The Street that Wasn'T There
The Street That Wasn't There by Clifford D. Simak: In this novel, a man named John Muller discovers that his street has disappeared from the map. Despite the lack of physical evidence, Muller becomes convinced that the street still exists and sets out to find it. As he delves deeper into his search, he uncovers a mysterious conspiracy involving government agents and a sinister organization known as "The Order." The novel explores themes of perception, reality, and the power of belief.
By Clifford D. Simak · First published 1970 · Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Novella · 6,726 words
First lines
Mr. Jonathon Chambers left his house on Maple Street at exactly seven o'clock in the evening and set out on the daily walk he had taken, at the same time, come rain or snow, for twenty solid years.
The walk never varied. He paced two blocks down Maple Street, stopped at the Red Star confectionery to buy a Rose Trofero perfecto, then walked to the end of the fourth block on Maple. There he turned right on Lexington, followed Lexington to Oak, down Oak and so by way of Lincoln back to Maple again and to his home.
What this Textopian page supports
The Street that Wasn'T There is listed on Textopian as a novel by Clifford D. Simak, dated 1970 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Clifford D. Simak
- Date: 1970 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Novella, Horror
- Length: 6,726 words
- Structure: 1 section, 170 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Street that Wasn'T There by Clifford D. Simak
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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- How does this novel by Clifford D. Simak fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Science Fiction first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Science Fiction — The book involves space-time theory, and thus falls squarely into the science fiction genre.
- Fantasy — With the disappearance and appearance of the street, there is a magical component to the plot which is a common trope in fantasy.
- Novella — The book is relatively short, and can be classified as a novella in terms of its length.
- Horror — There is an eerie, unsettling tone to the story that can be associated with the horror genre.
Tags
science fiction · urban fantasy · alternate reality · time travel · mystery · philosophical · imagination · existentialism · human experience · narrative structure · surrealism · social commentary