Mr. Loneliness

On a lonely asteroid at the edge of the space lanes, one man is left to keep watch over the silent dark. Far from Earth, far from comfort, and far from the easy company of human voices, he endures the grinding isolation that comes with life beyond the stars. The winds howl through the outpost, memories blur into routine, and even the simplest conversation can feel like a lifeline. When three visitors arrive, they bring laughter, advice, and a carefully measured dose of sympathy. But their cheerful talk only deepens the ache beneath his surface. For what can a man do when the need for human contact becomes unbearable, when loneliness begins to distort thought itself, and when the only thing worse than being alone is being misunderstood? In Mr. Loneliness, Henry Slesar crafts a haunting science-fiction tale of isolation, frustration, and the fragile need for connection. With sharp dialogue, dark irony, and a chilling sense of emotional distance, this compact classic turns a remote outpost into a vivid portrait of the human heart under pressure. Both unsettling and poignant, it asks what happens when companionship is reduced to a signal, a visit, a voice from far away—and what remains when even that is gone. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.