Jimsy and the Monsters

Sheldon, Walter J., 1917-1996Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 32K words
Chapters: 4

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.Jimsy and the Monsters by Walter J. SheldonAuthor: Sheldon, Walter J., 1917-1996,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Mar 21, 2010

Editor's review

Jimsy and the Monsters is a work by American writer Walter J. Sheldon, released as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg. Sheldon was active in the mid-twentieth-century pulp science fiction magazine scene, and his work appeared mostly in short form, with brisk pacing and straightforward premises. As the title suggests, the book has monster and science fiction elements, making it a light read for getting to know early English-language SF short stories. Because it is a public-domain eBook, it is easy to obtain and suits reading in spare moments. Note that the original is in English and belongs to an earlier era of pulp SF, so some premises and expressions may differ from what contemporary readers are used to. It is better suited to readers interested in SF history and pulp magazine culture, or as English extensive reading material, rather than to readers seeking deep literary quality or complex character development.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in mid-twentieth-century English-language SF short stories
Learners who want light English reading material for extensive reading practice
Readers who enjoy monsters, science fiction premises, and fast-paced storytelling
People who want free public-domain eBooks to read in fragmented time

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting deep literary quality and complex character development
Readers whose English reading ability is insufficient and who need a Chinese translation
People uncomfortable with the premises and expressions of early pulp SF

Reading tips

First read the bibliographic information on the Project Gutenberg page to confirm length and publication background.
As English extensive reading material, read one complete passage at a time and note new words.
After reading, compare it with SF short stories of the same period to observe the narrative conventions of pulp magazines.
If used for study, excerpt typical dialogue and premise descriptions for language notes.

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 work is this book?

Judging by the title and the author's background, it is an English-language short story with monster and science fiction elements, belonging to the mid-twentieth-century pulp SF tradition. For the specific plot, refer to the original text; the materials do not provide a more detailed content summary.

Do I need to read other books first to understand it?

No. As a standalone short story, it does not depend on prior works. However, if you are unfamiliar with the common premises of early SF magazines, you may feel less of the background resonance; you could first learn the basic characteristics of pulp SF of that period.

Where can I get this book?

This book is released by Project Gutenberg and is a free public-domain eBook; you can find it on the Project Gutenberg website by searching for the title or author. The materials show its release information as March 2010, and the electronic version can be downloaded and read for free.

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

Sheldon, Walter J., 1917-1996 Author

Walter J. Sheldon (1917–1996) was an American author of science fiction and popular fiction, though public information about him is limited. Seven of his works are included in this collection: I, the Unspeakable, Houlihan's Equation, Two Plus Two Makes Crazy, This is Klon Calling, Jimsy and the Monsters, Brink of Madness, and Your Time is Up. These titles often carry a sense of suspense, the grotesque, and psychological tension, suggesting that he excelled at building mystery through absurd premises and abrupt plot turns, usually driving conflict forward within short-form stories. On this Chinese book site his works are grouped under inspirational growth, a category that reflects a mixed positioning between popular reading and genre fiction rather than strict science-fiction orthodoxy. Because biographical material is scarce, readers can currently know this author only through his themes and title styles; a fuller picture of his writing awaits more sources.