The Mind Master

Burks, Arthur J., 1898-1974Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.6

Word count: 162K words
Chapters: 17

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 Mind Master by Arthur J. BurksAuthor: Burks, Arthur J., 1898-1974,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jul 15, 2009

Editor's review

Arthur J. Burks was an early twentieth-century American pulp magazine author whose works often dealt with fantasy and supernatural themes. The Mind Master, as a public-domain e-book, is short in length and carries the tight pacing and imaginative flavor of old-style magazine fiction, making it a lightweight sample for understanding the landscape of early English genre fiction. Published by Project Gutenberg, the reading threshold lies mainly in the original English and period feel rather than length or theoretical depth. For readers who wish to access public-domain English fiction at low cost, it offers a convenient entry point; for those studying popular literature or the Gutenberg project itself, it also has documentary value. It is best read as a period text, with attention to its narrative interest and language habits, rather than expecting the tight structure of a modern psychological thriller.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English learners who want to practice reading with short original English texts
Readers interested in early American magazine genre fiction
General readers who need free public-domain e-book resources
Those studying popular literature or e-book public-domain projects

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer modern novels with tight, elaborate plots
Those with weak English reading foundations who are unwilling to look up words

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the direction of the story, then look up unfamiliar words and period expressions on a second pass.
You may consult the Project Gutenberg page for version information; there is no need to seek a print edition.
After reading, note the characteristics of old-style magazine fiction in pacing and characterization for comparison.

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 suitable for English beginners?

Not very suitable for readers starting from zero. The original is in English and carries the feel of early twentieth-century popular fiction, so beginners may be hindered by vocabulary and sentence patterns. Those with some basic English reading ability who are willing to look up words can try it, but it is better to start with graded short and medium-length readers.

Why is this book published by Project Gutenberg?

Project Gutenberg is an early provider of free e-books, dedicated to organizing and publishing works that have entered the public domain. This book is one of the project's public-domain e-books, so readers can obtain the original English text for free without relying on commercial publications.

Do I need to know the author's background to read this book?

No prior study is necessary. Knowing that the author was roughly active in early twentieth-century American pulp magazine writing helps in understanding the period feel and narrative interest of the text, but does not affect basic reading. You can read the main text first and then supplement background as interest dictates.

Comments

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About the author

Burks, Arthur J., 1898-1974 Author · American · 1898–1974

Arthur J. Burks (1898–1974) was an American writer of popular fiction. Public information about his life is limited, and the details currently available center mainly on his writing career. He wrote aviation and science fiction stories for pulp magazines such as Amazing Stories, producing fast-paced work for a general readership and carrying the adventure flavor common to pulp fiction. His representative works include Lords of the Stratosphere and The Mind Master, whose titles and venues of publication place them within aviation adventure and science-fictional imagination. Two of his works are held in this collection. Overall, Burks was one of the writers active in the American pulp magazine ecosystem of the first half of the twentieth century; his work reflects the popular tastes of the period in science fiction and aviation themes and offers some documentary value for understanding the genre fiction of that era.