The Hunters

Samachson, Joseph, 1906-1980Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 30K words
Chapters: 3

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 Hunters by Joseph SamachsonAuthor: Samachson, Joseph, 1906-1980,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Sep 6, 2007

Editor's review

The Hunters is a novella by science fiction writer Joseph Samachson (1906–1980), made freely available as an ebook by Project Gutenberg. Samachson was active in mid-twentieth-century American pulp science fiction magazines, and his work is known for tight plotting and unexpected twists; this piece follows suit: titled "The Hunters," it revolves around pursuit and counter-pursuit, concise in length and brisk in pace. As a public-domain ebook, its value lies not in weight but in offering a window into the craft of Golden Age science fiction short stories—how the author handles suspense, and how he establishes a world and delivers an ending twist within limited space—which is instructive for aspiring science fiction writers. In terms of reading context, it suits short sessions on a commute or before bed, and works well as extensive reading material in English, with moderate language difficulty and uncomplicated sentence structures. Readers should note that this is early genre fiction: characterization is relatively functional, and the science fiction premise bears the marks of its era; it is best approached with the expectations of genre history and leisure reading rather than as deep literature.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy mid-twentieth-century British and American short science fiction and want fast-paced reading
Aspiring writers interested in studying the structure and twist techniques of Golden Age science fiction short stories
Intermediate English learners who need short English extensive reading material and prefer manageable length
Readers who read on commutes or in fragmented time and prefer standalone stories

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer long epics, deep world-building, and complex character arcs
Readers sensitive to the era's limitations of early genre fiction and demanding modern gender and diverse perspectives
Beginner English readers who need a Chinese translation or a bilingual edition

Reading tips

Read it through in one sitting first, then go back to review the setup and note where the author plants clues for the twist.
Jot down the multiple meanings of the "hunter" identity as you read, and organize them into a short review afterward.
If using it for English study, select the plot-twist passages for close reading and retelling practice.
After finishing, compare it with other public-domain science fiction short stories from the same period to compare themes and narrative conventions.

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 a novel or a short story? How long does it take to read?

Judging by the length of the public-domain ebook and Samachson's usual habit of writing novellas and short stories, it is a short work, typically readable in one or two hours, suitable for one or two sittings. For the exact length, refer to the page count of the version you download.

How difficult is the English, and what level of reader is it suitable for?

The text is in the style of mid-twentieth-century American popular magazines: sentences are short, there is a fair amount of dialogue, and unfamiliar words are limited, so intermediate English readers can read it smoothly with a dictionary. If you are just starting to read original English works, try reading a paragraph or two first.

Why can this book be downloaded for free?

It was released as an ebook by Project Gutenberg, which specializes in works whose copyright has entered the public domain, so it can be legally obtained for free. Readers do not need to pay, and should also respect its terms of use.

If I want to learn more about the author after reading, where should I look?

Samachson was a twentieth-century American popular science fiction author. You can search Project Gutenberg for his other public-domain works, or consult public materials on the history of science fiction to learn about the creative ecosystem of magazine science fiction of the same period, without relying on a single review.

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About the author

Samachson, Joseph, 1906-1980 Author

Joseph Samachson (1906–1980) is an author about whom little biographical information is publicly available, yet whose works show considerable variety in subject matter. The library holds 13 of his works, including Picture Bride, A Feast of Demons, The Weather on Mercury, Unwelcomed Visitor, Bedside Manner, The Hunters, Runaway, and Dead Man's Planet. Judging from these titles, his writing ranges across science fiction and fantasy, alien environments, strange visitors, and suspenseful human situations, often advancing the narrative through vividly imagined premises and combining imagination with the appeal of popular storytelling. Because public sources are limited, his nationality, full life story, and the concrete course of his writing career remain unknown; the existing entry relies chiefly on the titles and thematic features of these works to present his profile as a writer, offering readers a reference point when approaching his work.