The Big Time

Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr.Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.2

Word count: 220K words
Chapters: 22

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 Time by Fritz Leiber. Author: Leiber, Fritz, 1910-1992. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: May 5, 2010.

Editor's review

The Big Time is a work by Fritz Leiber, released as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg and classified under American and Canadian literature. Leiber is known for fantasy and science fiction, and the title itself hints at a distinctive treatment of time, scale, and circumstance; readers can expect a narrative with a speculative edge. The value of this edition is that it gives readers free access to the text, making it a useful entry point into Leiber's work. Since the available information provides no plot summary, readers may wish to pay attention to shifts in narrative perspective, the use of time elements, and the choices characters make in unusual situations. It suits readers willing to actively piece together clues and enjoy a text with an experimental feel; those expecting a straightforward linear read or a fully built world may need to adjust expectations. Reading a little about public-domain eBooks beforehand, and comparing this with other works by the author afterward, can help form a fuller judgment.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers interested in Fritz Leiber's work who want a low-cost way to access his texts
Science fiction readers who enjoy time themes and speculative narratives and are willing to actively piece together plot clues
Readers studying American and Canadian literature who may use it as extended reading alongside the author's other works
Readers accustomed to public-domain eBooks who are comfortable with independent reading without a modern introduction

Not a good fit for

Newcomers to science fiction who need a fully built world and a clear linear narrative
Researchers who rely on detailed annotations and biographical material to understand the text
Readers with limited English proficiency who would prefer a Chinese translation

Reading tips

Read through once without trying to understand everything, marking passages with time jumps and perspective shifts, then go back and connect them on a second pass
Learn a little about Leiber's field beforehand, and after reading compare this with his other works to appreciate his narrative style
Draw a timeline or a simple character diagram while reading to stay oriented in a complex narrative
If joining a reading discussion, prepare two or three specific textual examples around how time affects the characters' choices

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

Do I need to read other works first?

The available information does not indicate that this book belongs to a series that must be read in order, nor does it provide information about connections to earlier works. It can generally be read independently, but engaging with the author's other works afterward can help deepen your understanding of his narrative habits.

Why is there no plot summary in the information?

The information provided mainly records the author, language, classification, and release details, and does not include a content summary. This recommendation therefore does not invent plot details; readers may read the opening portion of the eBook first and then decide whether to continue.

Is this eBook edition suitable for printing and reading?

The Project Gutenberg edition is a free eBook and can usually be read on electronic devices. Whether it is suitable for printing depends on individual formatting needs and the file format, so it is best to check the download formats offered on the page before deciding.

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About the author

Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. Author · American · 1910–1992

Fritz Leiber (1910–1992) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, born in Chicago to parents who were both Shakespearean actors. His work spans several genres, with representative titles including The Big Time, Yesterday House, A Bad Day for Sales, The Moon Is Green, and A Pail of Air, as well as the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser sword-and-sorcery series created with Harry Fischer. He excelled at injecting the grotesque and the fearful into everyday settings, combining cool social satire with sharp imagination and a witty, dramatic prose style. Leiber won the Hugo Award six times and the Nebula Award three times, and in 1981 was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, leaving a lasting influence on later genre literature.