Otto Binder’s long awaited unpublished 1953 story The Unwanted is finally being released.

Binder, the well known EC writer, wrote the science fiction story in 1953 as a response to the paranoia and unfounded accusations thrown around during the McCarthy era. It went unsold for over a decade, then Binder gave it to a fanzine publisher who was soon out of the fanzine business. After that, the story languished for around 60 years.

“The Mastermen called it a ‘census,’ but it was so much more. If its citizens proved worthy, the Earth would join the interstellar confederation and reap the benefits of advanced alien technology, food, medicine, and educational resources the likes of which could scarcely be imagined,” The Unwanted synopsis reads. “But first, there was the question of race…”

The Unwanted features illustrations by EC artist Angelo Torres and collaborator Stefan Koidl. It is being published for the first time by Fantagraphics Underground Press and is open for preorders on their website. It will be available on February 14, 2023.