The Deadly Daughters

Marks, Winston K. (Winston Kinney), 1915-1979Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.6

Word count: 21K 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.The Deadly Daughters by Winston K. MarksAuthor: Marks, Winston K. (Winston Kinney), 1915-1979,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Mar 30, 2008

Editor's review

Winston K. Marks was active in American pulp science fiction magazines in the mid-twentieth century; this book is one of his short science fiction works, made available as a free electronic text by Project Gutenberg. It bears clear marks of Golden Age science fiction: lean length, direct premises, and narratives driven by suspense and reversal. The title "The Deadly Daughters" hints at a story centered on femmes fatales or artificial life. The pace is brisk, making it a good introductory sample of pulp science fiction style. As a public-domain ebook, it has no translator's notes or introduction, so readers must grasp the period context and language habits on their own. It suits reading in one sitting during fragmented time such as commuting or before bed, and is also suitable for science fiction fans as comparative reading within genre history, or as English extensive reading material.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want a quick taste of mid-twentieth-century American popular science fiction short stories
Learners who need short English extensive reading material and prefer tightly plotted texts
Science fiction fans interested in the genre history of the pulp magazine era

Not a good fit for

Hard science fiction readers expecting rigorous scientific premises or lengthy worldbuilding
Beginners who need a Chinese translation, annotations, or an introduction for support
Readers unaccustomed to the feel of early English popular literature

Reading tips

Read it through in one sitting to grasp the suspense and reversals, then revisit how the title echoes key plot points.
Keep brief background notes on Golden Age science fiction on hand and compare its conventions as you read.
When using it for English extensive reading, do not look up every word; prioritize reading fluency.
Read it alongside other public-domain science fiction short stories of the same era and compare how characters and endings are handled.

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?

According to the Project Gutenberg record, it is one of Marks's short works; the electronic text is not long and can be read in one sitting or over a few sessions. For the exact length, refer to the actual electronic edition and check the file information before reading.

There is no Chinese translation. Can readers with average English read it?

The text is early English popular fiction; sentences are not long but carry the feel of the period. Readers with average English can use a dictionary or bilingual tools, focusing on the main plot. If you want easy reading, start with simpler material first.

Is this book suitable for people studying science fiction literature?

It can serve as a primary sample for genre history, helping observe the thematic preferences and narrative conventions of pulp science fiction. But the public-domain ebook lacks annotations and background notes, so researchers must supply author and magazine background themselves; it should not be the sole basis.

Why do the recommendations emphasize the free electronic edition?

The book is released by Project Gutenberg as a freely accessible public-domain ebook, so no purchase is needed. Readers should download it through official channels and note differences in formatting and proofreading among editions.

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About the author

Marks, Winston K. (Winston Kinney), 1915-1979 Author

Winston K. Marks (1915–1979) was an American science fiction writer, born Winston Kinney Marks. Public information about his life and education is limited, and what is known comes mainly from his published work. The library holds 15 of his works, including "...So They Baked a Cake," "The Mind Digger," "Tabby," "Mate in Two Moves," "Unbegotten Child," "Brown John's Body," "Backlash," and "Breeder Reaction." These are mostly short science fiction stories dealing with technological ethics, human weakness, and social absurdity. They often use a light, humorous tone to frame a cool-headed look at technology out of control and the human condition; some titles are also classified under inspirational growth. He was active during the mid-twentieth-century boom of American science fiction magazines, and his stories appeared in popular science fiction periodicals, exerting some influence on later short-form science fiction writing.