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer novels and complex world-building
Literary readers expecting deep psychological characterization
Contemporary readers uninterested in old-style science fiction techniques

Reading tips

Read it in one sitting to feel the overall suspense, then go back to the clues planted at the beginning.
On a second reading, notice how the author advances the plot through dialogue and action rather than psychological description.
Read it alongside other public-domain science fiction short stories to compare setups and ending techniques.
After finishing, summarize the core premise in two or three sentences to check whether you grasped the story's key concept.

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 the English in this story difficult?

Overall difficulty is low, with short sentences and mostly common vocabulary, suitable for those with basic to intermediate English reading ability. Occasional technical or period terms can be guessed from context; there is no need to look up every word.

Is Runaway a novel or a short story?

Judging from its form in Project Gutenberg and the author Samachson's background, this is a short science fiction work, suitable for reading in one or two sittings rather than as a serialized novel.

Do I need to know the author's background to understand it?

No. The story stands alone and does not depend on the author's other works. Knowing that the author was a mid-twentieth-century American science fiction writer helps understand the period flavor, but it is not a prerequisite for reading.

Is there a Chinese translation of this book?

The information does not mention a Chinese translation; what can be confirmed is the English electronic text provided by Project Gutenberg. Chinese readers can read the English original directly or use tools to assist comprehension.

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About the author

Samachson, Joseph, 1906-1980 Author

Joseph Samachson (1906–1980) is an author about whom little biographical information is publicly available, yet whose works show considerable variety in subject matter. The library holds 13 of his works, including Picture Bride, A Feast of Demons, The Weather on Mercury, Unwelcomed Visitor, Bedside Manner, The Hunters, Runaway, and Dead Man's Planet. Judging from these titles, his writing ranges across science fiction and fantasy, alien environments, strange visitors, and suspenseful human situations, often advancing the narrative through vividly imagined premises and combining imagination with the appeal of popular storytelling. Because public sources are limited, his nationality, full life story, and the concrete course of his writing career remain unknown; the existing entry relies chiefly on the titles and thematic features of these works to present his profile as a writer, offering readers a reference point when approaching his work.