The Draw

Bixby, Jerome, 1923-1998Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.7

Word count: 39K words
Chapters: 4

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 Draw by Jerome BixbyAuthor: Bixby, Jerome, 1923-1998,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Mar 25, 2010

Editor's review

The Draw is a short work by Jerome Bixby, released as a free eBook through Project Gutenberg, in English and classified under American and Canadian literature. Bixby is known for science fiction and fantasy short stories, and this piece is short enough to finish in a brief sitting. Since the source provides only bibliographic information, the specific plot cannot be described, but given the author's usual style and the book's classification, it is more likely a short story with imaginative elements or an unexpected twist, suitable as an introductory sample of mid-twentieth-century American genre short fiction. As for reading situations, it suits fragmented reading time and can serve as supplementary material for short-story writing or genre literature courses. Note that this is an English public-domain eBook without modern annotation, and readers unfamiliar with the pacing of periodical short stories of the time may need a little adjustment at the beginning. Overall, its value lies in presenting one genre writer's narrative touch in a small space rather than offering a long immersive experience.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy short science fiction or fantasy and want a quick read
Literature enthusiasts studying mid-twentieth-century American genre short fiction
Learners who need English public-domain short stories as reading practice

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting novel-length character development and complex worldbuilding
Beginners who need detailed annotations or introductions to understand the text
Readers unaccustomed to the pacing of early genre short fiction who prefer contemporary styles

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the overall twist, then go back to the opening to see the foreshadowing and appreciate the short story's structure.
If using it for English study, mark dialogue and narrative sentences separately to practice colloquial and written expression.
After finishing, compare it with other Bixby short stories to observe his common themes and endings.

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 long, and how long does it take to finish?

According to the source, this is a short work released by Project Gutenberg; it is not long and can usually be finished in one or two sittings. The exact page count varies with eBook formatting, but overall it suits fragmented reading time.

I haven't read other Bixby works; can I read this one directly?

Yes. This is a standalone short story that does not depend on prior works. However, if you want to understand the author's common style, you can find one or two of his representative stories afterward for comparison, which will make his narrative habits easier to see.

Is this book suitable for practicing English reading?

It suits learners with some foundation. The text is an early American short story, and its sentence patterns and vocabulary carry period features; it is best to read through for the general meaning first, then look up key words. If you need sentence-by-sentence close reading, use a dictionary and background notes.

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About the author

Bixby, Jerome, 1923-1998 Author

Jerome Bixby (1923–1998) was an American science fiction writer, though public information about him is limited. Nine of his works are held in this collection, including The Draw, Where There's Hope, The God-Plllnk, Zen, The Holes Around Mars, Little Boy, Laboratory and Our Town. Judging from these titles, he wrote mainly short science fiction, often building his imaginative premises around space exploration, strange devices and everyday settings. His titles tend to carry an ironic or suspenseful edge, and his narratives are concise, frequently closing with an unexpected twist. Among his stories, It's a Good Life became widely known through its television adaptation, but since that piece is not included here, it is not discussed further. On the whole, Bixby belonged to the mid-twentieth-century circle of American short science fiction writers; his output was modest, yet he was noted for ingenious conceptions and clean, brisk storytelling, and he exerted some influence on later short science fiction.