Read in English · with German
Read The vidiot in English, with German beside it
by Ib Melchior · 1917–2015
The vidiot by Ib Melchior is a science fiction short story written in the mid-20th century. It centers on a television technician who accidentally discovers a way to see through walls, raising questions about surveillance, power, and moral responsibility. An ambitious TV “vidiot,” Don Hartley, is testing special-effects gear during a space-opera rehearsal when a shorted circuit turns a matte into a window that peers through the studio’s backdrop, walls, and out to the street. Mapping the effect, he realizes he can build a single camera—the “Hartleycam”—that could penetrate any barrier. Tempted by fame and fortune, he also envisions a nightmare world of total, inescapable observation and authoritarian control. After a troubled day, he chooses restraint: he visits his executive to confess only the equipment damage, accepts a second chance at work, and keeps his blueprints to himself, concluding that the world is not yet ready for his invention.
Summary generated automatically by Project Gutenberg.
- Read time
- 16 min
- Words
- 3,444
- Chapters
- 1
- Paragraphs
- 113
- Price
- Free
- Cameras -- Fiction
- Inventions -- Fiction
- Science fiction
- Short stories
- Television programs -- Fiction
Out on the studio floor one of the men waved his arm.
Auf dem Studioboden winkte einer der Männer mit dem Arm.
George saw him through the double glass pane and continued: “Good!
George sah ihn durch die doppelt verglaste Scheibe und fuhr fort: „Gut!
Tell the boys to let in the big black in two--in front of the spaceship set.
Sag den Jungs, sie sollen den großen Schwarzen reinlassen, in zwei--vorne vor dem Raumschiff-Set.
And get the fog machine set.
Und stell die Nebelmaschine ein.
I’m going to use a half hour of fax rehearsal time when we get back for some experimenting.
Ich werde eine halbe Stunde Fax-Proberezeit nutzen, wenn wir zurück sind, für ein paar Experimente.
Has the dry ice arrived yet?”
Ist der Trockeneis schon angekommen?“
About the author
Ib Melchior1917–2015
Ib Melchior (1917–2015) was a Danish-American writer and filmmaker born in Copenhagen and later based in West Hollywood.
All 2 Ib Melchior books, easiest first →Questions about The vidiot
Can I read The vidiot in English with German side by side online?
Yes, free. Paralelo shows the English original with a German machine translation beside it, aligned phrase by phrase: hover or tap a phrase and its counterpart lights up in the other column. Anyone can read a passage; a free account opens the whole book.
What level do I need to read The vidiot here?
There is no set level. The vidiot runs to 3,444 words, and the translation sits beside it, aligned phrase by phrase, so you can start below the level the original would need on its own and lean on the translation only where you stumble.
Is The vidiot really free to read?
Yes. The text is in the public domain, and the translation and alignment are ours to give. A free account opens the whole book; the paid tier is for unlimited explanations.
Can I read The vidiot in another language?
Not yet. Each language is its own translation and alignment run, and titles are queued by demand: open the book in that language and press “Ask for priority” to move it up the queue.
How long does The vidiot take to read?
About 16 min at a normal pace, longer if you stop to look at the alignment, which is rather the point.
Book details
- Original language
- English
- Translation
- German, machine translation
- Source text
- Project Gutenberg #78057
- Licence
- Public domain in the United States
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