Friend Island

Stevens, Francis, 1883-1948Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 27K words
Chapters: 3

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.Friend Island by Francis StevensAuthor: Stevens, Francis, 1883-1948,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Feb 26, 2011

Editor's review

Friend Island is a novella by Francis Stevens, an author of early American popular fiction, now made available again to readers as a public-domain ebook through Project Gutenberg. Stevens was active in the early twentieth century, and her work is often regarded as one of the important forerunners of early fantasy and science-fiction imagination; this book is a convenient entry point to that tradition. The story unfolds on an island setting, is short, and moves at a direct pace, making it suitable for reading in one sitting on a commute, while traveling, or in spare moments. For readers who want to trace the origins of modern fantasy and science fiction, the book offers a free and easily accessible sample; for readers studying the circulation of public-domain ebooks and early genre literature, it also has value as a document. Note that the book is in the original English, so some English foundation is needed, and because it was written early, its language style differs from contemporary popular fiction; readers can treat it as a brief journey back to literary origins rather than a modern genre work with strong plot and complex worldbuilding.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers interested in the origins of early fantasy and science fiction
People who want to test their ability to read original English with a short public-domain ebook
Enthusiasts and researchers studying early twentieth-century American popular fiction
Casual readers who enjoy island-adventure settings and concise storytelling

Not a good fit for

Readers with weak English reading skills who need a Chinese translation
Readers who prefer modern, fast-paced genre fiction with strong plots
Deep readers expecting long-form worldbuilding and complex character arcs

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the direction of the story, then revisit key passages to appreciate the methods of early genre narrative.
Note unfamiliar vocabulary and period expressions as you read to build experience with original English texts.
Read alongside material on the development of early science fiction and fantasy to strengthen your understanding of the background.
The book is short; reading it in one sitting is recommended to preserve the narrative pace and emotional continuity.

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 in Chinese or English? Is it suitable for English beginners?

The book is in the original English, published as a public-domain ebook by Project Gutenberg. It was written early, and its language style differs from contemporary English, so it is better suited to readers with some foundation in English reading; beginners can read it with the aid of a dictionary and notes, but it is not recommended as a first choice for beginners.

What is Project Gutenberg, and how is it related to this book?

Project Gutenberg is the earliest project to provide free ebooks, founded by Michael Hart in 1971. This book was released through that project as a public-domain ebook, so readers can obtain it free of charge, mainly for reading, study, and research.

What is the relation between this work and its author, Francis Stevens?

Francis Stevens is the author's pen name; she lived from 1883 to 1948, and her writing is often placed in the tradition of early fantasy and science-fiction imagination. Friend Island is one of her works and serves as a short sample of her style, though it should not be used to characterize her entire body of work.

What kind of reading experience does this book offer?

The book is short and its setting concentrated; the main barrier to reading comes from the original English and the differences of period language. It is well suited as a light journey back to literary origins: readers can enjoy the narrative interest of early genre fiction and observe how public-domain ebooks bring old works back into the view of contemporary readers.

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About the author

Stevens, Francis, 1883-1948 Author · American · 1883–1948

Francis Stevens (1883–1948) was the pen name of the American woman writer Gertrude Barrows Bennett. Under this name she wrote science fiction and fantasy. Her output was small, and only one work is held in this collection, Friend Island. Public information about her life is limited; her true identity and her writing activity have been established mainly through research into the pen name. Judging from the surviving work, her writing blends early science fiction with fantasy, often unfolding through imaginative settings and light, inventive narration, and it holds a place in the context of early twentieth-century American popular fiction magazines. Friend Island is her most frequently mentioned representative work and the main entry point for understanding her writing under this pen name.