Oeuvre critiquée
Beat cluster (the)

Auteur de la critique
David L. Rosheim

Parution
David L. Rosheim : Galaxy Magazine - The dark and the light years (Advent:Publishers, Inc., 1986)

Titre
[sans titre]

Critique
At the time I did notice the cover of the October, 1961 issue of Galaxy. It is by Finlay and illustrates "The Beat Cluster", a short story by Fritz Leiber, another good old GSF standby. It tells how the Beatniks and drifters who would otherwise have been "on the road" have instead opted for living in Earth orbit in a colony of connected bubble-like structures. There they are free to play guitars, study Zen Buddhism, and carry on various creative projects. Certain Earth politicians don't like this phenomenon much — and also the Beat colonies smell ! However, they turn out to have been performing a useful colonizing role in space after all, and are allowed to stay in their blissful orbit.