Aside: I recognised 'quaddies' from your quote ... there was some very distinctive cover art on the Analog magazine for that story: https://www.abebooks.co.uk/A

Aside: I recognised 'quaddies' from your quote ... there was some very distinctive cover art on the Analog magazine for that story: https://www.abebooks.co.uk/Analog-Science-Fact-Fiction-February-1988/31080578005/bd https://www.abebooks.co.uk/Analog-Science-Fact-Fiction-Febru...