"Nobody Bothers Gus" is a 1955

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

short story by

Algis Budrys Algirdas Jonas "Algis" Budrys (January 9, 1931 – June 9, 2008) was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome (in collaboration with Jerome Bixby), John ...

. It was first published in ''

Astounding Science-Fiction ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...

''. There were two sequel stories: "The Peasant Girl" (1956), and "And Then She Found Him" (1957).VENTURE SCIENCE FICTION: ANTHOLOGY STORIES (by author)
compiled by ''

the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher a ...

''; archived at the ''

SF Site SF may refer to: Locations * San Francisco, California, United States * Sidi Fredj, Algeria * South Florida, an urban region in the United States * Suomi Finland, former vehicular country code for Finland In arts and entertainment Genre ...

''; retrieved May 17, 2018

Synopsis

Gus Kusevic has astounding mutant powers, but cannot have any effect on the world, because one of his powers is being superhumanly unmemorable.

Reception

"Nobody Bothers Gus" was a finalist for the 1956

Hugo Award for Best Short Story The Hugo Award for Best Short Story is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The short story award is available for works of fiction of ...

.1956 Hugo Awards
at TheHugoAwards.org; retrieved May 17, 2018 ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', in Budrys' 2008 obituary, noted that the story "remains intensely readable",Algis Budrys: Science-fiction writer and editor
by

John Clute John Frederick Clute (born 12 September 1940) is a Canadian-born author and critic specializing in science fiction and fantasy literature who has lived in both England and the United States since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part o ...

; published June 13, 2008; retrieved May 17, 2018 while ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'' called it "exceptional".Algis Budrys: Lithuanian born American science fiction writer
in ''

''; published July 7, 2008; retrieved May 17, 2018

References

{{reflist 1955 short stories Science fiction short stories