The Happy Unfortunate

"The Happy Unfortunate" by Robert Silverberg is a science fiction story that drops you into a future where humanity is split. Some people, called Spacers, are big and strong because they were made for space travel. Others, the Earthers, live on Earth and change their bodies with surgery to look perfect. The story follows Rolf Dekker, a Spacer who comes back to Earth after being in space for five years. He feels like an outsider because everyone looks so different. He tries to fit in, even wanting to be with the Earthers, but he finds it hard. He gets invited to a party, but it doesn't go well; he ends up feeling rejected and hating himself. In the end, Rolf realizes he doesn't belong on Earth and that he's better off embracing who he is as a Spacer.