The Odds of Logical Failure
Reading Time: 6 minutesWhen Carter’s whole life has been defined through science and facts, what will he do when those facts suddenly turn his heart—and mind—against all logic?
Fiction
Hellsingers: On Hussars
Reading Time: 7 minutesWhen the people of Budapest start to disappear mysteriously, it can only mean one thing: monsters. Half convinced the reports are nothing more than superstition, fledgling monster hunters Reave Crackendash and Nels Hellsinger arrive to investigate…and sample the local delights. The siblings, however, discover a conspiracy that will test their commitment to the case, their profession, and each other, not to mention the limits of their magic.
Unintended Peril
Reading Time: 3 minutesFinding a laptop in Mr. Chapa’s secondhand shop was like discovering an Apple watch on an Egyptian mummy. But Vern’s find was another’s tragic loss.
Nourse Pits Art Versus Vengeance in The Link
Reading Time: 21 minutesThe themes of power and beauty come together in a clash of wills, and of the soul, in this classic from Alan Nourse. The story portrays those who value power and have deep-seated senses of honor as the antagonists, who are nonetheless seduced by the soul of beauty.
How the Monarchs Came to Utah
Reading Time: 3 minutesWhen Maria wakes up covered in Marigolds she knows she’s dead.
The Superhero Registry
Reading Time: 4 minutesWith great power, comes a great deal of pressure to chose a cool super-name!
Kuttner’s Ego Machine Takes a Playful Look at AI and the Human Brain
Reading Time: 14 minutesWith public companies creating direct computer-brain interfaces, and the augmentation of human consciousness with AI just around the corner, the core theme of this story hits home in modern times.
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The Birth of Death
Reading Time: 7 minutesStarbonder Elidoh never imagined anything would threaten her connection with the Unison. She was wrong.
William’s Legacy
Reading Time: 4 minutesA hayride with an old friend from the past unveils uncomfortable truths for Max and his family.
The Whole Infernal Machine
Reading Time: 17 minutesA dark, speculative story in the vein of Orwell and Vonnegut.
So You Want to Eat An Omnalik Starfish
Reading Time: 4 minutesA step-by-step guide on what to expect when you’re preparing the universe’s most elusive delicacy.
The Trail of the Beast
Reading Time: 17 minutesFor untold ages, the refugees from the land of Deschemb have lived secretly beneath the surface of human society. Now modern civilization crumbles as their ancient feud boils to the surface. As chaos and brutality engulf the world, strange alien forces reshape the lands for a new beginning…for whoever survives.
Deford’s The Eel Mixes Globalization, Crime, and Punishment
Reading Time: 12 minutesThis technique of intellectual suspense and argument is a great example of fantastic storytelling that doesn’t involve rayguns or spaceships.
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Lizzie Williams’ Swampy Head
Reading Time: 4 minutesLizzie Williams kept the head in a burlap sack. We’d pay to look at it, pay even more to hear its secrets. We hated that head.
Tiny Gods
Reading Time: 14 minutesAnna retires to Northwick, with dreams of living out her remaining years in the comfort of a charming New England town. Things aren’t as peaceful as she had hoped, though, as she discovers the islanders’ bizarre secret.
Dagger Quest
Reading Time: 16 minutesAn adventuring duo seeks the legendary, magical dagger of Shellafen. This weapon is embedded in the troll that killed Shellafen.
The Foot Race
Reading Time: 24 minutesAt a moon colony where Mars Orbiters are manufactured, a damaged android is saved from the recycle shredder by an introverted teenager with vague ambitions of ion boarding on Mars. Against Trent Wagner’s own substantial logic, he accepts the challenge from the older kids to fix the bot and enter it into the Foot Race, a three mile competition across the lunar surface. Things get interesting as the bot displays behaviors and images of a past human life.
Garret Makes Us Believe With Fifty Percent Prophet
Reading Time: 27 minutesRandall Garret weaves a fantastic tale with the suspense building throughout. What is precognition? Is it something that is a charlatan’s hoax or does it fall into the fringes of science?
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The Talecrafter’s Apprentice
Reading Time: 4 minutesAn apprentice talecrafter constructs her first magical tale.
Rocket Man
Reading Time: 14 minutesIn an alternate Cold War, America is armed with a fleet of manned nuclear ICBMs. But all is not well, and every night, the rocket man dreams of Moscow . . .
Eat Me
Reading Time: 17 minutesReporter Angela Ioane discovers the most promising new weight loss therapy in years has side effects no one is talking about.
Meat Bag
Reading Time: 7 minutesThis is a dark SF tale about creating organ donors for those who can pay.
Wolf Sets Standard for AI, Culture in Robots of the World, Arise!
Reading Time: 23 minutesBy N.T. Narbutovskih The term “droid” has a special place in the heart of everyone who has a passing familiarity with science fiction. Mari Wolf coins the term in this quirky tale about robots, consciousness, and humanity. Wolf’s forecast of the rise of human-consciousness equivalent artificial intelligence has all the classic veneer of the Golden
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The Lingering Taste of Mars
Reading Time: 3 minutes“I feel like I left my mind on Mars. Even now, I can still hear the wind.” Rosie reaches over from where she sits on her rocking chair and winds her fingers around mine. She hasn’t changed a bit, despite the years I was gone. Her face is still every bit as bright and optimistic
The Color Of My Home Is Red Like An Apple
Reading Time: 19 minutesRejected by her god and exiled by her tribe for reasons beyond her understanding, a young alien girl seeks the truth of her world and the faith of her people.
Relative
Reading Time: 2 minutesA dying physicist makes a desperate attempt to spare his daughter grief by flying into a black hole.
A Waste of Time
Reading Time: 3 minutesWhat if your past was a lie and you had the opportunity to go back and change it?
Bradley’s The Planet Savers Engages Mental Health and Colonialism
Reading Time: 90 minutesIn this story set in her incredible Darkover universe, Marion Zimmer Bradley masterfully blends science and fantasy, psychological suspense, and action.
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Apotheosis
Reading Time: 5 minutesHumanity finally finds God, waiting in a nearby planetary system. Of course, that’s when the problems begin.
Return of the Martian Rebels
Reading Time: 26 minutesTwo powerful Martian adversaries vie for leadership and the love of one woman.
Bod Yart
Reading Time: 17 minutesThe country that gave the world Bach, Mozart and Beethoven used poison gas, barbed wire and machine guns in order to kill as many men as possible. The countries that gave the world Shakespeare, Milton, Bizet, Victor Hugo, Tchaikovsky and Tolstoy responded in kind.
A Song for the Leadwood Tree
Reading Time: 17 minutesNehan is her people’s wartime queen, and must surrender her crown if she can repel her country’s invaders. With her biological daughters dead, she must hope she has done enough to smooth the way for her adopted son, the orphan of poor nomad folk, to rule after her.
Phillip K. Dick’s Mr. Spaceship Turns AI On Its Head
Reading Time: 36 minutesAny sacrifice for the greater good is acceptable. War doesn’t wait on the needs of the individual. These themes are present in today’s tense international environment just as they were when Dick wrote this packed tale. From AI to warfare to original sin, this story hits all the big questions. Classic Phillip K. Dick tales
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Until the end of the party
Reading Time: 14 minutesA galoot is kidnapped by aliens for medical experiments. He becomes unexpectedly intelligent, takes out the aliens and conquers earth.
Bova’s Next Logical Step Fuses AI and Warfare
Reading Time: 9 minutesBen Bova weaves a short and impactful story that doesn’t get bogged down in the weeds.
Herbert’s Old Rambling House Shows the Truth in Greed
Reading Time: 10 minutesPeople will jump at the chance for more, better, newer. Frank Herbert sets up a clever byplay of greed in many forms in this story.
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Jingle-jangle
Reading Time: 3 minutesAnd then I was fading, ears ringing and body broken by shrapnel that jingle-jangled in my pocket, before I failed Christiane.
Dead People’s Things for Sale
Reading Time: 12 minutesThe clock on Abigail’s nightstand read 11:00. Death would be here within the hour.
Damon Knight’s The Worshippers Shows Right From Wrong
Reading Time: 32 minutesDamon Knight gives us a roller-coaster ride through one person’s journey of both literal and metaphorical self discovery.
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Pohl’s The Hated Explores Psychosis of Space Travel
Reading Time: 15 minutesWhat mental stress is waiting for our astronauts on extended journeys, and what treatment can we possibly offer them? Frederick Pohl gives us one fascinating option.
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Melody
Reading Time: 5 minutesFor a split second, I couldn’t tell if it was a person pounding at the door or the wind, but then I heard a young voice scream, “HELP! HELP ME!”
Silverberg’s Happy Unfortunate Tackles Racism in 1957
Reading Time: 25 minutesIn this story, Silverberg brings us a brief glimpse into a deeply divided society, divided not just by differing values and ideas but by their very own physical bodies.
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Saving Grace
Reading Time: 11 minutesBlood pooled from the inside arch of her right foot, leaving a watery trail of droplets behind her.
Vonnegut’s 2BR02B: Soft, what utopia through yonder window breaks?
Reading Time: 10 minutesWhat would you do if you could choose a future for humanity? Would you choose one of abject squalor, or would you make some small sacrifice for the betterment of future generations?
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A Winter’s Morning
Reading Time: 19 minutesThe monster began to come towards him, its massive arms at its sides, and its trunk-like feet sliding along the ground.
The True Story of Bloody Bones
Reading Time: 10 minutesIn her bed was found a messy pile of blood-stained bones and skull and jaw fragments.