Sheckley’s Crew are merchant space goes, yet he portrays this diverse group of shipmates (from very different home planets, cultures, and even food chains) in ways similar to the stereotypical portrayal of soldiers in war movies: the Kid from Brooklyn; the spoiled Rich Kid. In Sheckley’s story, too, all Pushers look alike and all Walls are good-humored—if (as befits their function on the Ship) a little shallow. Sheckley showcases the sensitive, poetic temperament of Eye, the cocky personality of the youngest Crewmember, “Feeder,” and the courage of the “gallant” old Engine. In a war movie, such clichés increase pathos, because most of these lovable characters will perish miserably in battle. Given Sheckley’s suggestion that war would be unnecessary if the people of Earth only learned their destiny as Pushers, how does this story “estrange” us also from stereotypical representations of the military and of war?