The Huge Hunter; Or, The Steam Man of the Prairies

Ellis, Edward Sylvester, 1840-1916Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.8
Word count
166K words
Chapters
17

Tags

English Originals Science Fiction Mechanical InventionTech ImaginationBoy HeroSci-Fi AdventurePrairie AdventureFast Paced AdventureAdventure TaleWhimsical WorldSteampunkWestern Region Flavor

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 Huge Hunter; Or, The Steam Man of the Prairies by Edward Sylvester EllisAuthor: Ellis, Edward Sylvester, 1840-1916,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Feb 1, 2005

Editor's review

This boys' adventure novel revolves around a steam-powered mechanical man and a hunter of the prairies, combining nineteenth-century readers' fascination with mechanical invention with chase-and-pursuit adventure in the western wilderness. Fast-paced and plainly plotted, it is a representative example of early American popular fiction for young readers. Its value lies not in depth of character but in showing how the era turned technological progress into spectacle and adventure, offering a direct sample for studying the seeds of early science fiction and the evolution of juvenile reading. Read it as a period text: enjoy the bustle of pursuit and invention, but also notice how it narrates machinery, the wilderness, and Native peoples, and view its era-bound limitations with a critical eye. It is easy to finish in spare moments.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Not a good fit for

Reading tips

  1. Read it as a period text and note as you go how it imagines machinery and the wilderness.
  2. The English is not hard; one or two chapters a day keeps the plot coherent.
  3. After finishing, briefly compare it with common patterns in early science fiction and boys' adventure stories.

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.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17

FAQ

Is this book suitable for children? It was originally aimed at young readers, with a plain plot and accessible language, but it dates from the nineteenth century and its depictions of Native peoples and the wilderness carry clear period prejudice. If a child reads it, a parent or teacher should discuss it with them to help identify the stereotypes.
Does it count as science fiction? It is usually seen as an early, proto-science-fiction adventure: a steam-powered mechanical man is central, but the focus remains on pursuit and adventure, and the scientific premise is not rigorous. It is best understood at the intersection of early science fiction and popular juvenile fiction.
Is the English original hard to read? The language is generally popular and the sentence structure uncomplicated, making it good practice for learners with some English. Occasional old-fashioned expressions and period terms can be inferred from context and do not hinder following the main plot.

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About the author

Ellis, Edward Sylvester, 1840-1916 Author

Edward Sylvester Ellis (1840-1916) was an American author best known for adventure and historical works for young readers. Because public information about him is limited, biographical details remain difficult to establish with certainty, yet the library holds as many as 58 of his works, indicating that he was a prolific and long-active writer. His writing often centers on frontier settlement, mountain exploration, colonial warfare, and historical figures, as seen in The Great Cattle Trail, The Riflemen of the Miami, and The Cave in the Mountain; these works are tightly plotted and emphasize action and courage, making them well suited to younger readers. He also wrote character sketches such as Thomas Jefferson, a Character Sketch and reference works such as 1000 Mythological Characters Briefly Described, reflecting a broad interest in history, mythology, and popular knowledge.