The Destroyers

Garrett, Randall, 1927-1987Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.1

Word count: 56K 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 Destroyers by Randall GarrettAuthor: Garrett, Randall, 1927-1987,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jan 4, 2008

Editor's review

The Destroyers is an English-language work by science fiction writer Randall Garrett (1927–1987), released as a free ebook by Project Gutenberg. Garrett was active in the American pulp science fiction magazine scene of the mid-twentieth century, and his work often features a sense of adventure and a brisk narrative pace; The Destroyers continues that pulp science fiction reading pleasure. As a public-domain ebook, its value lies first in the documentary and genre-reading dimension: readers can glimpse the common themes and methods of science fiction short stories and novellas after the Golden Age, and sense how science fiction authors of that era built conflict and set up suspense. It is not long, making it suitable as English-language science fiction source material for extensive reading, and also suitable for readers interested in early science fiction magazine culture to browse as reference material. Note that the Gutenberg edition is the original English text, and the book's description information is limited; readers should not expect detailed annotations or an introduction; if used for research, it is recommended to read it alongside biographical and period background materials.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to use a shorter length for extensive reading of English-language science fiction originals
Readers interested in twentieth-century American pulp science fiction magazine works
Learners who need public-domain English ebooks as reading material
Readers who enjoy adventure and suspenseful narrative and do not mind old-style science fiction writing

Not a good fit for

Readers who want a Chinese translation and do not want to read the English original
Readers who prefer contemporary hard science fiction or long-form worldbuilding
Readers who need detailed annotations, an introduction, and an academic interpretation edition

Reading tips

First read through once to grasp the plot, then go back over how the conflict is set up and how the suspense is advanced.
When encountering old-style expressions or unfamiliar words, do not look up every word; first understand the overall meaning paragraph by paragraph.
Can be read alongside materials on Garrett's life and the background of pulp science fiction magazines.
After finishing, summarize the story's core conflict in a few sentences to check whether you have grasped the main line.

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?

According to the information, this book is an English-language work, released as a free ebook by Project Gutenberg, with the language field marked as English. Readers therefore need some English reading ability; the book does not provide a Chinese translation.

Is this book suitable for science fiction beginners?

It can serve as English extensive reading material, but it is an earlier pulp science fiction work, quite different in style from contemporary science fiction, and the information does not provide a detailed introduction. If you are new to science fiction, it is advisable to start with contemporary works that have annotations and recommendations, and then come back to public-domain works like this.

What are the features of the Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg is the earliest project to provide free ebooks, and its editions are public-domain electronic texts that are easy to obtain and read for free. However, such editions usually do not include detailed annotations, introductions, or research appendices, so readers need to supplement background materials themselves while reading.

Do I need to know about the author in advance to read this book?

It is not necessary to know in advance, but understanding that Randall Garrett was active in the mid-twentieth-century American pulp science fiction magazine scene will make it easier to understand the work's thematic interests and narrative pace. The information does not provide more detailed author biography, so it is recommended to consult reliable public-domain biographical materials.

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About the author

Garrett, Randall, 1927-1987 Author

Randall Garrett (1927-1987) was an American science fiction writer active in the mid-twentieth century. Public information about his life is limited, and details such as his exact birth and death dates and nationality still require further verification. The library holds 43 of his works, including The Highest Treason, Dead Giveaway, The Foreign Hand Tie, Thin Edge, The Asses of Balaam, Anything You Can Do!, That Sweet Little Old Lady, and The Bramble Bush. Judging from these titles, his output consists mainly of short stories and novellas, often built around tricks, misunderstandings, and reversals. He was skilled at creating suspense within a limited space, advancing plots through witty dialogue and a brisk pace, and frequently ending with an unexpected twist. His titles often carry a playful, ironic tone, showing a confident command of science fiction conventions and a humorous attitude toward them. Although public information is limited, these works remain useful samples for studying mid-twentieth-century English-language science fiction short fiction.