He Walked Around the Horses

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Piper, H. Beam, 1904-1964

Contributor:

Cartier, Edd, 1914-2008

Series:

Produced from Astounding Science Fiction, April 1948.

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"He Walked Around the Horses" by H. Beam Piper is a science fiction novella written in the mid-20th century. Set against the historical backdrop of November 1809, the story explores a mysterious incident involving Benjamin Bathurst, a British diplomat who inexplicably vanishes while traveling in Prussia. The narrative delves into themes of reality and perception, questioning what is possible within the constraints of time and existence. The plot follows Benjamin Bathurst as he arrives at an inn in Perleburg, Prussia, only to find himself entangled in a bizarre incident where he claims a ruse has left him without his coach, servants, and a coherent sense of reality. His account, involving his purported kidnapping and transformation of his coach into a farm wagon, is dismissed as madness by local authorities. As he navigates through misunderstandings and confounding situations, the true nature of Bathurst's disappearance becomes a focal point, leading to dramatic and tragic consequences. The narrative weaves together elements of historical fiction, mystery, and speculative ideas concerning parallel realities, leaving both the characters and readers to grapple with the question of what is truly happening within the world Piper has crafted. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by Greg Weeks, William Woods and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Notes:

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He_Walked_Around_the_Horses

Reading ease score: 64.5 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Release date is 2006-07-11