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The Pusher
15 pages, Unknown Binding
Published October 1, 1981
About the author
John Varley
236 books616 followersFull name: John Herbert Varley.
John Varley was born in Austin, Texas. He grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, moved to Port Arthur in 1957, and graduated from Nederland High School. He went to Michigan State University.
He has written several novels and numerous short stories.He has received both the Hugo and Nebula awards.
John Varley was born in Austin, Texas. He grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, moved to Port Arthur in 1957, and graduated from Nederland High School. He went to Michigan State University.
He has written several novels and numerous short stories.He has received both the Hugo and Nebula awards.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 29, 2024
Varley, John - FSF - October 1981 - The Pusher
This is a story about a man who for the first half of the story seems to be trying to flirt with, even seduce a little girl. They are in a public park. And apparently they are within eye and ear shot of adults and parents.
It is very unclear to the reader in the first half exactly what is going on. It is very creepy.
He keeps her attention and seems to be seducing her with a story about a Prince and Princess on a distant planet. He then produces a stone from his pocket that the Prince apparently gave him. And the stone flashes and lights up. It is enchanting to the girl. Once the story is told, and they both realize the lateness of the hour, they decide to go their separate ways.
The man, narrator, then recalls how he went to work in a distant solar system, many light years away. He traveled there by faster than light spacecraft. He appears to be a barnacle cleaner in an asteroid belt and we find out that the stone he gave the little girl is but one of thousands that he has scraped off ships. It is worthless. The feeling of creepiness gets even worse.
Then the man, narrator, comes back to Earth after his shift. And it is only then we learn that the little girl he was "seducing" is now a 40 year old woman. He has aged a day. The time dilation of faster than light travel. His entire attempt to woo her was all in an attempt to have an adult mate when he came back from the shift.
This remains very creepy. And I am not at all sure how this ever got published in the first place. However, the story really makes the reader think about social effects that will occur if faster than light travel is ever used by our species. Fascinating indeed.
This is a story about a man who for the first half of the story seems to be trying to flirt with, even seduce a little girl. They are in a public park. And apparently they are within eye and ear shot of adults and parents.
It is very unclear to the reader in the first half exactly what is going on. It is very creepy.
He keeps her attention and seems to be seducing her with a story about a Prince and Princess on a distant planet. He then produces a stone from his pocket that the Prince apparently gave him. And the stone flashes and lights up. It is enchanting to the girl. Once the story is told, and they both realize the lateness of the hour, they decide to go their separate ways.
The man, narrator, then recalls how he went to work in a distant solar system, many light years away. He traveled there by faster than light spacecraft. He appears to be a barnacle cleaner in an asteroid belt and we find out that the stone he gave the little girl is but one of thousands that he has scraped off ships. It is worthless. The feeling of creepiness gets even worse.
Then the man, narrator, comes back to Earth after his shift. And it is only then we learn that the little girl he was "seducing" is now a 40 year old woman. He has aged a day. The time dilation of faster than light travel. His entire attempt to woo her was all in an attempt to have an adult mate when he came back from the shift.
This remains very creepy. And I am not at all sure how this ever got published in the first place. However, the story really makes the reader think about social effects that will occur if faster than light travel is ever used by our species. Fascinating indeed.
Displaying 1 of 1 review