5,271,009

"5,271,009" is a science fiction/fantasy short story by American writer Alfred Bester.

First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, in 1954, it is also known as "The Starcomber".

The story was commissioned to fit a pre-existing piece of cover art, wherein a man in a prison uniform (with the serial number 5271009) is shackled to an asteroid.

David Langford has described it as "one of [his] favourite shorts (by Bester)",[1] and Tim Sullivan called it "an extraordinary exploration of solipsism.

"[4] Critic and editor Sherryl Vint has posited that the story might be read as "an analogy for [Bester's] relationship to sf",[3] while Fiona Kelleghan has described Aquila as "a sort of fallen angel".