Zero Hour: And Other Modern Stories

by Michael Swan (Editor)

What happens when children co-operate with invaders from the stars? What does a modern little girl do when a wolf eats her grandmother? Who is the terrible 'pigman'? Can marriage survive middle age? These are some of the questions dealt with in the eleven stories in this collection. The stories, by important modern authors, have been specially selected for advanced students of English. They are not simplified, but vocabulary explanations and notes are provided in order to help comprehension.

Genres: Short Stories

144 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 1977

About the author

Michael Swan is a writer specializing in English Language teaching and reference materials. His many publications include Practical English Usage (OUP), the Cambridge English Course series (with Catherine Walter), and, also with Catherine Walter, the new Oxford English Grammar Course. Michael’s interests include pedagogic grammar, mother-tongue influence in second language acquisition, and the relationship between applied linguistic theory and classroom language-teaching practice. He has had extensive experience with adult learners, and has worked with teachers in many countries.

Reviews

[Ανδρέας Μιχαηλίδης · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 4 stars have to do with the purpose of this collection, as well as the variety of compelling stories.

The book is a compilation of short stories for advanced students in English, published by Cambridge University Press. That is to say, it is a book meant for class, for teaching. why is that important? It is important because it appears that in the '70s, the educational system was concerned with tackling many social issues through literature, using texts that today would be big no-nos, whether for being SF, or just plain blunt.

There's a story about the forced Europization of Aboriginal Lands, another about South Africa in the early to mid-20th century, The Pig-Man is a soft study on both prejudice and parents not paying enough attention, and Ray Bradburry masterfully depicts the doom of a society too engrossed in its routine and not paying attention to a shifting of behavior in it children; the Story-Teller bashes the most elementary form of bad parenting, while The Breakout could well be a forerunner to the Matrix, without so much as one stray machine or cable in its narrative.

In short, these were and still are stories to make you think, especially when considering when they were written and compiled and the fact that they were to be used for teaching.

[James Tomasino · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection. I didn't realize it was meant to teach English when I picked it up. The story choices are good and I bet it would make for excellent classroom discussion. The vocabulary annotations are a bit distracting, though I suppose quite functional if you're the target audience.

[André · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories in this book are exceptional. And I love the mini-biographies of the authors before each story, which allows the reader to connect a bit more with the writing and, in some cases, actually read in a different way.

[Joana Sá · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good to read on the beach in a afternoon and extraordinary to study or english and improve our speach.