영어로 읽는 고전 _ 조지 O. 스미스의 발각되지 않는 자
조지 O. 스미스의 "발각되지 않은 자"는 1950년대 후반에 쓰인 과학소설 추리 소설이다. 이 책은 범죄 소설의 고전적 장치인 밀실에서 저지른 "완전범죄"라는 흥미로운 주제를 다루지만, 반전이 있다?범죄와 수사의 수단으로 초능력과 텔레파시 요소를 포함시킨다. 탐정 작업의 절차적 측면뿐만 아니라 범죄자와 법 집행 기관 양쪽 손에 있는 특별한 능력의 윤리적 함의를 탐구함으로써 관습을 깬다.
이야기는 단서 없는 완전범죄의 증거와 함께 잠긴 아파트에서 죽은 채 발견된 고든 앤드류스의 살인 사건을 조사하라는 임무를 받은 하워드 슈넬 대위를 따라간다. 수사가 전개되면서, 슈넬은 이 범죄가 비범한 초능력을 가진 텔레파시 범죄자 에드워드 해즐렛 우드에 의해 계획되었다고 의심하는데, 그는 우연히 슈넬과 접촉하게 되는 젊은 여성 플로렌스 우드의 아버지이다. 슈넬과 우드가 심리적 전쟁을 벌이면서 줄거리는 복잡해지고, 텔레파시, 윤리, 법을 둘러싼 긴장이 고조되면서 위기감이 증가한다. 궁극적으로 이야기는 비범한 인간 능력이 존재하는 세계에서 범죄, 정의, 그리고 응보의 본질에 대해 의문을 제기하는 긴장감 넘치는 대결로 절정에 이른다.
Classics Read in English _ The Undetected by George O. Smith
George O. Smith's "The Undetected" is a science fiction detective novel from the late 1950s that explores the fascinating concept of a "perfect crime" committed within a sealed room?a classic mystery trope?but with a distinctive twist: it incorporates psychic powers and telepathic abilities as tools for both criminal activity and investigative work. The novel challenges conventional detective fiction by examining not only the procedural elements of criminal investigation but also the moral implications of extraordinary human capabilities in the possession of both lawbreakers and law enforcement officials.
The narrative centers on Captain Howard Schnell, who is summoned to investigate the murder of Gordon Andrews, discovered deceased in a locked apartment under circumstances suggesting a flawless crime without any discernible evidence. As the investigation progresses, Schnell becomes convinced that the crime was masterminded by Edward Hazlett Wood, a telepathic criminal possessing remarkable psychic abilities, who also happens to be the father of Florence Wood, a young woman who becomes involved with Schnell during the case.
The plot intensifies as Schnell and Wood engage in an intricate psychological duel, with mounting tension surrounding questions of telepathic ethics, legal boundaries, and moral responsibility. The story ultimately builds to a dramatic confrontation that challenges fundamental concepts of crime, justice, and punishment in a world where superhuman abilities fundamentally alter the nature of both criminal behavior and law enforcement.
Among the contents
To the present sitting, there were three hundred thousand words in the report on the new transuranic element that Les Ackerman was studying. This took months of painstaking work, but Ackerman viewed his results with satisfaction. To date, the report covered about all that was to be known regarding the physical and chemical properties of this new element; there remained only the nuclear properties to investigate.
Nuclear properties were always left to last. Nuclear bombardment defiled the element and rendered it unsuitable for the undestructive chemical analysis and physical investigations.
So Les Ackerman closed his notebook with a slam and checked the refrigerator. The deuterium-ice?frozen heavy water?for the cyclotron target was in fine shape. He could start at once.
