Survival Type

Jesse Franklin BoneProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 50K words
Chapters: 5

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. Survival Type by Jesse F. Bone. Author: Bone, Jesse F. (Jesse Franklin), 1916-2006. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: Mar 8, 2016.

Editor's review

Survival Type is an English-language science fiction work by Jesse F. Bone, classified under American and Canadian literature and released as a public-domain ebook through Project Gutenberg. Bone was active in the American science fiction magazine era of the mid-twentieth century, and his work often revolves around human adaptation and survival in extreme environments; the title itself signals an interest in the idea of a "survival type." Its reading value lies in preserving the typical character of the science fiction short story of that era: premise first, brisk pacing, and concept-driven narrative—useful for observing how Golden Age science fiction handled themes of biological adaptation, group survival, and individual choice. The text is short and moderately demanding in language, allowing readers to complete a full science fiction reading experience in a relatively short time. As a public-domain electronic text, it includes no modern editorial notes; some scientific assumptions of the time are now distant from present-day understanding, so it is best read as a period text rather than hard-science prophecy. Suitable for science fiction fans, genre literature researchers, and English extensive-reading readers.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy mid-twentieth-century English-language science fiction short stories
Genre literature enthusiasts studying the themes and methods of Golden Age science fiction
Teachers and students who need short English-language science fiction for extensive reading or classroom materials
Readers interested in themes of survival, adaptation, and group persistence

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting rigorous hard-science extrapolation
Readers who prefer long-form worldbuilding and deep characterization
Beginners who need modern annotations and background introductions

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the premise and conflict, then revisit the key turning points to see how the author uses concepts to drive the plot.
Note differences between the scientific assumptions of the time and present-day understanding as material for notes on science fiction history.
For extensive reading in English, read dialogue and action passages first, then tackle long descriptive sentences to reduce the reading burden.
Read alongside other Golden Age science fiction short stories to observe different treatments of the "survival type" theme.

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 work a novel or a short story?

Judging from its release form on Project Gutenberg and Bone's background, this is closer to an English-language science fiction short story or novelette, suitable for reading in one sitting. The materials do not give a specific word count; readers can plan their reading time according to the actual length of the electronic text, which usually does not require a novel-length schedule.

Do the scientific assumptions in the book still hold today?

Bone wrote in the mid-twentieth century, and some scientific assumptions in the work are now distant from present-day understanding—a common phenomenon in period texts. There is no need to check each one against hard-science standards; instead, focus on how the author uses the premise to drive the narrative and handles themes of survival and adaptation. It is more rewarding to read it as a text in science fiction history.

Is it suitable for learning English?

It works well as English extensive reading material. The text is genre fiction with more dialogue and action passages, brisk pacing, and short length, making it easy to finish. It does contain science fiction terminology of the time and some long sentences, so it is advisable to grasp the plot first and then deal with language details, using a dictionary and background materials as needed.

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About the author

Jesse Franklin Bone Author · American · 1916–2006

Jesse Franklin Bone (1916–2006) was an American veterinarian and science fiction writer, born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1916 and died in Arizona in 2006. He served in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps and later became a professor at Oregon State University. Alongside his professional work, he wrote science fiction over many years, publishing his first story in 1957. Twelve of his works are held in the collection, including Noble Redman, Insidekick, Founding Father, Assassin, On the Fourth Planet, Pandemic, A Prize for Edie and To Choke an Ocean. His short fiction often deals with interstellar exploration, alien contact, and medical or biological crises, frequently approaching them from a professional perspective; the plots are tight and carry the speculative flavor of Golden Age science fiction. His representative work is The Lani People, and his short story Triggerman was nominated for the Hugo Award. Public information is limited, and details of his life and the full range of his work remain to be further organized.