The Happy Unfortunate by Robert Silverberg
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"The Happy Unfortunate" by Robert Silverberg is a science fiction novella written in the late 1950s. The story is set in a dystopian future where the Earth has been divided into two distinct groups: Spacers, who are physically larger and robust due to generations of selective breeding for space travel, and Earthers, who are smaller and reliant on plastic surgery to achieve societal standards of beauty. The narrative centers around the themes
of identity, belonging, and the struggle between these two factions, exploring the changes that have occurred in Earth society during the protagonist’s five years in space. The plot follows Rolf Dekker, a Spacer who returns home to Earth and experiences a culture shock as he encounters Earthers who have undergone extensive physical modifications. Rolf grapples with his feelings of alienation and his desire to fit in among the Earthers, culminating in an invitation to a party where he confronts the stark differences between their worlds. As he navigates the complexities of his identity and desires, Rolf faces emotional turmoil stemming from rejection and self-hatred after a failed romantic encounter with an Earther. The story ultimately portrays his realization that he belongs in space, leading him to reject the superficiality of the Earther lifestyle in favor of embracing his own identity as a Spacer. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Silverberg, Robert, 1935- |
|---|---|
| Title | The Happy Unfortunate |
| Series Title | Produced from Amazing Stories December 1957. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 86.0 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Science fiction, American |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 25035 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-25035-9 |
| Release Date | Apr 10, 2008 |
| Last Update | Jan 3, 2021 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 217 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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