Sugar Plum

The story follows a middle-class man in the late twenty-second century who impulsively purchases a small, Earthlike planet to escape perceived decay and revive Victorian customs. Family tensions arise as his wife and a fastidious cousin react to the decision while a brash interstellar culture exposes their affectations. During the voyage they learn the planet carries a prior claim tied to an outlaw and receive warnings from the crew, forcing the couple to confront practical dangers and the limits of nostalgia. The piece satirically probes sentimentalism, prudery, and the clash between romanticized pasts and modern realities.