Nathan Arkwright, one of the big four of golden-age science fiction writers, is considering whether there's any point to continuing with his Galaxy Patrol series when he gets invited out to dinner by an odd couple with a brand new car.
Your novels are popular now, but in time your work will become even more esteemed. . . more valuable. . . than you can ever know.

Variants

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  1. “An Incident in the Literary Life of Nathan Arkwright” by Allen M. Steele, in Asimov’s Science Fiction, September/October 2017.
  2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . written by Allen M. Steele