Read in Judith Merril’s The Year’s Greatest Science Fiction and Fantasy, 1956.
One of a trio of stories about Gussie Kusevic, one of a breed of humans that have developed beyond homo sapien. However, being a homo nondescriptus is not without it’s disadvantages as they are blessed/cursed with the innate ability to go un-noticed (but not unseen) by the rest of humanity. Perhaps the stars will offer more than Earth?
Evidently the theme – the alien living, hidden, amongst the general population, is a recurrent them in Budrys’ work.
In the same year Budrys wrote the story ‘Who?’, later expanded into a novel, and a half-decent film.
And FWIW back in the mid-50s, Budrys’ postulated a future world heavyweight boxing champ by the name of Frazier…
The story was a nominee in the 1956 Hugo Best Short Story Award category.
