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The Pusher

John Varley

First published October 1981
Type Short Fiction
Length Short Story

Synopsis

An older man, a pusher, sits by a playground, watching the children. It's a strange place, but still recognizably a playground. He chooses a girl and then gives her candy and tells her a story. He's done this before, he's very good at it, and he has a goal. He also knows parents and officers of the law might stop him. But this is important...

Awards

YearAwardCategoryStatus
1982 Hugo Award Best Short Story Winner
1982 Locus Poll Award Best Short Story Winner
1982 Nebula Award Short Story Nominee/Finalist
1982 SF Chronicle Award Short Story Winner

Publications (28)

Date Publication Publisher Type Page
October 1981 The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October 1981 Mercury Press, Inc. MAGAZINE 5
May 1982 The 1982 Annual World's Best SF DAW Books Anthology 59
May 1982 The 1982 Annual World's Best SF DAW Books / New American Library of Canada Anthology 59
June 1982 The Best from Fantasy & Science Fiction: 24th Series Charles Scribner's Sons Anthology 252
July 1982 The Best Science Fiction of the Year #11 Timescape / Pocket Books Anthology 91
September 1982 The 1982 Annual World's Best SF DAW Books / SFBC Anthology 45
November 1982 The Best Science Fiction of the Year 11 Gollancz Anthology 91
April 1983 The Best from Fantasy & Science Fiction: The 24th Series Ace Books Anthology 252
August 1983 Nebula Award Stories Seventeen Holt, Rinehart and Winston Anthology 242
June 1985 Nebula Award Stories 17 Ace Science Fiction Books Anthology 242
January 1986 Blue Champagne Dark Harvest Collection 11
January 1986 Blue Champagne Dark Harvest Collection 11
April 1986 The Hugo Winners, Volume 5: 1980-1982 Doubleday Anthology 356
June 1986 The Hugo Winners, Volume 5: 1980-1982 Doubleday / SFBC Anthology 326
November 1986 Blue Champagne Berkley Books Collection 1
September 1987 Blue Champagne Ace Books Collection 1
September 2004 The John Varley Reader Ace Books Collection 327
October 2004 The John Varley Reader Ace Books / SFBC Collection 327
July 2013 The Mammoth Book of Time Travel SF Robinson Anthology 453
July 2013 The Mammoth Book of Time Travel SF Robinson Anthology |453
September 2013 The Mammoth Book of Time Travel SF Running Press Anthology 453
November 2013 The Mammoth Book of Time Travel SF Running Press Anthology 453
September 2020 The John Varley Reader Open Road Integrated Media Collection |11
December 2021 The John Varley Reader Blackstone Publishing Collection |11
March 2022 The John Varley Reader Blackstone Publishing Collection |11
March 2022 The John Varley Reader Blackstone Publishing Collection |11
March 2022 The John Varley Reader Blackstone Publishing Collection |11
December 2024 Audiobook Collection MotionAudiobooks Omnibus |16.11