Project Gutenberg 2008-01-07 Public domain in the USA. 124 Kastle, Herbert D. 1924 1987 Castle, Herb Kastle, Herbert David Van Dongen, H. R. 1920 2010 Van Dongen, Henry Richard Dongen, H. R. Van Dongen, van The First One Produced from Analog July 1961. Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "The First One" by Herbert D. Kastle is a science fiction novel written in the early 1960s. The book explores the themes of identity and societal change as it follows the return of a space traveler who has journeyed beyond what humanity has experienced, particularly focusing on his homecoming to a changed world after being the first to venture to Mars. The narrative deals with the psychological and emotional challenges the protagonist faces as he readjusts to life with his family and community. The storyline centers on Henry Devers, the titular "First One," who returns home after his historic journey to Mars. Upon his return, he encounters an estranged family dynamic and societal expectations that create a profound sense of alienation. His homecoming celebration is overshadowed by the coldness of the welcome; family and friends treat him with a mix of awe and fear, making it difficult for him to reconnect with them emotionally. As he struggles with this disconnection and his own feelings of isolation, Devers reflects on the scars, both physical and emotional, from his journey. The narrative captures his internal conflict and gradual realization that time and understanding will be necessary for him and his loved ones to bridge the gap that his extraordinary experiences have created. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 82.5 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Psychological fiction PS Text Science Fiction Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Novels 53521 2025-07-10T06:20:07.427047 text/html 49902 2008-01-07T08:21:34 text/html 320983 2025-07-10T06:20:13.101012 application/epub+zip 319713 2025-07-10T06:20:10.007053 application/epub+zip 79105 2025-07-10T06:20:08.038037 application/epub+zip 695783 2025-07-10T06:20:14.652045 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 689145 2025-07-10T06:20:11.556056 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 117620 2022-09-11T08:45:41.427250 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 45665 2025-07-10T06:20:07.157058 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 45546 2008-01-07T08:21:34 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 20695 2025-07-10T06:20:14.776011 application/rdf+xml 11455 2025-07-10T06:20:08.522038 image/jpeg 3270 2025-07-10T06:20:08.279029 image/jpeg 259472 2008-01-07T08:21:34 application/octet-stream application/zip 17696 2008-01-07T08:21:34 application/octet-stream application/zip 317784 2025-07-10T06:20:07.437029 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia