Shot in the dark

I will be posting a new book prize quiz soon so to get you in the mood here is a taster, or a teaser if you want. Who wrote this?

They wanted me to go steady with a nice girl, save money, get married to her and then settle down to a nice steady job. Day after day, year after year, world without end, amen. Not for yours truly! There must be something better than that. Not just all this tame security, the good old welfare state limping along in its half-baked way! Surely I thought, in a world where man has been able to put satellites in the sky and where men talk big about visiting the stars, there must be something that rouses you, that makes your heart beat, that’s worthwhile searching all over the world to find!

Just put your guesses in the comments, and I will be very surprised if anyone gets it right. 😉