The Big Fix

George Oliver SmithProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 53K words
Chapters: 6

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 Big Fix by George O. SmithAuthor: Smith, George O. (George Oliver), 1911-1981,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 23, 2007

Editor's review

George O. Smith's The Big Fix is a representative sample of Golden Age science fiction short stories. Its core appeal lies in using a technical premise to drive the plot, letting readers follow the characters through problem discovery, deduction, and resolution within a limited space. Smith himself had an engineering background, and his science fiction often features clear logical chains and optimistic technological solutions; this story continues that style: direct setup, brisk pacing, and dialogue that carries much of the information. As a free Project Gutenberg eBook, it serves as a good entry point for understanding the style of mid-twentieth-century American science fiction magazines. Readers expecting grand worldbuilding or deep exploration of human nature may find its length and depth limited; but for those who want to observe how Golden Age science fiction completes a clean technological concept in short form, this book is a suitable sample. While reading, pay attention to how the author plants clues in the first half and gathers them in the second.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Golden Age American science fiction short stories
Beginners who want to understand the narrative logic of premise-driven science fiction
Science fiction fans with intermediate English reading ability who prefer fast-paced short stories
Students and writers studying the writing paradigms of the science fiction magazine era

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting grand worldbuilding and full-length novel scope
Readers who prefer psychological depth in characters and socially critical science fiction
Readers unaccustomed to technically explanatory dialogue and optimistic resolutions

Reading tips

Read the whole story first to grasp the core premise, then go back to the first half to look for the clues and foreshadowing the author planted.
After finishing, retell the problem, solution, and outcome in one paragraph to check whether you have grasped the main line of technological deduction.
Read it alongside other short stories by the same author to observe how his engineering mindset commonly works in science fiction narrative.
When reading the English original, list technical terms separately and study them together, to avoid frequent dictionary lookups interrupting the rhythm.

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 novel a full-length work or a short story?

This is a science fiction short story by George O. Smith, compact in length and suitable for finishing in one or two sittings. The story revolves around a technical premise, moves at a brisk pace, and does not involve complex long-form subplots.

How does the author's engineering background affect reading?

Smith had a background in engineering and electronics, and his science fiction often centers on clear technical logic and problem-solving. While reading, pay attention to how the premise is deduced step by step rather than expecting ornate literary description.

Is it suitable for science fiction beginners?

Yes. The short length lowers the barrier to entry, and the direct technical premise and clear plot progression help beginners understand common narrative patterns in Golden Age science fiction. For further depth, read other short stories by the same author.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

George Oliver Smith Author · American · 1911–1981

George Oliver Smith (1911–1981) was an American science fiction writer and electronics engineer. Active during the Golden Age of science fiction in the 1940s, he is known for the "Venus Equilateral" series of space-communications-station stories, which often combine engineering detail with space adventure. The library holds 10 of his works, including Operation Interstellar, The Fourth R, History Repeats, Amateur in Chancery, Instinct, Highways in Hiding, The Troublemakers, and The Big Fix. Most of these are short stories or novellas dealing with interstellar communication, future societies, and the ethics of technology, reflecting his preference for exploring technological consequences from an engineer's perspective. Public information about his life and career is limited, but these works sufficiently show his distinctive place in Golden Age science fiction.