The Belonging Kind is a short story written collaboratively by William Gibson and John Shirley, with the desire and cost of conformity as its major themes. Originally published in 1981 in Shadows 4, a horror anthology, the story was later included in Gibson's Burning Chrome collection.
The story focuses on Coretti, a teacher of linguistics and social interaction theory that, ironically, is unskilled at social interaction with the people in his life. One day, he's able to approach and converse with a beautiful woman at a bar...only to notice the woman completely adjust her personality when someone interrupts them, then snap back when resuming her talk with Coretti. Both curious of her skills and jealous of her ability to fit in, Coretti stalks the woman to different bars, discovering that she is a Shapeshifter...and that she's not the only one of her kind.
Tropes present in this work include:
- And Then John Was a Zombie: The story ends with Coretti becoming one of the Belonging Kind.
- Driven by Envy: Coretti's obsession with the Belonging Kind.
- I Just Want to Have Friends: The reason Coretti fixates on the Belonging Kind, able to fit into a society he feels alienated in.
- Irony: Coretti isn't good at social interaction, but he can successfully teach theories relating to it.
- Loss of Identity: The Belonging Kind don't really have identities, completely warping themselves to fit into their environment. So Coretti becoming one is a straight example.
- Mess of Woe: The more Coretti obsesses over the Belonging Kind, the less he cares about his health, cleanliness, and own place in life.
- Shapeshifter: The titular Belonging Kind are this, able to appear and present themselves as whatever best fits their setting.
