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

A hard-nosed troubleshooter arrives on the Moon to investigate vanished rocketships, only to stumble onto a secret no human was ever meant to find. Amid lunar dust and deceptive calm, he uncovers a stranger living alone… and a truth that rewrites everything. The Homesteader by James Blish. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. James Blish is best remembered for works like A Case of Conscience wh...

In a future where humanity has grown soft, only their self-evolving machine descendants stand between Earth and an unstoppable alien force. As the last humans watch the end of their own era, a new kind of intelligence rises to decide the fate of everything that lives—or once lived. The Last Evolution by John W. Campbell. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. We will never be able to thank you en...

A man awakens in the home of a mysterious scientist after a violent accident, only to discover extraordinary strength coursing through his body. But the secret behind his transformation—and the bizarre experiments around him—hints at forces far beyond anything he imagined. The Curious Experience of Thomas Dunbar by Francis Stevens. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Another week and another n...

Caught in the fog-choked wilds of Venus, Castle stumbles into a mystery far stranger than the hostile “natives” stalking him through the gloom. His only chance at survival lies in unraveling who — or what — really claims this harsh alien world. First Landing by Roger D. Aycock. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Things just keep getting better! Thanks to all of you amazing Lost Sci-Fi lovers,...

This is not a regular episode of The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. It’s a fun bonus episode, a sci-fi themed musical thank-you we made just for YOU. Your regular vintage sci-fi stories will continue in the next few days. Enjoy!! Listen without commercials and enjoy exclusive bonus episodes every month with Lost Sci-Fi Premium—start your free 7-day trial today. https://lostscifi.supercast.com/ Hosted by Sim...

A desperate Contact Man races to secure a planetary trade contract, only to discover a world ruled entirely by astrology and fear. When a disastrous landing sends him spiraling into the underworld of Mert, he must outwit fate itself to survive — and change the future. Conquest Over Time by Michael Shaara. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Before earning the Pulitzer Prize for The Killer Ange...

A routine survey of an unremarkable planet spirals into dread as two explorers discover a network of perfectly round holes that seem to defy nature, physics, and common sense. What begins as scientific curiosity soon becomes a race to understand what’s growing beneath the sand—and why the holes are widening. The Holes by Michael Shaara. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. This has been an abso...

A desperate treasure hunt on the frozen surface of Mars turns explosive when three men uncover the legendary weapons of a vanished civilization. But the greatest danger is not what the Martians left behind — it’s the ambition boiling inside the humans who find it. The Last Weapon by Robert Sheckley. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. You’ve done it again! Thanks to your incredible support, we...

A team of engineers travels to a remote Tibetan monastery to install a computer meant to complete a centuries-long sacred task. But as the machine nears the end of its work, the engineers realize the monks believe its final output will trigger something far greater than they ever imagined. The Nine Billion Names Of God by Arthur C. Clarke. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Today’s story is o...

In a rundown San Francisco apartment building, Ellen begins to suspect something monstrous is hiding behind her neighbors’ polite smiles. When the cats go missing and the noises in the walls grow louder, she realizes she might be the only human left who knows the truth. Know Thy Neighbor by Elisabeth R. Lewis. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Your support means a lot to us. Amy Özkan just b...

A screaming meteor tears out of the sky and leaves more than a crater in its wake—inside it lies a mystery that bends the laws of physics. When Charlie King steps into the blue haze surrounding the fallen stone, he discovers that rescuing the Meteor Girl may require a leap across space-time itself. The Meteor Girl by Jack Williamson. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. I love hearing from list...

A routine bank delivery turns into a night of sinister secrets when a young clerk visits a wealthy recluse in the lonely hills of West Virginia. What he discovers in the cellar — and later inside a wine cask — reveals a decade-old revenge no one imagined. The Other One by A. H. Gibson. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. This story by A. H. Gibson delivers the kind of eerie, slow-building tens...

Two men cross into a mysterious fourth-dimensional world in search of a rare element that could save their own civilization — or destroy another. But the moment they arrive, they discover they are not the only ones with a hidden agenda… and not everyone plans to return alive. Shadow World by Ray Cummings. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Today’s story comes from one of the most influential...

An unsuspecting family hosts Earth’s first Martian visitor… only to discover he’s been locked in their upstairs bathroom for hours. Curiosity turns into panic as they wonder what—exactly—he’s doing in there. What’s He Doing in There? By Fritz Leiber. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. A warm welcome to our newest newsletter subscribers—Mark in Amsterdam, Ellen in Scotland, Emily in England, K...

A brilliant but reckless scientist unlocks the power to transmit matter through electricity—only to find himself reborn as a talking head in a museum display. His greatest invention has left him literally a man without a body. The Man Without A Body by Edward Page Mitchell. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. The maiden voyage of our newsletter Lost Sci-Fi Weekly blasted off a few days ago, an...

A mutinous Spaniard slithers into the shadow-soaked hold of an English ship with powder, vengeance, and heresy on his tongue. But in the stinking dark beneath the deck, blades whisper, loyalties bend, and something far worse than steel seems to be waiting. The Horror in the Hold by Frank Belknap Long. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Thanks to You, We’re Among the Best in the World! We’re e...

They came to torment. They Came in Revenge. The Monsters Came by Night by Robert Silverberg . That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. It’s Halloween week on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast — and that means we’re digging into the eerie, the uncanny, and the things that brush past you in the dark when you think you’re alone. Today’s tale takes us far from Earth — all the way to Mars — but don’t relax just b...

A proud young exile meets a storm-working dwarf on a desolate Genoese shore — and in a single Faust-like bargain barters more than he understands. A metamorphosis so literal and so damning it cannot be untold. Or forgotten! Transformation by Mary Shelley. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. The Lost Sci-Fi Weekly newsletter launches a few hours. If You're listening to this episode not long aft...

A weary King Kull gazes into the forbidden mirrors of Tuzun Thune, seeking wisdom beyond mortal grasp. But in those shifting reflections lies a peril far greater than any enemy he’s ever faced. The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune by Robert E. Howard. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Quick heads-up: our brand-new Lost Sci-Fi Weekly newsletter launches this Monday, October 27. Tap the link in the desc...

Horse-Sense Hank could answer all the problems of science. He could even apply logic to love. But turnips…! The Scientific Pioneer by Nelson S. Bond. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. We know… we know. We’ve been saying “the newsletter is coming” for months and then quietly wandering away like we never said a word. Bad podcast host. Bad. Very bad. No cookie for you! That’s the bad news. The...

Beneath the desolate desert lies a chasm that breathes ancient dread. When two men hear the earth itself stir, their world teeters on the brink of a horror beyond human comprehension. The Transition of Juan Romero by H. P. Lovecraft. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. It’s funny how The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast has evolved. Early on, we planned to skip H. P. Lovecraft—so many other narrators had a...

Lancelot Biggs was an unpredictable quantity, but nobody aboard the Saturn thought he'd ever turn traitor! The Genius of Lancelot Biggs by Nelson S. Bond. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. We are deeply grateful for you—our incredible listeners and supporters. Every rating, review, and comment reminds us why we do what we do. Your enthusiasm keeps the microphone on and the stories coming—one...

Banished from civilization, a weary wanderer stumbles into the cursed desert of Yondo—a realm where nature itself seems possessed by madness. Beneath its crimson skies, he discovers that some horrors are far older—and far more aware—than man ever dreamed. The Abominations of Yondo by Clark Ashton Smith . That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. If you’ve already taken the time to fill out our surve...

New York was a bad town for robots this year. In fact, all over the country it was bad for robots…. The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. If you enjoy The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, the credit belongs to my father, Gary Miller. Through his words and, more importantly, his example, he taught me that anything worth doing is worth doing with everything you have. His li...

A man begins to sense that part of himself has slipped away—only to reappear in Ireland, where he was born. What unfolds is a haunting tale of divided identity and the eerie possibility of living two lives at once. No Evidence by Victoria Lincoln. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Author Victoria Lincoln dabbled in science fiction only once, writing a single short story in the genre. She was...