Earthbound

"Earthbound" by Lester Del Rey is a science fiction short story published in the early 1960s. The narrative centers around the yearning for space exploration and addresses the themes of dreams, solitude, and human limitation. The story reflects Del Rey's imagination of a future filled with space travel and the impact it has on individuals who aspire to leave Earth behind for the stars. In the story, Clifton, a once-celebrated space hero, finds himself reluctantly back on Earth, surrounded by celebratory crowds. Feeling trapped and discontent, he encounters an old man named Ahasuerus, who has devoted his life to making space boots yet has never traveled beyond Earth. Their exchange reveals the deep longing Ahasuerus harbors for the cosmos, contrasting with Clifton's own frustration and disappointment toward his return. Moved by Ahasuerus's dream of going to space, Clifton offers him a place on his upcoming journey to Rigel. However, Ahasuerus feels bound by a destiny that keeps him on Earth, symbolizing the constraints that life can impose, despite one's aspirations to explore the universe.