Unthinkable

Rog PhillipsProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 59K 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.Unthinkable by Rog PhillipsAuthor: Phillips, Rog, 1909-1965,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Dec 11, 2008

Editor's review

Unthinkable is a short science fiction story by the American writer Rog Phillips, published in the mid-twentieth century and made available as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg. Phillips was active in the pulp magazine era, and his work is often noted for clever premise reversals and tight narration; this story follows the typical pleasures of science fiction shorts of the period: it opens with a seemingly unthinkable premise, advances through dialogue and gradual revelation, and often ends with a cognitive twist. Its value lies in offering a sample of the craft of Golden Age pulp science fiction—how to build suspense, control the release of information, and close a story within a limited space. For science fiction fans it is a brisk, lingering little piece; for readers studying the history of genre fiction it is also an accessible introduction to the postwar American science fiction magazine ecosystem. Read it first without expectations, then look back at where the author planted clues, to appreciate the structural ingenuity of the short story. The language is English, the length short, and it can be finished in one sitting.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy classic short science fiction and premise reversals
Fans and students of mid-twentieth-century American pulp science fiction
Science fiction fans who want to practice reading with short original English texts
Collectors of public-domain science fiction eBooks from Project Gutenberg

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting long-form worldbuilding and complex character arcs
Readers with high sensitivity to pulp-era style and its treatment of gender and race
Readers who only want contemporary hard science fiction or near-future themes

Reading tips

Read straight through the first time without looking words up, enjoying the suspense and the ending twist.
On a second reading, revisit the opening and details of dialogue to find the clues the author planted.
After reading, compare with pulp science fiction shorts of the same period, comparing narrative pace and premise technique.
The English original is short and suits a single commute or bedtime reading.

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 is short science fiction in the style of mid-twentieth-century American pulp magazines, usually starting from a strange premise or scientific notion, driven by dialogue, and ending with a twist. It is closer to conceptual, plot-driven genre writing than to hard science fiction's technical extrapolation or long-form worldbuilding.

How difficult is the English, and what readers is it for?

The original is English written for a mass-magazine audience; sentence structure and vocabulary are generally easy, with occasional period expressions. Science fiction readers with intermediate English can read it directly; unfamiliar expressions can usually be inferred from context without looking up every word.

What is the background of the author, Rog Phillips?

Rog Phillips (1909–1965) was an American science fiction writer active mainly in the pulp magazine era, known chiefly for short fiction. Details of his life and work can be found in science fiction reference materials; this entry relies only on the bibliographic information provided by Project Gutenberg and adds nothing about his career.

Do I need to know science fiction history before reading this?

No. The story stands on its own and can be read directly. To appreciate its technique more deeply, you might later learn about the pay rates and length limits of the pulp magazine era, which makes it easier to understand why such shorts emphasize a gripping opening and a twist ending.

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About the author

Rog Phillips Author · American · 1909–1965

Rog Phillips (1909–1965), pen name of Roger Phillip Graham, was an American science fiction writer born on February 20, 1909, in Spokane, Washington. He was active in science fiction magazines during the 1940s and 1950s, publishing mainly in outlets such as Amazing Stories and known for his short fiction. Seven of his works are included in the collection, among them The Old Martians, Unthinkable, The Gallery, The Unthinking Destroyer, Tillie, Ye of Little Faith, and Cube Root of Conquest. His notable short story "The Yellow Pill" was nominated for a Hugo Award, and he also wrote the fan commentary column "The Club House." Public information on his life and full body of work is limited, and existing accounts center on these magazine short stories, the award nomination, and his science fiction fan activities.