Synopsis

D. D. Harriman invested in rocketry and built the space business. But he has always wanted to go himself.

History

First publication: Astounding, January 1940

1941 RetroHugo finalist for best short story.

Review

I think this story was the dream of everyone who believed in going into space before 1990. We all hoped that we could see it out there. We are getting close now to the time when people with ridiculous amounts of money can go, but a lot of the early believers have passed without ever having the chance. So this story is not so much about the future as it is the dreams of every science fiction fan in 1940. Today it represents the failure of our society to do anything more than care about our immediate comfort. This is a brilliant story.