Reluctant Genius

Slesar, Henry, 1927-2002Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 5.6K words
Chapters: 1

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.Reluctant Genius by Henry SlesarAuthor: Slesar, Henry, 1927-2002,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Feb 9, 2009

Editor's review

This is a work by the American popular-fiction writer Henry Slesar (1927–2002), released free in English electronic form by Project Gutenberg. Slesar was known for short suspense, science fiction, and black humor, and his work is marked by concise prose and unexpected twists; this piece continues that kind of readable popular narrative. The title “Reluctant Genius” suggests a story about talent and resistance, about a character pushed toward some kind of achievement, and it works well as an ironic piece of light reading. As a public-domain electronic text, it is not long and can be read in one sitting during a commute or before bed; it also suits light reading in English popular fiction, offering a look at the rhythm and flavor of mid-twentieth-century American genre-magazine storytelling. Note that the available information gives only author, language, and classification details, with no specifics on plot, reviews, or influence, so one should not expect too much in terms of depth or literary standing; it is safer to treat it as a free English short story.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers looking for a short English story to pass fragmented time
Readers interested in twentieth-century American popular genre fiction
Learners who need short English material for extensive reading practice
Readers who enjoy twist endings and black humor

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a long, complex structure and grand themes
Beginners in English who need a Chinese translation or annotations
Readers who prefer serious literary fiction and classics

Reading tips

Read through once for the plot, then go back to see how the foreshadowing and twists are set up.
When you hit an unfamiliar word, guess from context first and look it up after finishing, so you keep your reading rhythm.
If using it for English study, copy out a few passages of dialogue to get a feel for the colloquial style of popular narrative.
After reading, ask yourself what “reluctant” in the title refers to, then check it against the text.

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?

The information shows the language is English, i.e., the original English text, released electronically by Project Gutenberg, with no Chinese translation mentioned. Before reading, check whether your English reading ability matches.

Is it long? How long does it take to finish?

The available information gives no word count or page count, so it cannot be judged precisely. As a public-domain electronic short story, it is usually not long and suits fragmented reading time, but please rely on the actual length once you open the file.

What is Project Gutenberg?

Project Gutenberg is an early project providing free electronic books, founded by Michael Hart in 1971. The information shows this book was released by that project, so the electronic text is available free as a public-domain resource.

Do I need to know the author’s background before reading?

No. Henry Slesar was a twentieth-century American popular-fiction writer, mainly of short stories. The information provides no further biographical or bibliographical details, so you can go straight to the text without prior research.

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About the author

Slesar, Henry, 1927-2002 Author

Henry Slesar (1927-2002) was an American writer best known for his short science fiction and suspense stories. Reliable public information about his life is limited, and readers in China know relatively little about him. Eight of his works are included in this collection: My Father, the Cat, Brainchild, The Delegate from Venus, The Stuff, The Success Machine, Reluctant Genius, Heart and Dream Town, most of them short or novella-length pieces. These stories often use science-fictional premises while blending suspense and satire; their plots move briskly and end with striking twists, and they use everyday situations to expose human weaknesses and the absurdities of a technological society. Their subjects range from family relationships and mistaken identity to alien visitors and machine intelligence, reflecting a sharp eye for the anxieties of modern life. Slesar's tightly structured, ingeniously conceived short stories have been enjoyed by genre readers and have had some influence on later science fiction and suspense writing.