A Woman's Place

Mark Irvin CliftonProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 54K 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.A Woman's Place by Mark CliftonAuthor: Clifton, Mark, 1906-1963,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jun 16, 2010

Editor's review

A Woman's Place is a science fiction short story by Mark Clifton published in the mid-twentieth century, newly available to readers through Project Gutenberg's digitization. Clifton wrote extensively for magazines such as Galaxy Science Fiction, and was skilled at packing social issues into genre fiction frameworks; this story uses the family and gender roles as its entry point, inviting readers to consider, within a relaxed narrative pace, who exactly defines one's "place." The work is short, the plot moves briskly, the dialogue is sharp, and it carries the blend of optimism and irony characteristic of science fiction from that era. Its value lies not in grand world-building but in using everyday scenes to reflect shifting ideas, offering both storytelling and food for thought. It suits a single sitting during a commute or lunch break, and works well as a short sample for discussing gender roles and social allegory in science fiction. While reading, note how shifts in narrative perspective affect the reader's judgment of the characters' situations—a technique worth savoring in this story.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Genre readers interested in mid-twentieth-century English-language science fiction short stories
Book club members who want to use a short story to spark discussion of gender roles
Advanced English learners who need lightweight practice with original English texts

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer long-form world-building and hard science fiction settings
Readers expecting in-depth theoretical analysis of contemporary gender issues
Those who find the narrative pacing of old magazine science fiction hard to adjust to

Reading tips

Read the main text in one go first, then revisit the opening scene to appreciate the reversal of ideas in the echo between beginning and end.
After reading, note each moment the protagonist has a "place" assigned to them, and trace how the narrative builds tension.
If using it for English study, choose three passages of dialogue for close reading, paying attention to colloquial expressions and period vocabulary.

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 a novel or a short story?

It is a short science fiction story, compact in length and usually readable in one sitting. It suits fragmented reading time and is also easy to reread as discussion material.

Can I read it without a background in science fiction?

Yes. The work unfolds through everyday family scenes, with a low barrier to entry and clear narration, so readers new to older science fiction can follow the plot; the focus is on appreciating its social allegory.

What are the features of the Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free electronic texts, primarily presenting the original text, making it easy for readers to engage directly with the English original and convenient to copy and quote for reading notes or classroom discussion.

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About the author

Mark Irvin Clifton Author · American · 1906–1963

Mark Clifton (1906–1963), born Mark Irvin Clifton, was an American science fiction writer and industrial psychologist. He long worked in personnel management, a background that led his science fiction to focus on the tensions between psychology, human nature, and managerial systems. From 1952 he published in magazines such as Astounding; his output was modest but drew consistent attention. His representative works include They'd Rather Be Right, co-written with Frank Riley and winner of the 1955 Hugo Award for Best Novel, along with Eight Keys to Eden, Star, Bright, and Sense from Thought Divide. Eight of his works are collected here. Public information on his early education and specific career is limited. His fiction is notable for its speculative strength and subtle psychological portrayal, using science-fictional premises to explore prejudice, rationality, and group behavior, earning him a distinctive place in 1950s American science fiction.