The Stutterer

Reuben Robert MerlissProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 57K 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 Stutterer by Reuben MerlissAuthor: Merliss, Reuben (Reuben Robert), 1915-1987,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Sep 5, 2007

Editor's review

The Stutterer is an American science fiction short story. Its author, Reuben Merliss, was both a physician and a science fiction writer, which gives the story a certain attention to physiological and psychological detail in its premise. The title points to a stutterer, and the story builds its science fiction conceit around this trait. It is short, with its twists tightly concentrated, making it suitable for reading in one sitting on a commute or before bed. Its interest lies not in a grand worldview but in using a specific defect to drive the plot, prompting readers to think about the relationship between communication barriers, identity, and ability. As a public-domain electronic text, its language is straightforward and its English difficulty moderate, making it suitable as material for science fiction short story reading practice. After reading, note how the author uses dialogue and interior monologue to shape character, and how the ending ties up the foreshadowing laid earlier. If you are expecting hard science fiction or a long epic, this small volume may not fully satisfy.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to use fragmented time to read an English-language science fiction short story
People interested in science fiction conceits that start from physiological or psychological traits
Students at an intermediate English reading level who wish to practice short story analysis

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a grand worldview or long-form hard science fiction setting
Hardcore science fiction fans who need detailed scientific explanations and complex technological extrapolation

Reading tips

Read it in one sitting: first grasp the plot twists, then go back to see how the foreshadowing at the beginning is paid off
Pay attention to how the stutter is written in dialogue and narration, and think about how it relates to the theme
After reading, summarize the core science fiction premise in a few sentences to check whether you have grasped the author's intent

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 kind of science fiction is this story?

It belongs to the mid-twentieth-century American science fiction short story tradition: short in length, concentrated in conceit, and using a specific character trait to develop a science fiction idea. It does not rely on a grand worldview and is closer to a short story approach centered on an idea and characters, suitable for quickly reading and then reflecting on the relationship between the premise and the theme.

How difficult is the English, and is it suitable for learning English?

The text's language is straightforward and the sentences are not long, placing it at an intermediate English reading difficulty. It is suitable for learners with some vocabulary foundation to practice short story reading and plot summary; when encountering unfamiliar words, first infer from context and look them up after finishing, to avoid interrupting the reading rhythm.

What is special about the author Merliss?

Reuben Merliss was a physician who also wrote science fiction. This background gives him a professional observer's perspective when handling settings related to the body and psyche. When reading, note whether the descriptions of characters' states reflect this kind of care, but there is no need to interpret the work as a medical text.

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About the author

Reuben Robert Merliss Author · American · 1915–1987

Reuben Robert Merliss (1915–1987) was an American physician and science fiction writer whose creative work was mainly active in the mid-twentieth century. One of his works, The Stutterer, is held in the collection. Public information about his life and writing career is limited; the available facts sketch only his dual identity as a medical professional and a science fiction author. His science fiction appeared mostly in the popular science fiction magazines of the mid-twentieth century, and his stories often built their imaginative premises on medical or scientific backgrounds. He occupied a modest place in the genre fiction of his time and offers a reference point for later science fiction writers interested in scientific and medical themes.