King of the Hill by James Blish
QR code
"King of the Hill" by James Blish is a science fiction novel written in the mid-20th century. The story revolves around Colonel Hal Gascoigne, the sole occupant of Satellite Vehicle 1, who faces a crisis involving the potential bombing of Washington D.C. while grappling with his own deteriorating mental state. The book examines themes of isolation, responsibility, and the psychological toll of advanced warfare technology. The narrative unfolds as Gascoigne receives conflicting
orders about deploying hydrogen bombs but struggles with hallucinations and the reality of his situation—no one else is aboard SV-1 but him. As tensions escalate, Peter Harris from the Civilian Intelligence Group (CIG) is sent to provide assistance. In a gripping psychological confrontation, Harris must help Gascoigne confront his delusions and the possibility that the bombs he commands are merely a bluff. The plot culminates in a deep exploration of madness within the confines of power, the weight of command, and the absurdity of military bureaucracy, leading to profound implications about the nature of reality and responsibility in an increasingly complex world. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
- Download the EPUB3 file above
- Upload it on the Amazon site your Kindle is registered with: amazon.com/sendtokindle for the US, amazon.co.uk/sendtokindle for the UK etc.
- It appears on your Kindle and in the Kindle app
Kobo, Nook etc. → Transfer via USB
- Download the EPUB3 file on your computer
- Connect your e-reader by USB and tap "Connect" on its screen
- Drag the file onto the e-reader drive
Phone, Tablet or Computer → Online or Reading App
Easiest: read online in your browser. Nothing to install.
Or use a reading app:
- Find and install one you like, for example Apple Books, ReadEra or Thorium Reader
- Download the EPUB3 file above
- Open it in the app
More help: iPhone / iPad · Android · Computer
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Blish, James, 1921-1975 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Griffith, Fuller |
| Title | King of the Hill |
| Original Publication | United States: Royal Publications, Inc,1955. |
| Series Title | Produced from Infinity Science Fiction, November 1955 |
| Credits | Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 86.5 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Psychological fiction |
| Subject | Space stations -- Fiction |
| Subject | Nuclear weapons -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 67317 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-67317-2 |
| Release Date | Feb 4, 2022 |
| Last Update | Oct 18, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 236 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!