Dancing Gerontius
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| "Dancing Gerontius" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Lee Harding | |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science Fiction |
| Publication | |
| Published in | Vision of Tomorrow |
| Publication type | Periodical |
| Media type | |
| Publication date | December 1969 |
Dancing Gerontius is a science fiction short story by Australian writer Lee Harding. It was first published in the December 1969 issue of Vision of Tomorrow,[1] and later included in several Australia sf anthologies.[2]
In a future where medical advances have allowed people to live longer and longer, the problem of what to do with the ever increasing number of older people is "solved" in a rather callous manner, yet one that many of them would accept.
Further publications
After the story's initial publication in Vision of Tomorrow in December 1969 it was reprinted as follows:
- The Second Pacific Book of Science Fiction edited by John Baxter (1971)[3]
- Australian Science Fiction 2 edited by John Baxter (1975)[4]
- The Best Australian Science Fiction Writing : A Fifty Year Collection edited by Rob Gerrand (2004)
Critical reception
In his review of The Second Pacific Book of Science Fiction critic George Turner called the story a "dark vision" and noted that the climatic scene is "a minor tour de force of evocative writing".[5]