The Lonely

Merril, Judith, 1923-1997Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 25K 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 Lonely by Judith MerrilAuthor: Merril, Judith, 1923-1997,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Sep 20, 2016

Editor's review

The Lonely is a short work by Judith Merril (1923–1997), released free by Project Gutenberg. Merril was a major editor and author in twentieth-century science fiction, and her writing often切入 character psychology and everyday situations rather than relying on grand technological spectacle. This work reflects that orientation: short, restrained in language, and concerned with how loneliness seeps into individual life. For Chinese readers, it is both an entry point into early North American science fiction and a light English short-story reading exercise. The Gutenberg edition is easy to obtain and suitable for reading in fragmented time such as commuting or before bed, and after reading one can reflect further on the theme of loneliness. Note that the book is in the original English and offers limited information, so readers should approach its period feel with an open mind.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to explore early science fiction short stories and can read the original English
Readers interested in science fiction that切入 psychology and emotion
Intermediate English learners who need light English extensive reading material and prefer short stories
People who like reading in fragmented time and reflecting on loneliness along the way

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting long-form hard science fiction or complex worldbuilding
Readers who only read Chinese translations and do not want to engage with the original English
Readers who prefer strong plots and fast-paced, tense narratives

Reading tips

Read through once to feel the overall atmosphere, then return to sentences describing the characters' states and note how loneliness is presented.
Record unfamiliar words by context rather than looking up every word; after reading, focus on the few key words that affect understanding.
Read alongside other short stories by the same author to observe continuities in her character focus and narrative technique.
After reading, write a short response or a two- or three-sentence review connecting personal experience with textual details.

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

Does this book require a high level of English to read?

As a short work, it is limited in length and relatively concentrated in language; intermediate English readers can finish it with a dictionary. It is advisable to read through first without stopping for individual unfamiliar words, then deal with key difficult words afterward for a smoother experience.

What are the reading features of the Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free electronic texts that are easy to obtain and can be opened on a computer, phone, or e-reader. The text is in the public domain, suitable for fragmented reading and convenient for copying passages for notes and excerpts.

What can I explore after reading?

You can look into Judith Merril's identity as a science fiction editor and author, and read other short stories from her edited science fiction anthologies, comparing how different authors handle themes of loneliness, the everyday, and the future.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Merril, Judith, 1923-1997 Author · American · 1923–1997

Judith Merril (1923–1997) was an American science fiction writer and editor who had a profound influence on modern science fiction. Public information about her is limited, but the two works of hers held in this collection, Exile from Space and The Lonely, suggest that her fiction often places characters in alien or isolated situations, using science fiction premises to examine the individual's estrangement from the world around them. As a writer, she focused on psychological depth and emotional tension rather than mere displays of technological spectacle; as an editor, her keen eye for fiction helped shape the aesthetic of mid-twentieth-century science fiction short stories and steered the genre from pulp entertainment toward greater literary quality. Her writing and editing together form an important contribution to modern science fiction that continues to be valued by scholars and readers alike.