02618cam a22003853u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000210011324500190013426400510015330000470020433600260025133700260027733800360030349000590033950000310039850801090042952013700053853400450190865300200195365300200197365300200199365300380201365300310205170000310208283000590211385600430217299900170221523928UtSlPG20260610133541.0mcr n260607r2007||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPS1 aDonovan, Francis14aThe short life 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2007  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier1 aProduced from Astounding Science Fiction October 1955.  aRelease date is 2007-12-20  aProduced by Greg Weeks, David Garcia and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net  a"The Short Life" by Francis Donovan is a science fiction novel written in a contemporary style that likely reflects mid-20th century sensibilities. The story explores themes of identity, intelligence, and the complexities of communication through the eyes of Timmy, a child with a mental disability, and an alien consciousness that inadvertently takes control of his life. The novel delves into Timmy's unique relationship with his mother, Helen, and the struggles they face as they navigate a world filled with conflicting expectations and unspoken truths.  At the start of the book, we witness the intricate dynamics of Helen Douglas's emotional turmoil regarding her child, Timothy, who is a congenital idiot. The narrative shifts from Timmy’s early experiences as he awakens to the world around him, culminating in Helen’s desperate attempts to connect with and understand her son. As Timmy grows, he begins to exhibit signs of unexpected intelligence, raising questions about his true nature and the potential of his mind. Meanwhile, an alien intelligence, referred to as the Challonari, faces its own existential challenges and ultimately intertwines with Timmy’s consciousness, setting the stage for a profound exploration of what it means to be human—and the moral implications of identity and autonomy. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aScience fiction  aDogs -- Fiction  aBoys -- Fiction  aHuman-alien encounters -- Fiction  aPsychic ability -- Fiction1 aRogers, Hubert,d1898-1982 0aProduced from Astounding Science Fiction October 1955.40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23928  c64950d64950