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

A shattered Earth suddenly remembered poor Hathaway, marooned all alone there on Mars by the mad rush homeward. But—was Hathaway alone? Dwellers in Silence by Ray Bradbury. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. From time to time, we feature stories that were published in more than one magazine—often under different titles. That means we sometimes have to decide which title to use. Today, Ray Bra...

The professor invented a perfume that would never come off! He didn't know it was irresistible. The Irresistible Perfume by Harold Lawlor. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Author Harold Lawlor was born in 1910—though sources differ on whether his birthplace was Ireland or Chicago. Little is known about his life, but between 1942 and 1953, he wrote 35 short stories, many of which appeared in...

When a brilliant inventor tries to control volcanic eruptions with a mechanical valve, his bold experiment threatens to unleash fiery chaos on an unsuspecting world. The Volcanic Valve by W. L. Alden. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Is Humorous Historical Science Fiction a real genre? I have no idea—but if it isn’t, someone better invent it fast, because The Volcanic Valve would be its fou...

A fascinating story about a heinous crime and its strange aftermath. The Thing in the Trunk by Paul Ernst. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Calling Paul Ernst a prolific writer barely scratches the surface—he penned over 200 short stories across multiple genres, with around 170 in science fiction alone. He contributed nearly 40 tales to Weird Tales magazine, and the story you’re about to he...

When a driven man arrives at a cemetery world, what else can it be but journey's end—and the start of a new one? Dead Man’s Planet by William Morrison. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. We received this message on our Facebook page from Stevie Fogarty in Tipperary Ireland, “Hi Scott. I stumbled across The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast by total accident & I've been an avid fan since. I've listened...

For ages Mankind labelled Mercury a dead world—a red-hot, seething outpost of hell. Too late Rawley learned of the hideous life that molten, steaming planet spawned! The Mercurian by Frank Belknap Long. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. A huge thank you to all our incredible listeners! Because of you, The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast is now the #1 Science Fiction podcast in New Zealand—our 28th count...

A Certain Young Man Finds Dying a Profitable Business. The secret of one of the strangest professions in the world. An Adventure of a Professional Corpse - The Artificial Honeymoon by H. Bedford–Jones. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. I have to admit, I’d never heard of H. Bedford-Jones until I came across this story—and what a discovery! As I started digging into his background, I was amaz...

A brief tale of the dismal success of a scientist's experiment. Anton's Last Dream by Edwin Baird. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Another podcast, another debut—this time for author Edwin Baird. Best known as the first editor of Weird Tales magazine, Baird helped launch the iconic American fantasy and horror pulp, whose first issue was dated March 1923 and hit newsstands on February 18 of...

When a skeptical professor steps into the mind of a former student’s fiancée, he discovers a surreal landscape shaped by vanity, obsession, and alarming emptiness. A sharp and unsettling exploration of how our inner worlds reveal far more than we intend. The Shoddy Lands by C. S. Lewis. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Clive Staples Lewis, one of the most influential writers of the 20th cen...

Before David’s startled gaze the newcomer placed his right hand to his left shoulder and removed the left arm. He then proceeded to dismember himself until only a torso, head and one arm remained. The Artificial Man by Clare Winger Harris. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. A new debut on the podcast today: the first woman to publish science fiction stories under her own name in the pulp maga...

A quest for identity meets the shadows of societal perception. As Rosina struggles to be seen, will she reclaim her voice or remain lost in the darkness? The Invisible Girl by Mary Shelley. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. You may be wondering why this episode of The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast took longer to appear than a ghost at a séance. At the end of The Shunned House by H.P. Lovecraft, we pro...

A man and his uncle set out to scientifically investigate a crumbling home steeped in centuries of death and decay. But as night falls, they confront a grotesque, unseen horror feeding on the living—a parasitic evil that may be older than the house itself. The Shunned House by H.P. Lovecraft. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. The Shunned House was penned by H.P. Lovecraft in October 1924 but...

"Cooking," explained Lancelot Biggs, "is simply a matter of chemistry." But he didn't expect that he'd have to prove that statement! Lancelot Biggs Cooks a Pirate by Nelson S. Bond. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Nelson S. Bond wrote 14 stories featuring the exploits of the eccentric space explorer Lancelot Biggs. Biggs debuted on the podcast about 3 months ago with F.O.B. Venus. Today’s...

If werewolves exist, they don't necessarily conform to all the superstitions people have. They may even know fear…. Infiltration by Algis Budrys. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Thank you for making The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast one of the most popular science fiction podcasts on the planet—streamed in 188 countries worldwide! That’s nearly every country on Earth! We’re blown away by your suppor...

The Shisti and the Assistant Shisti of Mars chose Chicago, U.S.A., for their vacation spot. No worries; they were invisible. Plenty of rich food; the joint was loaded. A whole year of frolicking in store. Only one thing they overlooked—there was a curious convention going on. Con-Fen by James R. Adams. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. This episode marks the first time James R. Adams has app...

If the alien space craft was not a rocket ship, what was it? And an even bigger question: should they investigate—or run for their lives! The Stranger by Gordon R. Dickson. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Gordon R. Dickson returns to our podcast today. His debut story was No Shield From the Dead in August 2024. From Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy in May 1952, let’s open this 73...

Can the moving out of line of even the smallest atom of the Inscrutable pattern of the Universe, bring down the whole great edifice in instantaneous, crashing holocaust? The Shadow and the Flash by Jack London . That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Did you know we take story requests for The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast? We do! Just send us an email and let us know what you’d like to hear. scott@lostsci...

There is an infinite number of paths through a lens between an object point and its image point-and no matter how many changes of path you make, have you changed anything? Try and Change the Past by Fritz Leiber. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Fritz Leiber is one of about 25 men and women from the golden age of pulp science fiction to receive the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award f...

Karson was creating a superman to fight the weird super-monsters who had invaded Earth. But he was forgetting one tiny thing—like calls to like. The Avenger by Damon Knight. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. The very first Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association was presented to Robert Heinlein in 1975. Today’s featured author, Damon Knight, received the h...

Two men debate the limits of human understanding while sitting atop an ancient, haunted burial ground—only to be confronted by a terror that defies all form and logic. What lurks beyond language and reason may not just exist… it may be waiting. The Unnamable by H. P. Lovecraft. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. If you’re enjoying the show, we’d be thrilled if you’d tell your friends. The eas...

Titans respect men who create, and add to the betterment of others. Surely it is brave to be a Titan and muchly in love. A World to Die For by Sam Carson. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Author Sam Carson is making his debut on the podcast. He is another of those authors that we know almost nothing about. Don’t know when or where he was born. But when this story was published the magazine...

They worshipped him as a god, this man condemned to death on that lonely world, Master Of The Asteroid By Clark Ashton Smith. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Grab a copy of the October 1932 issue of Wonder Stories magazine and you’ll find today’s story featured right on the cover. Flip to page 434 — yes, this magazine numbered its pages consecutively throughout the entire year — and there...

Long before superheroes, there was… The Crystal Man. A tale of a vanishing body and visible consequences. He was H.G. Wells before Wells. The Crystal Man by Edward Page Mitchell . That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Today we introduce you to an author that some refer to as “ the lost giant of American science fiction .” Perfect for The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast don’t ya think? He wrote about an invi...

Exiled to an utterly remote future, Trevindor thought he suffered the ultimate punishment . . . until he met the second exile—and learned that the Universe holds things more fearful even than loneliness! Exile of the Eons by Arthur C. Clarke. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. More 5 Star Reviews on Apple Podcasts! This one from Molasar7 on Apple Podcasts US, “Great Vintage Science Fiction. I...

Tom's extraordinary machine glowed—and the years were banished from Old Crompton's body. But there still remained, deep-seated in his century-old mind, the memory of his crime. Old Crompton's Secret By Harl Vincent. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Harl Vincent was born Harold Vincent Schoepflin in Buffalo, New York, in October 1893. He wrote more than 70 short stories, all but a few of the...