Tangle Hold

Floyd Lee WallaceProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.4

Word count: 113K words
Chapters: 12

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.Tangle Hold by F. L. WallaceAuthor: Wallace, F. L. (Floyd L.), 1915-2004,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Apr 28, 2010

Editor's review

Tangle Hold is a science fiction novella by F. L. Wallace, a typical product of the mid-twentieth-century American science fiction magazine Golden Age. The author excels at building a technological premise within limited space, then letting characters maneuver between rules and the unexpected; the story moves briskly, with suspense resting on gaps in information and reversals of circumstance rather than elaborate world-building. Its value lies in showcasing the narrative rhythm and imaginative approach of science fiction from that era: technology is both backdrop and source of pressure, and characters often escape through cool judgment and a bit of luck. It is short enough for a commute or bedtime read, and useful for science fiction fans observing the evolution of the genre. Note that the work bears clear marks of its time, with simple characterization and gender depiction; today's readers should view it through the lens of genre history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy Golden Age novella-length science fiction
Fans who want to understand early science fiction narrative conventions through short works
Learners who need English science fiction texts for extensive reading practice
Readers interested in genre history and magazine science fiction

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting complex characterization and deep psychological portraiture
Those who prefer long-form world-building and hard science fiction detail
Readers sensitive to gender and character stereotypes in older works

Reading tips

Read it in one sitting to preserve the full experience of suspense and information reveal.
After reading, revisit the key turning points and note how the author uses the technological premise to create pressure.
Compare with other magazine science fiction shorts from the same period to observe common conventions and differences.
For English extensive reading, don't look up every word; first grasp the plot and the logic of the premise.

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

I haven't read other works by this author. Can I start with this one?

Yes. This is a standalone novella that does not depend on prior books in a series or background knowledge. As long as you accept the narrative rhythm and premise style of mid-twentieth-century science fiction, you can dive right in.

Is this better for close reading or extensive reading?

As a genre short story, it is better to read extensively first to experience the suspense and pacing; if you are interested in science fiction history or narrative technique, then do targeted close reading of the technological premise, information reveal, and character function, without spreading effort evenly.

What should I watch out for when reading the electronic version?

Public-domain electronic texts may have differences in typesetting and punctuation; focus on understanding the plot. If you plan to quote or discuss specific passages, check the wording against other editions to avoid misreading caused by formatting issues.

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About the author

Floyd Lee Wallace Author · American · 1915–2004

F. L. Wallace (Floyd Lee Wallace, 1915–2004) was an American science fiction and mystery writer and a mechanical engineer. He was born in 1915 in Rock Island, Illinois, and died in 2004 in Tustin, California. From the 1950s onward he wrote short stories for science fiction magazines such as Galaxy as well as novels. Thirteen of his works are held in this collection, including Delay in Transit, The Man Who Was Six, End as a World, Forget Me Nearly, Address: Centauri, Student Body, Bolden's Pets and Accidental Flight. His writing often starts from the practical details of engineering and technology, combining precise speculation with suspense and reversal, and his subjects frequently involve space travel, mistaken identity and sudden crises. Public information about his life and career is limited, and readers' knowledge of him and his work still rests mainly on these short stories and novels scattered across various publications.