The Belonging Kind
Encyclopedia
The Belonging Kind is a science fiction
short story; a collaboration between noted cyberpunk
authors William Gibson
and John Shirley
. It was first published in the horror
anthology
Shadows 4 in 1981, later to be included along with several other stories in Gibson's collection Burning Chrome.
It is a departure from the Sprawl
universe in which several of Gibson's novels and stories are set, taking place in a setting much more like contemporary American life.
and social interaction theory. He sometimes visits bars
to help dull the tedium, only choosing bars which have a low chance of putting him in social interaction.
Coretti meets a woman in a bar who seems to fit perfectly there. He follows her to various other bars and clubs, watching as she constantly drinks and talks with a companion of hers, her appearance and clothing shifting to let her fit in wherever she goes.
His performance at work suffers and his appetite decreases as he devotes all his time and resources to tracking the duo.
Coretti spots the man secreting money from some kind of pocket, and realizes that he's discovered a new kind of creature, one that has adapted to modern society more completely than any cockroach, fueled by the alcohol of a hundred bars. The story closes with Coretti's realization that he is, and finally his transformation into, one of the belonging kind.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story; a collaboration between noted cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
authors William Gibson
William Gibson
William Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
and John Shirley
John Shirley
John Shirley is an American fantasist, author of noir fiction, and science-fiction writer. Shirley is a prolific writer of novels and short stories, TV scripts and screenplays who has published over 30 books and 10 collections...
. It was first published in the horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
Shadows 4 in 1981, later to be included along with several other stories in Gibson's collection Burning Chrome.
It is a departure from the Sprawl
The Sprawl
In William Gibson's fiction, the Sprawl is a colloquial name for the Boston-Atlanta Metropolitan Axis , an urban sprawl environment on a massive scale, and a fictional extension of the real Northeast Megalopolis....
universe in which several of Gibson's novels and stories are set, taking place in a setting much more like contemporary American life.
Plot summary
The main character is Coretti, a dull, scholarly man who studies and teaches linguisticsLinguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
and social interaction theory. He sometimes visits bars
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
to help dull the tedium, only choosing bars which have a low chance of putting him in social interaction.
Coretti meets a woman in a bar who seems to fit perfectly there. He follows her to various other bars and clubs, watching as she constantly drinks and talks with a companion of hers, her appearance and clothing shifting to let her fit in wherever she goes.
His performance at work suffers and his appetite decreases as he devotes all his time and resources to tracking the duo.
Coretti spots the man secreting money from some kind of pocket, and realizes that he's discovered a new kind of creature, one that has adapted to modern society more completely than any cockroach, fueled by the alcohol of a hundred bars. The story closes with Coretti's realization that he is, and finally his transformation into, one of the belonging kind.
External links
- "The Belonging Kind" at the William Gibson Aleph