Golden Age Fiction

True, the Robot Equality Act had been passed—but so what?_ New York was a bad town for robots this year. In fact, all over the country it was bad for robots.... "The Velvet Glove" appeared in the November 1956 issue of "Fantastic Universe" on pages 59 to 75. "The Velvet Glove" also appeared in "War with the Robots," a collection of short stories by Harry Harrison pu...

Lobo was thirsty, so thirsty that he must venture close to where he knew his old enemy—man—was, but where he knew he would find water... "Lobo's Return" appeared in "Blue Book Magazine," January 1925, pages 64 - 65. ----- Forrestine Cooper Hooker (March 1867 - March 1932) was an American author of primarily children's books set in the wild west of 19th Century America. ----...

A surprizing tale about the Black Tower and the intrusion therein of a barbarian adventurer—a strange weird tale of the love of a queen for her enemy. "Duar the Accursed" appeared in the May 1937 issue of "Weird Tales" on pages 541 to 553. Ball was especially enamored of Robert E Howard's Conan stories. The setting for Duar the Accursed is similar to Howard’s Hyborian Age. ----...

Tommy hated Earth, knowing his mother might go home to Mars without him. Worse, would his dad buy an android to secretly take her place? "Native Son" appeared in "Imagination, Stories of Science and Fantasy," July 1953, pages 108 - 114. ----- Guldran was going to save the day and return to the ship at the eleventh hour with his prize, a defenseless mother burdened with her child. &...

Lancelot Biggs was an unpredictable quantity, but nobody aboard the Saturn thought he'd ever turn traitor! "The Genius of Lancelot Biggs" appeared in the June 1940 issue of "Fantastic Adventures," on pages 92 to 103 and 132. ----- Nelson Slade Bond  (November 23, 1908 – November 4, 2006) was an American writer. His works included books, magazine articles, and scripts used in ra...

The Irritant was hungry, but with no intellects nearby, it had to bait a hook and wait. Something would come along. That something was John Singleton Mosby, a Civil War General with a novel idea for a new weapon... "The Vertigo Hook" appeared in "Fantastic Universe," October-November 1953, pages 93 - 98. ----- Richard Ashby  is an American author of science and general fiction, who...

Kidder had a system for inventing things in a hurry—and he thought he had a system for handling the results. His method was inhuman—but his agent was human—and dangerous!  "Microcosmic God" It appeared in the April 1941 issue of "Astounding Science Fiction" on pages 46 to 68. ----- "Microcosmic God" was recognized as one of the best science fiction short stories published b...

Take one tiny memory out of a man's life—and the entire universe may turn topsy turvy. "My Past is Mine" appeared in "Fantastic Universe", October 1954, pages 82 - 88. ----- Gerda Rhoads was born in Vienna and came to the United States with her parents by way of London and Rio. She was educated at Hunter College, became a ballet dancer, took up painting and has done some very c...

Hercule Poirot, the famous detective, pits his 'little gray cells' against a powerful crime syndicate. Today's story is "The Lady on the Stairs," by Agatha Christie. It appeared in the May 1927 issue of "The Blue Book Magazine" on pages 35 to 41. ----- Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English...

LeDoux, the Interplanetary Company pilot, had flown too close to Callisto in an attempt to get a gravity assist from Jupiter to make up for lost time. But the Callistonians were known to waylay travellers in order to sate their 'curiosity' about humans. That meant that Verger, Anderson, LeDoux, and their 'cargo' of music-playing wives for the exiled miners on Ganymede, were in grav...

Porky's ego wouldn't stay in his own body, and that, believe it or not, was what saved the city! "The Man who Saved New York" appeared in the July 1943 issue of "Science Fiction Stories" on pages 69 to 78. ----- Ray Cummings (born Raymond King Cummings) (August 30, 1887, New York, New York – January 23, 1957, Mount Vernon, New York) was an American author of science fiction...

The Venusians had kidnapped Stanley Murdock, shown him around their underground base in the desert of New Mexico and told him of their plans to conquer Earth and make slaves of its populace. And then, having no use for him, released him.  It was the best joke ever according to the Venusian sense of humor, for who would believe him? "The Vanguard of Venus" was available to readers through a...

All Dr. Rawlings could think about was having a chicken farm. And Miss Austin. But he had these pesky patients to deal with. Patients who thought they were from Mars, or who could walk through doorways to Mars. Freud had nothing to say about that! "Office Call" appeared in "Fantastic Universe," October 1954, pages 74 - 81. ----- Charles E Fritch (January 20, 1927 – October 11, 2012...

To love a saint is hard. To be one, that is harder. "Redemption" appeared in the July 1963 issue of "Amazing Stories" on pages 6 to 45 and 51. ----- Robert Franklin Young (June 8, 1915 – June 22, 1986) was an American science fiction writer. He remained little-known by the public, in the United States as well as abroad. His career spanned more than thirty years, and he wrote fictio...

All Cap Barlow cared about was his golf course on the lonely planet of Straba. But when Clarence Raine landed to conduct a survey, and the ship of legend crash landed, strange events began to unfold. "Strangers to Straba" appeared in "Fantastic Universe", October 1954, pages 90 - 98. ----- Carl Richard Jacobi (July 10, 1908 – August 25, 1997) was an American journalist and writer....

Next time you're on an escalator someplace, keep your wits about you.  "Descending" appeared in the July 1964 issue of "Fantstic Stories of Imangination" on pages 70 to 82. Today's story is dedicated to listener Ed Pearson. Thank you for the great recommendation. ----- Thomas Michael Disch (February 2, 1940 – July 4, 2008) was an American science fiction writer and poet. He...

There was something not quite right about the planet Hume, something counterfeit about the natives' culture. The higher-ups were satisfied with the current analysis and planetary designation, but Rowley couldn't let it go. "The Great Illusion" appeared in "Super-Science Fiction," February 1957, pages 22 - 39. ----- Manly Miles Banister (9 March 1914 - 8 June 1986) was an Am...

Cornillo Martens wanted a quiet life, to enjoy his garden. But old man Garner, with his experiments, and Garner's grandchildren, with their unpleasant songs, profoundly disturbed his peace. "Sexton, Sexton, in the Wall" appeared in the January 1953 issue of Weird Tales on pages 68 to 74. This story is dedicated to the YouTube Channel ' Infinite Text .' ----- August William Derl...

She writhed under the judges' merciless scrutiny. The charge against her was surely a most grievous one—marital fidelity—and sexual incompetence! "Once a First Wife" appeared in "Fantastic Universe", October 1954, pages 33 to 40. ----- Norman Arkawy : If you have information about this author, I would be grateful if you could let me know via the email address provided. ----- If...

Avoid Planetoid 787. Lush and sunny, with fine air and no dangerous beasts, it'll tempt you to land and stay the night for some welcome fresh air and a good night's sleep on solid ground. Whatever you do, DON'T! "Asleep in Armegeddon" was published in "Planet Stories," Winter, 1948, pages 58 - 65. ----- Ray Douglas Bradbury (August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012) was an Americ...

Dillingham's assistant had to be land-going, esthetic, competent, free and female—more than less! "Equals Four" appeared in the July-August 1970 issue of Worlds of If Science Fiction on pages 51 to 63 and 155 to 157. ----- Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob (born 6 August 1934) is an American author in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is b...

They had found the perfect narcotic quite by accident on an asteroid. A silicon-based germ that induced euphoria and a sense of well-being with no side effects. It may even be good for humanity. But, there had to be a cost, right? You don't get something for nothing, right? "The Happiness Rock" appeared in "Amazing Stories," January 1964, pages 97 - 122. ----- Albert Teichner w...

Half of Earth, Half of Mars—the half-breed, the Tweenie—is reviled on Earth. But, as scientist and inventor Jefferson Scanlon discovers, there is more to them than people realize. "Half-Breed" appeared in the February 1940 issue of Astonishing Stories on pages 38 to 53. ----- Isaac Asimov (c. January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston Un...

Dr. Marsten thought he'd failed completely to prove mental telepathy, but he'd forgotten one peculiar, but very important, facet of those extraordinarily gifted with 'pshychic ability.'  "Too Close to the Forest" was published in "Fantastic Universe," July, 1954, pages 63 - 73. ----- Bryce Walton Bryce Walton (May 31, 1918 – February 5, 1988) was an American pulp fi...

No one had ever escaped from Venus' dread Stellar Legion. And, as Thekla the low-Martian learned, no one had ever betrayed it and—lived. "The Stellar Legion" appeared in the Winter 1940 issue of Planet Stories on pages 95 to 103. The "Stellar Legion" was awarded the Retro Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 2016. ----- Leigh Douglass Brackett (December 7, 1915, Los Angeles, Cali...