Starman's Quest

"Starman's Quest" by Robert Silverberg is a science fiction story about Alan Donnell, a boy who grew up traveling the stars on the spaceship "Valhalla." After what feels like forever spent in space, Alan is going back to Earth to celebrate his 17th birthday while dealing with the concept of home, his identity, and the growing gap between the space travelers and those who remained on Earth. The story kicks off as the "Valhalla" gets closer to Earth, and Alan thinks about the big changes both he and his twin brother, Steve, have gone through because of space travel's effects on time, making their reunion uncertain as Alan struggles with what it means to be a starman.