"Eutopia" is a short story

Short story

A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...

 by Poul Anderson

Poul Anderson

Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...

 from Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison

Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...

's science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 anthology

Anthology

An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...

 Dangerous Visions

Dangerous Visions

Dangerous Visions is a science fiction short story anthology edited by Harlan Ellison, published in 1967.A path-breaking collection, Dangerous Visions helped define the New Wave science fiction movement, particularly in its depiction of sex in science fiction...

.

Plot

At the beginning of the story, the protagonist is on the run. The protagonist encounters a town that helps him as he is their guest. They arrange a transport to take him home. While the protagonist stays, one of the women in the town attempts to seduce him, but he refuses, stating that he is "under vow". On the day before the transport arrives, the mayor of the town tells the protagonist that after talking with his pursuers, he regrets helping him, but cannot renege his hospitality. When the protagonist returns home, he checks in with a superior and complains of the barbarism of the people, but his superior contradicts him, stating that people have different views on what it means to be civilized. The story ends as it is revealed that the protagonist had seduced and slept with a young boy (the son of his earlier host) before the opening of the story and his arrival in the town that had given him refuge, and that the "Niki" to whom the protagonist's thoughts keep turning is the ekename

Nickname

A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....

of Nikias, a young boy in his homeland with whom the protagonist is in a relationship.

Characters

• Iason Philippou - Trader (main character)
• Ottar Thorklesson - His host
• Lief Ottarsson - Ottar's son
• Nikias Demostheneou - Iason's lover