Project Gutenberg
2021-04-14
Public domain in the USA.
105
Walton, Bryce
1918
1988
O'Hara, Kenneth
Raymond, Ramon
The Barrier
Produced from Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy February 1951
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
"The Barrier" by Bryce Walton is a science fiction short story likely written in the early 1950s. The narrative centers around John Stevens, a convict who is offered a chance to earn a pardon by participating in a high-velocity space experiment. The theme of the book explores the boundaries of human experience, the unknowns of space travel, and the psychological and physical challenges faced by those who dare to break through barriers. In the story, Stevens embarks on a perilous mission in a spacecraft designed to surpass the limits of human endurance and speed. As he hurtles through the void of space at unimaginable velocities, he grapples with thoughts of his past and the choice that led him to this moment, reflecting on his guilt over a manslaughter charge. During the test flight, Stevens encounters a surreal experience that leads him to a higher consciousness, where he learns that he has briefly transcended into another realm. Upon his return, he finds himself miraculously unharmed and poised to take on new challenges, yet haunted by the profound experience that hints at mysterious dimensions of existence beyond human understanding. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 86.4 (6th grade). Easy to read.
en
Science fiction
Short stories
Space flight -- Fiction
PS
Text
Category: Short Stories
Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
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