First Man: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
First Man: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.

First Man is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Brown, Clyde.
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"First Man" by Clyde Brown is a science fiction story published in the late 1950s. The plot centers around Orville Close, who becomes an unwilling participant in his neighbor Harold Ferguson's eccentric quest to fly to the Moon. The narrative explores themes of ambition, absurdity, and the unpredictability of human endeavors, framed within a humorous lens as Orville grapples with both Harold's questionable motivations and the unforeseen consequences of their journey. The story begins with Harold preparing his homemade spaceship for a lunar expedition, but things take a chaotic turn when Orville accidentally hits the launch switch, sending them into orbit. Throughout their journey, the contrasting personalities of Orville, who is pragmatic and skeptical, and Harold, who embodies a reckless dreamer, lead to comedic misunderstandings and challenges. Despite their harrowing experiences in space and a crash landing on the Moon, Orville's desire for fame ultimately collides with reality upon their return to Earth. The narrative wraps up with Orville settled back into his mundane life, hinting at a bittersweet sense of unfulfilled dreams as he reflects on the absurdity of their incredible adventure.
Book and edition facts
- Title: First Man
- Author credits: Brown, Clyde
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Science fiction
- Short stories
- Space flight to the moon -- Fiction
Gutenberg collections
- Category: Humour
- Category: Novels
- Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.


