The Enormous Word by William Oberfield
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"The Enormous Word" by William Oberfield is a science fiction novella written in the early 1950s. Set in a dystopian future where Earth is under the oppressive control of extraterrestrial invaders, the story follows Winston Eberly, a desperate Earthman who is on a mission to challenge the alien rulers. The narrative explores themes of resistance, the human spirit, and the notion of power as Eberly faces insurmountable odds in his quest. The
plot centers on Winston Eberly, whose inner monologue reveals his determination to carry out a desperate mission against the blue-skinned alien invaders who have subjugated Earth. He possesses a small capsule of refined Uranium, a crucial component for building an atomic bomb that could potentially annihilate the aliens' city. As he is captured and tortured, Eberly's resolve is tested, but he cleverly uses the situation to his advantage. Ultimately, he manages to unleash a catastrophic "burp," which serves as both an expression of defiance and the catalyst for devastation, leading to the destruction of the alien stronghold. The story poignantly illustrates the resilience of humanity even in the darkest of times and the irony that can arise in moments of dire desperation. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Oberfield, William |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | McWilliams, Al, 1916-1993 |
| Title | The Enormous Word |
| Series Title | Produced from Planet Stories Summer 1950 |
| Credits | Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 83.6 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | War stories |
| Subject | Human-alien encounters -- Fiction |
| Subject | Torture -- Fiction |
| Subject | Nuclear weapons -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 64747 |
| Release Date | Mar 7, 2021 |
| Last Update | Oct 18, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 353 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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