The Hands by Richard A. Sternbach
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"The Hands" by Richard A. Sternbach is a short story written in the early 1950s. This piece of speculative fiction explores themes of creation and destruction through a cosmic lens, illustrated in a brief yet impactful narrative structure. The story contemplates the persistent cycle of human behavior against the backdrop of a vast and indifferent universe. In this poignant vignette, two figures are depicted atop a mountain—a gigantic, ancient father and his
smaller, younger son. As they witness the fires of destruction ignited by humanity below, the son pleads for humanity to receive another chance, while the father is skeptical, knowing they might repeat their past mistakes. Ultimately, the father's choice to knead clay in his hands suggests a new creation, providing a sense of hope and possibility rather than despair. This story prompts reflection on the nature of existence, responsibility, and the potential for renewal amidst chaos. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Sternbach, Richard A. |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Houlihan, Raymond F., 1923-1991 |
| Title | The Hands |
| Series Title | Produced from Amazing Stories Oct.-Nov. 1953. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 77.8 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 29535 |
| Release Date | Jul 29, 2009 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 286 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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