Writing Class by Robert Sheckley
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"Writing Class" by Robert Sheckley is a satirical science fiction short story written in the early 1950s. The narrative centers around a writing class led by Professor Carner, a seasoned writer of alien encounters and speculative fiction, as he instructs students on the finer points of avoiding clichés in their descriptions of extraterrestrial life. The tale explores themes of creativity, originality, and the sometimes stifling nature of imposed writing conventions. The story
follows Eddie McDermott, a student who is initially unenthusiastic about the class. As Professor Carner emphasizes the importance of fresh perspectives and deeper character development, Eddie grows increasingly frustrated with the constraints placed on creative writing. He believes in the power of dramatic flair, preferring the vivid, straightforward depictions of aliens that his professor discourages. Ultimately, Eddie decides to drop the course, choosing to pursue his passion for writing fiction rather than adhere to the rigid rules of journalism, which he finds uninspiring. The narrative thus serves not only as a comedic take on the writing process but also as a commentary on the balance between originality and convention in storytelling. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Sheckley, Robert, 1928-2005 |
|---|---|
| Title | Writing Class |
| Series Title | Produced from Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy December 1952 |
| Credits | Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 68.1 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Authorship -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 65952 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-65952-7 |
| Release Date | Jul 29, 2021 |
| Last Update | Oct 18, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 425 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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