Project Gutenberg
2023-10-05
Public domain in the USA.
122
Mason, David
1924
1974
The long question
$aNew York, NY :$bRoyal Publications, Inc., $c1957.
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
"The Long Question" by David Mason is a science fiction novella written in the late 1950s. The story revolves around a unique quiz show premise where the main character, Don Gerson, is isolated on an uninhabited island for two months with the goal of preparing for a quiz that could win him a substantial cash prize. The book explores themes of isolation, self-discovery, and the impact of time on a person's thoughts and priorities. In the narrative, Don Gerson, an accountant with a penchant for logic, finds himself unexpectedly thrust into solitude as part of a quiz show scheme. As the days turn into weeks, he initially follows a structured routine, reading and writing to prepare for the questions he will face upon his return to the outside world. However, as time goes on, the boundaries of his structured life begin to blur. Don loses track of time, his physical appearance changes, and he indulges in the freedom brought by isolation, leading him to develop new interests and insights. Ultimately, his experience transforms him from a mere contestant into a contemplative individual, deeply reflecting on his life and the future beyond the quiz show, intertwining both personal growth with the overarching theme of time's capacity to alter one's trajectory. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
20230902083623mason
1957
US
Reading ease score: 82.1 (6th grade). Easy to read.
en
Science fiction
Short stories
Islands -- Fiction
Social isolation -- Fiction
Television game shows -- Fiction
Forecasting -- Fiction
PS
Text
Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
Category: Novels
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