Ticket to the Stars

"Ticket to the Stars" by Raymond E. Banks is a science fiction story set in the 1950s. This tale dives into the themes of wanting perfection and what it means to be human when faced with space travel and the opportunity to meet your ideal partner. Author Raymond E. Banks painted a picture with his words, while examining the mental health impact of space and the problems with only wanting perfection. We follow Al Hall, and he must figure out why his friend Kelly has changed. Kelly met the perfect girl living in space. Al wants to know more about the spacecraft that connects Earth to these perfect girls. Al reflects on love and the meaning of reality while dealing with the costs of desire. Al comes to the big understanding that chasing a perfect life can destroy people as he watches Kelly's struggle, the disastrous end for those searching for perfection, and his own thoughts on love. The story ends with him deeply understanding the need for true relationships over fake ones.