The Risk Profession

Donald Edwin WestlakeProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 60K words
Chapters: 7

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 Risk Profession by Donald E. WestlakeAuthor: Westlake, Donald E., 1933-2008,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Oct 29, 2008

Editor's review

The Risk Profession is a mid-twentieth-century science fiction short story by Donald E. Westlake, made available as a public-domain electronic text by Project Gutenberg. Westlake later became known for crime fiction; this early work turns its attention to future professions and risk mechanisms, using brisk, accessible storytelling to build a speculative social scenario. Its appeal lies in tight pacing and a clear setup: though brief, it shows the author's interest in professional ethics and the calculus of advantage, and it reads with the crispness of genre fiction. As a public-domain text, it is also a small sample of how English-language science fiction short stories were written in the mid-twentieth century, suited to readers interested in the intersection of early science fiction and crime fiction. Note that the work carries the language habits and depictions of gender and society of its era; it is best read as literature, not as a practical career guide.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Genre readers who enjoy mid-twentieth-century English-language science fiction short stories
Readers interested in Westlake's early work and the evolution of his style
Learners who want short English fiction for extensive reading and building genre vocabulary
Book clubs looking for a short sample to discuss future professions and risk setups

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer hard science fiction with technical detail and rigorous scientific extrapolation
Readers expecting novel-length character development and complex plotting
Readers sensitive to old-fashioned English expressions and period-bound depictions

Reading tips

Read the short story straight through first, then revisit the opening setup to see how the author builds the risk mechanism.
While reading, note the depictions of professions, contracts, and the calculus of advantage, and map out the story's core conflict.
Compare it with Westlake's later crime fiction to observe how his narrative interests carry over.
Record old-fashioned expressions encountered in the English text and look them up together afterward.

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

What genre is this work, and is it long?

It is a science fiction short story, not long, with a focused narrative. The story revolves around future professions and risk mechanisms, with a speculative, genre-fiction flavor. It can be read in one sitting and works well as short English extensive-reading material.

What does Westlake mainly write, and is this piece unusual?

Westlake later became known for crime fiction; this early science fiction short story shows that he also ventured into speculative writing about future society and professional setups. For readers who want to understand the range of his work and his early style, it offers some reference value, but it should not be used to generalize about his entire body of work.

How difficult is the English, and is it suitable for reading practice?

The text is in the original English. The language is accessible but carries mid-twentieth-century expression habits, making it moderately difficult overall. Readers with some foundation can use it for short extensive reading; beginners are advised to follow the plot first and then deal with unfamiliar words and old-fashioned usage, rather than agonizing over every word.

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About the author

Donald Edwin Westlake Author · American · 1933–2008

Donald E. Westlake (1933–2008) was an American crime novelist and screenwriter, born in Brooklyn, New York. Over his career he wrote more than a hundred novels, including the Dortmunder series under his own name and the hard-boiled Parker series under the pen name Richard Stark, showing a gift for both humor and tough, lean storytelling. He won the Edgar Award three times, received the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 1993, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay for The Grifters. Three of his works are held in this collection—They Also Serve, The Spy in the Elevator, and The Risk Profession—most of them crime and suspense stories that display his characteristic wit and brisk pacing. He died in Mexico in 2008.