Twelve Times Zero

Howard BrowneProject Gutenberg · United StatesMar 2023

3.3

Word count: 123K words
Chapters: 13

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.Twelve Times Zero by Howard BrowneAuthor: Browne, Howard, 1907-1999,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: May 28, 2010

Editor's review

Howard Browne's Twelve Times Zero is another American popular literature ebook reissued by Project Gutenberg; the author was active in mid-twentieth-century magazine writing, and his works often blend suspense with speculation. Judging from the title and the author's background, this book is closer to magazine-style short narrative, emphasizing suspense and plot twists rather than rigorous technical extrapolation. For readers who want to understand the popular reading tastes of that era or who are interested in early genre fiction, this free ebook offers a low-threshold entry point. The text is the original English, with straightforward language and manageable length, suitable as supplementary material for English extensive reading or genre literature studies. When reading, one might focus on its narrative techniques and the marks of its era rather than measuring character depth by the standards of contemporary full-length novels. As a public-domain resource, its value lies more in its significance as a sample and in entertainment.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in mid-twentieth-century American genre fiction
Learners looking for short original English texts for extensive reading practice
Enthusiasts studying the writing style and narrative conventions of popular magazines
Readers who enjoy suspense and speculative themes and accept a retro style

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking literary depth and complex character portrayal
English beginners who need a Chinese translation or annotations
Readers who prefer modern science fiction or long series

Reading tips

Read the first two sections to judge the narrative pace, then decide whether to finish it in one sitting.
Treat it as English extensive reading material, focusing on understanding the plot rather than checking every word.
After reading, compare its narrative techniques with other genre fiction of the same period from Project Gutenberg.
If used for research, note the title, author and publication information for citation.

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?

The text is the original English; the language is relatively straightforward but still mid-twentieth-century expression, so English beginners may need a dictionary. It is more suitable for readers with some foundation who are reading for extensive purposes.

Is this a long or short work?

Judging from the author's background and its inclusion by Project Gutenberg, it is a popular genre work of modest length, suitable for reading in one sitting or over two or three sessions; the exact page count varies with electronic formatting.

Why read public-domain ebooks?

Public-domain ebooks are free to obtain and easy to search and cite, making them good samples for understanding early genre literature. The Gutenberg edition has simple formatting and no modern annotations, but it is sufficient for general reading and research reference.

Comments

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About the author

Howard Browne Author · American · 1908–1999

Howard Browne (1908–1999) was an American science fiction editor and mystery writer, born in Omaha, Nebraska. Public information about his early education and private life is limited; his reputation rests chiefly on his achievements as an editor and a writer. In the 1940s and 1950s he edited magazines such as Amazing Stories, helping to shift the publication from pulp format to digest size and bringing the Shaver Mystery serial to an end, leaving his mark on the history of genre magazine publishing. He later moved into television, writing for series such as Maverick while continuing to write fiction. His work spans science fiction and mystery; representative titles include Twelve Times Zero and Warrior of the Dawn. His plots are tight and suspenseful, combining the popular readability of the pulp era with the imaginative energy of genre fiction.