The Sensitive Man

Anderson, Poul, 1926-2001Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 120K words
Chapters: 12

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 Sensitive Man by Poul AndersonAuthor: Anderson, Poul, 1926-2001,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Mar 4, 2010

Editor's review

The Sensitive Man is a novella by science fiction master Poul Anderson, using the premise of the "sensitive" to explore the tension between individual ability and social power. Anderson excels at embedding questions about technological ethics and the limits of human nature within tight narratives, and this story is no exception: the plot moves briskly, suspense is restrained, and the psychological tension of the characters is often more compelling than the action. Readers familiar with Golden Age science fiction will recognize Cold War anxieties about the "exceptional individual"; for those new to Anderson, it is a moderately sized entry point for observing his narrative style. This is the English electronic edition from Project Gutenberg, suitable as light English-language science fiction reading and as a model of short-form structure for writers. While reading, note how the author conveys worldbuilding through dialogue rather than lengthy exposition.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy Golden Age science fiction and want to catch up on Poul Anderson's short fiction
Intermediate to advanced English learners seeking English science fiction shorts for extensive reading
Enthusiasts studying the theme of "exceptional individuals" and power relations in science fiction
Writing practitioners who want to study dialogue-driven plotting through short fiction

Not a good fit for

Science fiction readers expecting grand, lengthy worldbuilding and series settings
Beginners who still find English reading difficult and need Chinese annotations
Readers who prefer contemporary science fiction styles and have little patience for period-flavored narratives

Reading tips

Read through once for plot, then read again to notice worldbuilding information embedded in dialogue.
While reading, note how the "sensitive" ability is described and limited, to help sort out the themes.
Read alongside other Anderson shorts to observe repetition and variation in his narrative techniques.

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?

The materials indicate that The Sensitive Man is a novella by Poul Anderson, not a series novel. The Gutenberg edition is an English ebook, sized for one or two sittings; the exact page count varies with formatting.

Can I read it without a science fiction background?

Yes, but you need some English reading ability. The premise does not depend on extensive prior context, and the plot is relatively self-contained; if you are unfamiliar with Golden Age science fiction pacing, the first few pages may take adjustment—read a chapter before deciding.

What are the features of the Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free electronic texts. This is the original English edition, usually with copyright and release information. It is convenient to read and search on electronic devices, but contains no Chinese translation notes or introduction, so readers must supply background themselves.

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

Anderson, Poul, 1926-2001 Author

Poul Anderson (1926–2001) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy whose career spanned the second half of the twentieth century and who produced a substantial body of work. Fourteen of his works are held here, including The Chapter Ends, The Valor of Cappen Varra, The Golden Slave, The Sensitive Man, Sentiment, Inc., Industrial Revolution, Snowball and Inside Earth, covering themes such as space exploration, time travel, historical fantasy and satirical social fables. His writing is notable for solid scientific premises and brisk narrative pacing, combining adventure with speculation; some short stories use future settings to examine human nature and social institutions with a gently ironic tone. Because public information is limited, no conjectures are made here about biographical details or awards; the works at hand show a wide-ranging and versatile writer with a certain influence among readers of English-language genre fiction.