With These Hands

Cyril M. KornbluthProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 43K words
Chapters: 5

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.With These Hands by C. M. KornbluthAuthor: Kornbluth, C. M. (Cyril M.), 1923-1958,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Mar 22, 2016

Editor's review

This is a short science fiction story by the American SF writer Cyril M. Kornbluth, with the English original released free by Project Gutenberg. Kornbluth was known for his short fiction, and this piece is tightly paced, suited to being read in one sitting on a commute or a short break. Its reading value lies in driving the plot through a small-scale premise, letting readers experience, within a limited length, early science fiction's attention to technology, labor, and the human condition; the language is English, the sentences are not overly difficult, so it can serve as introductory practice in reading original SF in English. When reading, don't chase speed—first grasp the premise and the turn, then go back to the characters' motives and the meaning of the ending. It suits SF short-story fans, those practicing English original reading, and readers of public-domain ebooks; it does not suit readers expecting a long-form world or a complex ensemble of characters.

Who it's for

A good fit for

SF short-story fans who want a tightly structured English original
English reading practitioners looking for a public-domain text that is short and not too difficult in language
Public-domain ebook readers interested in Project Gutenberg's early SF titles
SF writing learners who want to observe how a short story quickly establishes premise and turn

Not a good fit for

SF readers who prefer long-form worlds and complex character ensembles
English beginners who need modern annotations and guided reading
Readers expecting contemporary tech themes and up-to-date premises

Reading tips

Read it through once without looking up words, grasping the premise, conflict, and final turn.
On the second pass, look up key vocabulary and note how the author builds the SF premise with few details.
After reading, write a three-sentence summary to check whether you grasped the core premise and character motives.
For English practice, pick a passage of dialogue or description for close reading and imitate its short-sentence rhythm.

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 novel a full-length work or a short story?

Judging from the Gutenberg catalog information, this is a short SF story, suited to being read in one or two sittings. For the exact length, refer to the electronic text; when reading, you can split it by paragraph and need not schedule it at the pace of a full-length novel.

Is the English difficult?

On the whole it is readable short-form English with short sentences, though there are a few period expressions and SF premise words. Complete beginners may need a dictionary; readers with some English reading ability can read straight through and then revisit difficult sentences.

Do I need to know the author's other works first?

No. This work can be read independently and does not depend on prior context from the author's other works. If you are interested afterward, look up the author's other short stories to better understand his style in short SF.

What is the reading experience of the Gutenberg edition like?

The Gutenberg edition is a public-domain plain-text ebook, usually without modern introductions or annotations, and the layout is plain. It is recommended to adjust font size and line spacing on an e-reader and to skim the chapter or paragraph divisions before reading so you can plan your time.

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About the author

Cyril M. Kornbluth Author · American · 1923–1958

Cyril M. Kornbluth (1923–1958) was an American science fiction writer. Born in New York City, he died of a heart attack in New York State in 1958. As a teenager he joined the Futurians, a science fiction group, and was closely associated with Frederik Pohl, Isaac Asimov, and others; he is regarded as one of the representative authors of the Golden Age of science fiction. Kornbluth was known for social satire, often using absurd situations and a cool, unsentimental tone to expose the flaws of consumer society, crowd psychology, and human nature. His stories are short and sharp, leaving a complex aftertaste. The library holds six of his works, including The Marching Morons, The Syndic, With These Hands, The Luckiest Man in Denv, The Altar at Midnight, and The Adventurer, as well as The Space Merchants, co-written with Pohl. His satirical science fiction has had a lasting influence on later writers.