Warm

Robert SheckleyProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.1

Word count: 18K words
Chapters: 2

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.Warm by Robert SheckleyAuthor: Sheckley, Robert, 1928-2005,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jul 25, 2009

Editor's review

"Warm" is a short science fiction work by Robert Sheckley, released free in English electronic form by Project Gutenberg. Sheckley was known for handling philosophical science fiction premises with a light touch, and this story follows his usual narrative style: it is short, quickly establishes its situation, and gradually reveals a thought-provoking core within an apparently everyday or absurd circumstance. For readers who want to encounter American science fiction short stories of the Golden Age, it is a sample that can be finished in spare moments and also serves as an introductory read for understanding Sheckley's style. Note that the materials provided here contain only information on authorship, language, and classification, with no details of plot or length; readers should treat it as the electronic text of an English-language short story, not a novel or collection. While reading, pay attention to how the author builds atmosphere and creates turns within a limited space, which is also instructive for aspiring writers. Overall, its value lies in offering the original work of an important science fiction writer at low cost and low barrier, making it a light starting point for reading science fiction in English.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers new to Golden Age American science fiction who want to start with short stories
Learners who want to read original English fiction in spare moments
Readers curious about Sheckley's style who want to try one story first
Readers who need free public-domain English electronic texts

Not a good fit for

Readers who only want Chinese translations and are unwilling to read the English original
Science fiction readers expecting a full-length novel with complete world-building
Readers impatient with the narrative pace of older short science fiction

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the plot, then go back to the setup clues the author planted.
When encountering unfamiliar words, first infer from context, then look them up together after finishing a passage.
Read it alongside other Sheckley short stories to appreciate his habitual use of twists.
After reading, write a three-to-five-sentence English summary to check whether you have grasped the core premise.

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 work a novel or a short story?

The materials only confirm that it is a work by Sheckley released as an English electronic text; they do not specify word count or length category. Given Sheckley's background in writing short science fiction, readers may approach it expecting a short story, but should not treat that as a confirmed length.

What English level is needed to read it?

The work is in the original English and is an early science fiction short story, so its sentence patterns and vocabulary are generally not very difficult. With reading ability around CET-4 level and a dictionary, most readers can finish it fairly smoothly; if you seldom read English fiction, it is advisable to try the opening paragraphs first before deciding.

Is this book a Chinese edition?

No. The materials show that its language is English and that it is an English e-book released by Project Gutenberg. Readers get the original English text; if Chinese content is needed, they must find a translation or use translation tools for assistance.

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

Robert Sheckley Author · United States · 1928–2005

Robert Sheckley (1928–2005) was an American science fiction writer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1928, he served with the U.S. military in Korea and later graduated from New York University. He published his first story in 1952 and became known for witty, absurd, and satirical short stories and novels. His work often explores civilization, desire, and the dilemmas brought by technology in an ironic tone, with ingenious plots and often surprising endings. His representative works include Warm, Watchbird, The Status Civilization, Keep Your Shape, Ask a Foolish Question, Cost of Living, Death Wish, and Forever. The library holds 18 of his works. He received the Nebula Award Grand Master title in 2000 and died in 2005. Public information is limited, but his distinctive humor and satire have earned wide attention in the science fiction field.