The Almost-Men

Cox, Irving E., 1917-2001Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.3

Word count: 98K words
Chapters: 10

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.The Almost-Men by Irving E. CoxAuthor: Cox, Irving E., 1917-2001,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Apr 25, 2019

Editor's review

The Almost-Men is by the American science fiction writer Irving E. Cox, made available as a free ebook by Project Gutenberg. The work belongs to the mid-twentieth-century English-language short science fiction tradition, carrying that era's interest in questions of identity, humanity, and the "other"; it is short and tightly paced, a useful sample for understanding the style of early science fiction magazines. As a public-domain ebook, its value lies not only in the story itself but in showing how the ebook pioneer Project Gutenberg preserves and disseminates early genre literature. Readers might place it in the context of early Cold War American science fiction, noting how the author handles the theme of the "almost human" and the era's anxieties implicit in the narrative. It suits commutes, short breaks, or science fiction book clubs, and works as English extensive reading material. Note that the original is in English and dates from an earlier era, so some attitudes and expressions carry period limitations; readers should view it with a literary-historical eye.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in early English-language short science fiction
Learners hoping to practice English extensive reading through public-domain ebooks
Organizers of science fiction book clubs needing short discussion material
Digital reading enthusiasts interested in Project Gutenberg and the history of ebooks

Not a good fit for

Contemporary science fiction readers who prefer long works with complex worldbuilding
Beginners who want a Chinese translation and do not wish to consult a dictionary
Readers sensitive to mid-twentieth-century values and put off by period limitations

Reading tips

Read through once for the plot, then revisit the title and key dialogue to consider what "almost-men" refers to.
Read alongside background material on mid-twentieth-century American science fiction to understand the work's context and genre conventions.
As English extensive reading, note new words and period expressions in each piece to build genre-literature vocabulary.
For a book club, design discussion questions around "what makes us human" and compare with other science fiction of the same era.

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 in Chinese or English?

The original is in English, released as a free ebook by Project Gutenberg; available information shows no Chinese translation. English readers can read the original directly, while Chinese readers may use a dictionary or read a parallel text.

What is Project Gutenberg?

Project Gutenberg is the earliest project offering free ebooks, founded by Michael Hart in 1971 and dedicated to digitizing public-domain books. This book is one of the ebooks it has prepared and released.

Is it suitable for science fiction beginners?

It can serve as introductory English science fiction extensive reading, being short with language that is not too difficult; but it bears the marks of early genre literature, so readers expecting the complex settings of contemporary science fiction may find it simple.

Comments

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About the author

Cox, Irving E., 1917-2001 Author

Irving E. Cox (1917–2001) was an American science fiction writer about whom public information is limited. Ten of his works are held in this collection, including Impact, The Cartels Jungle, The Guardians, The Instant of Now, Miracle by Price, Firth's World, Love Story, and Adolescents Only. Judging from these titles, he was active in the mid-twentieth-century science fiction magazine era and worked mainly in short and novella forms. His themes often involve future social structures, the workings of business and power, the ethical dilemmas raised by technology, and the situation of adolescents. Titles such as The Cartels Jungle suggest an interest in economic combines and institutionalized power, while The Guardians and Adolescents Only point to guardian figures and generational relations. His prose is generally direct and brisk, emphasizing plot momentum and conceptual presentation, placing him among the writers of the Golden Age science fiction milieu. Because biographical material is scarce, his specific career and the full scope of his work await more complete bibliographic and archival research.