The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast - Vintage Sci-Fi Short Stories

Mars' fever they called it. Could the wild boy cheat the Red Planet's skeleton deserts and the dogged trailers from Port Laribee? Return of a Legend by Raymond Z. Gallun. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. You might not know of Raymond Z. Gallun, and yes his last name rhymes with balloon. He was a significant figure in the development of modern science fiction. In recognition of his contribut...

One man alone on a planet of death. — A deadly robot made especially to pursue a human being. Was it just a cruel sport devised for some bloodthirsty pleasure? Built to Kill, Programmed to Chase—The Ultimate Predator Has No Mercy. Man-Hunting Robot by James Rosenquest. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Today’s featured author is James Rosenquest—and no, not James Rosenquist, the famous Ameri...

Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries—was there no way of keeping it discovered? Forever by Robert Sheckley. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Robert Sheckley has been a frequent contributor to our podcast and there are still many of his stories to narrate in the future. When this tale appeared in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine in February 1959, the man who was given credit...

Alone in a world buried by endless snow and ice the last man on Earth drifts through a twilight of silence and memory. Time has lost all meaning... The Coming of the Ice by G. Peyton Wertenbaker. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. The year was 1926 and although there had been science fiction stories in magazines, there had never been an entire magazine devoted to science fiction. Hugo Gernsba...

When you've been to Mars, when you've struggled with men and ships and supplies like some tremendous Herculean figure in the morning of the world, you'll never really feel at home on Earth... Lake of Fire by Frank Belknap Long . That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. We don’t usually tease the next episode before sharing the story you’re about to hear—but today, we’re making an exception. Next ti...

Pauker had killed ten men to get eight million dollars. Now his flight to Mars would insure his safety from justice. Or would it? Eight Million Dollars From Mars! by Winston Marks . That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Special thanks to Someone, and yes, sometimes people really do choose to be anonymous when they buy us a coffee. Someone bought us $15 worth of coffee, every month. Thanks someon...

A curious antique dealer discovers a strange crystal egg that reveals eerie glimpses of an alien world teeming with life. As he obsesses over its mysteries, he begins to question whether the visions are mere reflections—or a window into something watching him back. Todays story was first published in The New Review, in May 1897, The Crystal Egg by H. G. Wells. Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, Pauk...

Something is wrong with Dad… Charlie knows it, but no one believes him. Is it all in his head, or has something terrifying taken his father’s place? The Father Thing by Philip K. Dick. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Philip K. Dick, what a mind. It has been said that Dick believed he was living in two timelines simultaneously, one as himself in 1970s California and another as a persecuted...

Tampering with events of the past could bring disastrous results in the future. It was why Brek was given a pair of six-guns to catch—The Time Snatcher, by Randall Garrett. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Who doesn’t love a good time travel story? This one reminds me of the 1994 sci-fi movie Timecop starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Ron Silver. Turn to page 82 in Imagination Stories of Sc...

A creature in the night hunting for fresh meat. Hunting in a way that never fails. A Prophecy of Monsters by Clark Ashton Smith. And, If heat and moisture and greasy chemical compounds once combined to make life, the laziness of a slattern landlady might cause them to combine again. In that case, the results would not be pretty. The Rag Thing by Donald A. Wollheim. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi P...

It was a lovable little creature, anxious to help solve the troubles of the world. Moreover, it had the answer! But what man ever takes free advice? The Creatures, and the Truth! Misbegotten Missionary by Isaac Asimov. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Did you know that you can leave comments on individual episodes on Spotify? Tonypegel had this to say, “Thanks for the Zenna Henderson. This...

Renwick, with too much time on his hands, was bored. He turned to Mead, in his discontent, only to discover some frightening aspects of his friend’s hobby of collecting children’s games and rhymes. Before the Fact by Zenna Henderson. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Tony from the future recently bought us 20 coffees and had a request, “Since I know you like uncommon authors and also support...

Finding a cause worth dying for is no great trick—the Universe is full of them. Finding one worth living for is the genuine problem! Orphans of the Void by Michael Shaara. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. How many vintage science fiction authors won a Pulitzer Prize? Ray Bradbury never won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, but received a Pulitzer Special Citation in 2007 for his impact on liter...

An Earthman and Earthwoman are hurled through worlds within worlds by a diabolical weapon! Beyond Annihilation by Henry Kuttner. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Henry Kuttner has been on the podcast before in episode 82, 9 Kinda Short Sci-Fi Stories which was published on July 13th, 2023. Let’s jump in our time machine and spin the dials to April 1939, the publication, Thrilling Wonder Sto...

A tale of dark science, and the ghastly mystery that enveloped the Spanish doctor’s attempts at artificial refrigeration. Cool Air by H. P. Lovecraft. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. The story of H. P. Lovecraft is a sad story. He lived a life marked by poverty, and personal loss. His early years were overshadowed by his father’s descent into madness, which led to his institutionalization...

The last living man on a world rendered utterly lifeless by all–consuming fire– how could he start life alone? Adam and No Eve by Alfred Bester. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. I love a great apocalyptic sci-fi tale, and today we have an exceptional one for you by a legendary author. Alfred Bester, a true icon of the genre, is honored in the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, the Prometheus Hal...

Just because an event "has to" happen, some people think that, of course, it will happen. It ain't necessarily so! Ballard had but a few hours to solve the problem, and he knew that the answer was there, before his eyes—if he could see it in time! Momentum by Charles Dye. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. We are so thankful for your 5 star reviews and they are coming in faster than ever. RCr...

It was a wonderful plan, a boon to humanity. And solving the parking problem would make a fortune for Slim and me. But when the secret got out… Parking Unlimited By Noel Loomis. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Noel Loomis was born in Wakita, Oklahoma Territory in 1905, two years before it became a state. And if Wakita Oklahoma rings a bell it might be because it was one of the filming loca...

To those who wear the goggles of Dr. Dragonet there is another world–of mystery, joy and, yes, terror… The Goggles of Dr. Dragonet by Fritz Leiber. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Fritz Leiber won more than his share of awards for his amazing work. He won six Hugo awards, three Nebula’s, a Bram Stoker, World Fantasy Award, he was posthumously inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame...

The important thing was that they survive. Men were needed who’d be able to explore the surface once the ship landed. Trainee for Mars by Harry Harrison . That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Special thanks to "Tony from the future" who bought us 20 coffees. Tony had this to say, “Just found this podcast and am addicted. My wife is a bit worried as I've been literally listening 24hours a day, e...

Two bitter rival scientists are locked in a feud that consumes their lives, but nature has a strange way of taking sides. When an eerie moth appears, the battle takes an unexpected and unsettling turn. A Moth by H. G. Wells. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. If today’s story sounds familiar but you're scratching your head thinking, I thought it was called The Moth , you’re right. It was not...

Only a race as incredibly elastic as the Grom could have a single rule of war: Keep Your Shape by Robert Sheckley. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. We’ve featured Robert Sheckley’s work quite often on the podcast. Potential , The Perfect Woman, The Deep Hole to China, The Monsters and the apocalyptic tale Proof of the Pudding are some of the stories you’ve heard on the podcast. Seventh Vict...

The punishment had to fit more than just the crime—it had to suit every world in the Galaxy! The Eel by Miriam Allen DeFord. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Today’s story was published just before Frank Herbert’s Old Rambling House , which we featured on the podcast about eight months ago. Open the April 1958 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction magazine to page 76, The Eel by Miriam Allen DeFo...

Silently it waited in a woodland glen, baited with dreams to tempt… the strange lost company that time had forgot. The Elf-Trap by Francis Stevens. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of Francis Stevens. But after today’s story you will probably never forget her. She has been called “the woman who invented dark fantasy.” She was born Gertrude Mabel Barr...

It was only a slingshot, but it hurled more death than a thousand-pound bomb. Where did Tommy Sonofagun get those deadly pellets? The Incredible Slingshot Bombs by Robert Moore Williams. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Our last episode featured an author we had never showcased before, William Tenn, today another, Robert Moore Williams and our next episode we will debut another authors work...