Nobody Leaves New Pittsburg

Nobody Leaves New Pittsburg
Magazine Cover
Author	George R. R. Martin
Published on	1976
Publisher	Amazing Science Fiction

Nobody Leaves New Pittsburg is a science-fiction short story by George R. R. Martin, first published in the September 1976 issue of Amazing Science Fiction. It takes place in the "Thousand Worlds" universe, and is set on the Manrealm planet of New Pittsburg. It is about a corpse-handler (someone who re-animates human corpses to perform manual labour) returning to his home planet, which is controlled by a sinister and oppressive company. Nobody Leaves New Pittsburg forms part of Martin's "corpse-hander trilogy," along with Override and Meathouse Man.

Plot Summary

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Themes

Nobody Leaves New Pittsburg depicts the economic disenfranchisement of the inhabitants of New Pittsburg. Martin employs the practice of corpse-handling as a metaphor for the systems of control and coercion experienced by the characters. While they believe themselves to be free and self-determined, in many ways they are just as trapped by circumstance as the dead bodies they manipulate.

Author's Notes

Martin regards Nobody Leaves New Pittsburg to be the weakest piece he produced in the summer of 1971, but it is the story that most clearly reflects his state of mind. The gloomy descriptions of life in New Pittsburg reflect Martin's feelings towards his hometown. He states: "for 'New Pittsburg,' read 'Bayonne" ... for 'corpse,' read me."

Nobody Leaves New Pittsburg forms part of Martin's "corpse-hander trilogy," along with Override and Meathouse Man. He had originally intended to write many more instalments, and even had a four-page fragment of a fourth story, but never got around to completing it. He intended to combine them into a single book called Songs the Dead Men Sing, but when he did use that title for a collection, only Meathouse Man was included.

Publication History

Artwork by caffeine2, from DeviantArt

Nobody Leaves New Pittsburg was first published the September 1976 issue of Amazing Science Fiction.

Connections to the "Thousand Worlds" Universe

Nobody Leaves New Pittsburg is set on a "corpse world," where it is legal to reanimate human corpses for labour. Override and Meathouse Man also both take place on corpse worlds and focus on characters working within that industry.

The story mentions duralloy, a technology which is ubiquitous throughout the "Thousand Worlds" universe.