The Status Civilization

Robert SheckleyProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 267K words
Chapters: 27

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 Status Civilization by Robert SheckleyAuthor: Sheckley, Robert, 1928-2005,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Mar 28, 2007

Editor's review

The Status Civilization is a science fiction novel by Robert Sheckley, available in the free Project Gutenberg e-book library in the original English. Sheckley excels at social allegory written in a brisk, sharp style; this book throws its protagonist into an alien society organized around "status hierarchy," using extreme social rules to mirror real questions of class, conformity, and deviance. The work is short, paced quickly, and clearly dystopian and satirical—a good introductory sample of mid-twentieth-century American science fiction in the short-novel form. As you read, notice how the author uses absurd premises to drive the plot and how an individual struggles for autonomy within a rigid order. For genre readers it is a thought-provoking but not heavy work; for scholars it can be read against other social-satirical science fiction of the same period.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy social-allegory science fiction and brisk short-form narrative
Science fiction fans who want a light English-language original for reading practice
Students interested in dystopia and status-hierarchy themes
Scholars studying mid-twentieth-century American science fiction style

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting hard-science detail or grand cosmic worldbuilding
Readers who need a Chinese translation and prefer not to read English
Readers who prefer long, thick books with elaborate worldbuilding

Reading tips

Read through for plot first, then return to the opening explanation of the alien society's rules to see the satirical intent.
Note each choice the protagonist makes in response to status rules, and observe where his attitude shifts.
Read alongside other social-satirical science fiction and compare the angles of critique.
When reading the English original, do not look up every word; prioritize dialogue and plot momentum.

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?

This is the original English e-book released by Project Gutenberg, in English and classified under American and Canadian literature. Basic English reading ability is needed; the entry information provides no Chinese translation.

I haven't read Sheckley before—can I start with this?

Yes. The book is short and briskly told and does not depend on prior knowledge of his other work. If you want to get familiar with his satirical tone first, you could begin with one of his better-known short stories and then return to this book.

Is this suitable as an introduction to science fiction?

It suits beginning readers interested in social-satirical science fiction. It focuses more on allegory about social rules and individual circumstance than on technical setup, so the barrier is low, though readers need patience for absurd premises.

Comments

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About the author

Robert Sheckley Author · United States · 1928–2005

Robert Sheckley (1928–2005) was an American science fiction writer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1928, he served with the U.S. military in Korea and later graduated from New York University. He published his first story in 1952 and became known for witty, absurd, and satirical short stories and novels. His work often explores civilization, desire, and the dilemmas brought by technology in an ironic tone, with ingenious plots and often surprising endings. His representative works include Warm, Watchbird, The Status Civilization, Keep Your Shape, Ask a Foolish Question, Cost of Living, Death Wish, and Forever. The library holds 18 of his works. He received the Nebula Award Grand Master title in 2000 and died in 2005. Public information is limited, but his distinctive humor and satire have earned wide attention in the science fiction field.