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

Groff ruled the world through Fear. Fear of his awful power ... his twisted, mad brain. For one day that brain would crack. When it did, the World would dissolve in cataclysmic Chaos. The Man Who Killed the World by Ray Cummings , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. This is the first time author Ray Cummings has appeared on our podcast. Cummings was born in New York City in 1887. Before his ca...

The story of a modern Icarus — David Rand was a freak of nature, a glorious, winged freak, who had experienced the freedom of the sky and could no longer be tied to the ground. He That Hath Wings by Edmond Hamilton , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Did you know that we are live on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter every Thursday? And every Thursday a listener is randomly selected and we narrat...

They wandered the dead and fragile cities, looking for the legendary Blue Bottle–not knowing what it was, nor caring, not really wanting to find it… ever… Death-Wish by Ray Bradbury , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Ray Bradbury was one of the most successful and acclaimed authors of his time, and it is no surprise he is one of the most popular authors on our podcast. From Planet Stories M...

Tons of sinuous muscle, buried in fetid Venusian slime, he knew how to survive. Equipped with an ageless brain and lightning instincts, he also knew how to die! Savage Galahad by Bryce Walton , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Today marks the debut of author Bryce Walton on the podcast. Walton was born in 1918 in tiny Blythedale, Missouri, population about 300 when he was born. He wrote nea...

She was sad and lonely, this 19 year old college freshmen. So when he paid attention to her she reluctantly did the very things her mother warned her about. Dance of the Dead by Richard Matheson , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Stephen Kagan bought us $25 worth of coffee and says, “Thank you so much for all the great stories and wonderful storytelling. Listening to your podcast has kept m...

The humblest events sometimes result from the most grandiose beginnings. You'd never imagine space travel starting this way, for instance! Two Weeks in August by Frank M. Robinson , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Thanks for another 5 star review on Apple Podcasts! DSBoston1 says, “ Great! Although the original Star Trek is almost considered “vintage”; by now, these stories go back even fu...

The aliens looked cute as Koalas. But there was a little matter of a graveyard of dead space-ships. The Small Bears by Gene L. Henderson , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. One of the reasons we named it The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast was because we wanted to narrate stories that had never been narrated before and were little known, if known at all. Our story today, written by Gene L. Henderson, is...

The Sexual Morality Act was fierce to buck, but the Algolian sex surrogate was ... er ... even fiercer!… Accept No Substitutes by Robert Sheckley, that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Robert Sheckley has been on our podcast twice previously with Watchbird and Seventh Victim . He’s an under appreciated author and one of my favorites. Today’s story first appeared in Infinity Science Fiction Magaz...

The planet hid itself from the Earthmen—and what lay behind the mask was fierce and deadly! The Masked World by Jack Williamson , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Five star reviews are coming in from everywhere. TTBDBoy from Apple Podcasts Canada gave us 5 stars recently and said, “Great podcast. Excellent narration, fantastic stories.” Thanks for your review. A review can be short and stil...

It’s distinctly ungood to wake up in the middle of a war. Anybody knows that. Breakfast at Twilight by Philip K. Dick , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Philip K. Dick is back on the podcast today at the request of Les Allison. We go live on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter every Thursday and two weeks ago we started something that we plan on doing for a very long time. One of our listeners ar...

Hell in reverse temperature–that’s what Jimmy and Roy were going through in their little space-ship! Tricked into the dangerous trip, ironic fate caused them to freeze at 40 below, though they were almost in the sun! Ring Around the Sun by Isaac Asimov , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Future Science Fiction and Science Fiction Stories were two publications that were published under variou...

George and Lydia Hadley were the perfect parents, or so it seemed. They gave their children everything and in return their children gave them a little something. The Veldt by Ray Bradbury , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Thank you for listening to our podcast and your support of our podcast. An anonymous listener bought us $5 worth of coffee! And another anonymous listener bought $25 wort...

He did the same thing at the same time every night for 20 years. Then he realized something was wrong, something was very wrong. The Street That Wasn’t There by Carl Jacobi and Clifford D. Simak , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Thank you for your incredible support of our podcast. An anonymous listener bought us $50 worth of coffee! “Your podcast was great company while this ‘shade-tree m...

Kiley felt all-powerful with the alien guiding him in the looting of a world. Now the whole galaxy was his if he could remember to—Never Trust A Thief! by Robert Silverberg, that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. From Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy in February 1958, you’ll find our story on page 100, Never Trust A Thief! by Robert Silverberg … Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, He did t...

When atomic destruction threatens, the call goes out for Bud Gregory, the wizard of the Great Smokies, who alone can save the situation! The Nameless Something by Murray Leinster , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. We’re going live again on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter at 8 PM in Sydney Australia, Thursday January 25th. I hope you’ll join us. And if you were with us last week you heard one...

Who was it that lost out in the end? Pursued, or pursuer, on this hideous little rock in space. Final Victim by Ray Bradbury and Henry Hasse , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Special thanks to Irma Stolfo who bought us $25 worth of coffee! “Was lead to your YouTube channel by a friend and fell in love instantly. Your excellent story choice and brilliant skill in character voices won me ove...

The fey Mr. Young continues his scholarly researches in the scientific origins of our myth and legend with this tale of an agile—and avaricious—one-man Boarding Party. Boarding Party by Robert F. Young , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. There are a lot of reasons we choose to narrate a story. Sometimes it has everything to do with the popularity of the author. Other times we’re looking to b...

The general was bucking for his other star–and this miserable contraption bucked right back! Doorstep by Keith Laumer , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Doorstep marks the debut of Keith Laumer on the podcast. Laumer was born in Syracuse New York in 1925. Before becoming a full-time writer, he was an officer in the United States Air Force during World War II and a diplomat in the United Sta...

A touching tale of an Astronette–and why the gentle rain from Heaven has the quality of mercy. I Bring Fresh Flowers by Robert F. Young , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Special thanks to James van Maanenberg who bought us $25 worth of coffee! “I was craving some sci-fi short stories a while ago. I searched high and low, and found very few podcasts that combined high production values and...

She was the guardian of the worlds, but HER world was dead. The Gifts of Asti by Andre Norton , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. The first story we ever narrated by Andre Norton, All Cats Are Gray, was so popular that we decided to do another one of her stories as soon as possible. I had never heard of the publication Fantasy Book which, like many publications of the time, didn't last long....

What really happened to the traveling salesman and the farmer’s daughter–and why? Here’s the ultimate, horrifying answer… Jokester by Isaac Asimov , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, with at least one lost vintage sci-fi short story in every episode. Support the Show https://www.buymeacoffee.com/scottsV From Infinity Science Fiction Magazine in December, 1956 let us go to page 39 and discove...

Caught in a storm he is thrown far from home and his very existence is in doubt. Castaway by Arthur C. Clarke , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, with at least one lost vintage sci-fi short story in every episode. In the UK in 1938 a new magazine appeared, Fantasy would publish an issue that year and two the next and then disappear. It reappeared in 1946 with 3 issues over the next two years...

An odd story, made up of oddly assorted elements that include a man, a woman, a gray cat, a treasure—and an invisible being that had to be seen to be believed. All Cats Are Gray by Andre Norton , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, with at least one lost vintage sci-fi short story in every episode. Thank you for making us one of the most popular science fiction podcasts in the world. According...

A world had collapsed around this man—a world that would never shout his praises again. The burned-out cities were still and dead, the twisted bodies and twisted souls giving him their last salute in death. And now he was alone, alone surrounded by memories, alone and waiting… Happy Ending by Fredric Brown and Mack Reynolds, that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, with at least one lost vintage sc...

Once these irritating fare-wells were over with, he could begin to live as he wished and as he’d dreamed… The Most Sentimental Man by Evelyn E. Smith , that’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, with at least one lost vintage sci-fi short story in every episode. Today marks the first appearance of Evelyn E. Smith on the podcast. Smith was born in New York City in 1922. She wrote more than 50 short st...