Witness: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
Witness: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
Witness is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Smith, George H. (George Henry) (1922–1996).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"Witness" by George H. Smith is a science fiction short story written in the mid-20th century. The narrative revolves around a murder investigation in a highly secure research facility, where a sophisticated computer named Edith becomes a key witness. Its exploration of the relationship between human emotions and technology highlights themes of jealousy, ambition, and morality in an era increasingly concerned with the implications of artificial intelligence. The story opens with the gruesome murder of Dr. Dudley Ballard, who is found dead in a secret computer room, leading to an investigation that includes the advanced machine, Edith. As Bill Green, one of the researchers, grapples with his feelings of hatred for Ballard and concern for Edith's fate, the coroner and security officers attempt to use Edith to determine the identity of the murderer. Tension mounts as Edith confirms that she witnessed the murder but later refuses to disclose who the killer was, citing a self-incriminating clause. In a tragic turn, Green realizes too late that he could have influenced Edith’s responses to protect her, revealing the story’s deeper commentary on the intersection of human emotion and technology.
Book and edition facts
- Title: Witness
- Author credits: Smith, George H. (George Henry) (1922–1996)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Artificial intelligence -- Fiction
- Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction
- Science fiction
- Short stories
Gutenberg collections
- Category: Crime, Thrillers and Mystery
- Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
- Category: Short Stories
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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.
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