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Classic Literature

Our Town: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition

Our Town: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.

Published by Pop Culture Files••2 min read•Automatically generated · review not guaranteed
AI-generated editorial illustration — not a photograph of the subject
AI-generated editorial illustration — not a photograph of the subject

Our Town is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Bixby, Jerome (1923–1998).

Catalogue synopsis

Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:

"Our Town" by Jerome Bixby is a science fiction novella written in the early 1950s. The story explores the aftermath of a devastating bombing in a small, fictional Tennessee town called Smoky Creek, where the majority of the population is killed, leaving only a group of elderly residents to remember their lives and the people they lost. The narrative addresses themes of war, loss, and the resilience of those left behind, portraying a haunting yet poignant reflection on the impact of conflict on ordinary lives. In the aftermath of the bombing, the elderly residents of Smoky Creek try to maintain some semblance of normalcy while grappling with their profound loss and isolation. They have fortified their town to look abandoned to the outside world while secretly salvaging what they can for survival. The story unfolds through conversations and reflections among the characters, revealing their collective grief and resolve to defend their home against any future threats. An enemy jet unexpectedly flies low over the town, prompting the old men to arm themselves and shoot it down, a moment of bitterness tinged with determination. Ultimately, the narrative captures the resilience and camaraderie of the survivors in a world that has forgotten them, exposing the cyclic nature of war and its destruction.

Book and edition facts

  • Title: Our Town
  • Author credits: Bixby, Jerome (1923–1998)
  • Catalogue language: English

Catalogue subjects

  • Older men -- Fiction
  • Science fiction
  • Short stories
  • Tennessee -- Fiction
  • Villages -- Fiction
  • War stories

Gutenberg collections

  • Category: Novels
  • Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy

Read this edition

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.

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