The Mercenaries

Henry Beam PiperProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.7

Word count: 51K 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 Mercenaries by H. Beam Piper. Author: Piper, H. Beam, 1904-1964. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: Jul 12, 2006.

Editor's review

H. Beam Piper's The Mercenaries is a public-domain science fiction short story that continues the author's specialty in interstellar politics and military themes. The story centers on the predicament of mercenaries in an interstellar conflict; it is short and tightly paced, focusing on the tension among interest, loyalty, and calculation rather than piling on technical worldbuilding. For readers who want a sense of mid-twentieth-century American science fiction short stories, it is a low-cost, accessible sample and can also serve as supplementary reading for studying Piper's body of work. The Project Gutenberg edition is the original English text, suitable for science fiction fans with a certain level of English reading ability. When reading, pay attention to character motivation and negotiating games; that reveals the author's narrative pleasure more than simply following the plot.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy classic science fiction short stories and want to finish one quickly
Fans interested in science fiction about interstellar politics and military themes
Readers and students studying mid-twentieth-century American science fiction
Science fiction fans with some English foundation willing to read public-domain English originals

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting hardcore technological settings and detailed worldbuilding
Readers who prefer long series and need complete character arcs
Beginners who struggle with English reading and are unwilling to look up words

Reading tips

Read the short story through once first to grasp the main line of conflict, then go back to the interest calculations in the characters' dialogue.
Keep brief notes on each faction's goals and bargaining chips while reading; this helps in understanding the mercenaries' predicament.
Read it alongside other public-domain science fiction short stories to observe how science fiction of the same period handled military and political subjects.
If using it for English study, select the negotiation and action passages for close reading and build vocabulary related to military and political matters.

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 novel a full-length work or a short story?

It is a short science fiction work by H. Beam Piper, fairly short and suitable for reading in one sitting or two. It does not stand out for complex worldbuilding; its focus is on character choices and interest games in an interstellar conflict.

Can I read it without a background in science fiction?

Yes. The story does not depend on a vast series background, and the barrier to entry is not high. But the original is in English and requires basic English reading ability; if military and political terminology is unfamiliar, get the general idea first and then read closely.

What reading approach suits the Project Gutenberg edition?

This edition is a free electronic text, suitable for reading on a phone, computer, or e-reader, and easy to copy passages from for notes. Because it is a public-domain e-book, it usually lacks modern layout, introductions, and annotations; consulting background materials on your own is recommended.

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About the author

Henry Beam Piper Author · American · 1904–1964

The American science fiction writer H. Beam Piper (1904–1964) was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Self-taught, he worked for many years for the Pennsylvania Railroad. He published his first science fiction story in 1947 and went on to write prolifically; 35 of his works are held in this collection. His best-known works include Little Fuzzy, Space Viking, Omnilingual, and The Cosmic Computer, as well as the Terro-Human Future History series. His fiction often centers on contact with alien civilizations, problems of linguistics and translation, interstellar politics, and future history, driving its plots through solid technical and social world-building and combining adventure with speculative reflection; his depiction of deciphering alien documents in Omnilingual is especially admired. He died in 1964. Public information about him is limited and biographical details remain sparse, yet his work still finds readers in English-language science fiction.