The Ambassador

Sam Merwin Jr.Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 114K 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.The Ambassador by Sam MerwinAuthor: Merwin, Sam, 1910-1996,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: May 29, 2010

Editor's review

Sam Merwin was long active in American science fiction and popular magazines, and The Ambassador is a sample of his short fiction. This public-domain eBook is concise, with its narrative focus on the rapid unfolding of premise and suspense, showing clear magazine-fiction characteristics: the opening moves quickly into the situation, the conflict is concentrated, and the ending is often neatly resolved. Its value lies not in the depth of character portrayal but in giving readers a direct sense of the rhythm and imaginative approach of mid-twentieth-century genre short stories. For readers who want to understand the context of science fiction magazine culture or who hope to maintain a reading habit with shorter English texts, this is an accessible choice. It can be read as a window onto how writers of the time handled themes such as diplomacy, identity, or contact with the alien within a limited length, without measuring its depth by the standards of a novel.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in early American science fiction magazine short stories
People who want to maintain a reading habit with short English texts
Researchers focused on genre literature history and magazine culture
Readers who enjoy science fiction with a striking premise and brisk pace

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking deep character arcs and delicate psychological description
Those who prefer the reading experience of contemporary novels
Readers with little interest in old magazine style and its historical context

Reading tips

Read through once to feel the rhythm, then return to how the opening quickly establishes the premise.
While reading, note the core premise and conflict points to grasp the short story's structure.
Read alongside other public-domain science fiction short stories to compare how similar themes are handled.
If English reading stalls, grasp the dialogue and key plot points first, then fill in descriptive details.

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

What genre does this story mainly belong to?

Judging from the author's background and the public-domain bibliographic information, it belongs to the tradition of mid-twentieth-century American magazine science fiction short stories, emphasizing premise and suspense. Refer to the electronic text for the specific plot; it should not be expected within the framework of contemporary long-form science fiction.

Is it suitable as an introductory text for reading English originals?

Its short length is an advantage, but the text carries old magazine language habits, and some expressions are uncommon today. Readers with some English foundation who are willing to use reference tools will find it easier to complete; complete beginners may need an annotated edition or translation for support.

Where can I read the electronic edition?

The book is released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain eBook resource and can be found on its website by title or author. Layout and file formats differ slightly between versions; the reading experience depends on the version actually downloaded.

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About the author

Sam Merwin Jr. Author · American · 1910–1996

Sam Merwin Jr. (1910–1996) was an American science fiction and mystery writer and editor, born in Plainfield, New Jersey, and a graduate of Princeton University. From 1945 to 1951 he edited the magazines Astonishing Stories and Thrilling Wonder Stories, and under the anonymous persona of "Sergeant Saturn" he wrote commentary and columns that helped raise the literary standards of science fiction magazines of the time. His own fiction spans science fiction and mystery, with representative works including The House of Many Worlds and The Final Figure. Six of his works are held in the collection, among them The Ambassador, A World Apart, The Final Figure and Judas Ram, whose themes often involve otherworldly settings and suspenseful mystery. He died in Los Angeles in 1996. Public information on his life and writing is limited and remains to be further organized.