Asimov's Science Fiction
Episodes
Episode 55: The Night Heron Rescue by Alice Towey
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the start of summer vacation for Mella, a student at New Oakland High, but instead of attending parties and hanging out with friends, she’s c...
Episode 54: In the Forest of Mechanical Trees by Steve Rasnic Tem
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On the grounds of a derelict oil refinery southeast of Phoenix, Abe and Vera operate a nature park that reflects a world ravaged by climate change, wh...
Episode 53: Cryptid or Your Money Back by Misha Lenau
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Asimov's latest story from Misha Lenau, a middle aged person finds themself longing to be someone—something—else, and, thanks to a bold new bus...
Episode 52: Going Deep by James Patrick Kelly
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get a peek into Mariska Volochkova's past in "Going Deep," James Patrick Kelly's story printed in 2009 that gives a little background on our current t...
Episode 51: Mere Flesh by James Maxey
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Robert is a scientist who has been working on an AI mobility system named Isaac, which he has been testing on his dementia-stricken father Hank. When ...
Episode 50: Art Deco Farmhouse, Original Hardwood Floors, Slightly Haunted - Alice Towey
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Evan’s partner leaves him after their move to rural Michigan, Evan finds himself alone, often drunk, and a little unsettled by his new home, wi...
Episode 49: Last Thursday - Kristine Kathryn Rusch
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rupert is a young time traveler who figured his first trip to the past would be a breeze. He was only going back to Christmas 2020, after all, close e...
Episode 48: Flipped by Leah Cypess
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When her longtime crush Jake suddenly starts treating Becka like his girlfriend, she relishes the attention. But as time goes on, she realizes somethi...
Episode 47: There's Nothing in the Attic - Faith Merino
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Faith Merino’s story from our March/April 2024 issue, the women of the house band together to uncover the mysterious noises coming from the empty...
Episode 46: Embot's Lament by James Patrick Kelly
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Embot is a time traveler sent from centuries in the future to narrate the life of Jane, a young woman trapped in an unhappy life. Forbidden from inter...
Episode 45: Deep Blue Jump by Dean Whitlock
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In “Deep Blue Jump,” children as young as six harvest a narcotic, dream-inducing fruit, and any on-the-job mistakes or stolen product could be a d...
Episode 44: Tilt by Leslie What
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kim is a mutant who can control the mind of anyone she smells. She’s so powerful, she’s forced to endure therapy sessions with other mutants in li...
Episode 43: Sexy Apocalypse Robot by Sandra McDonald
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Joseph catches a glimpse of his new neighbor Antonio, he can't help feel an immediate attraction. Antonio is tall, tanned, painfully handsome—a...
Episode 42: Planetstuck by Sam J. Miller
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Aran’s first vacation—in basically forever—involves twenty-six gate-hops and a fun entanglement with a couple of friendly arms dealers. Any sex ...
Episode 41: Alien Housing by Karen Heuler
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For ex-schoolteacher Marisela Feddie, life under Phosian rule isn’t so bad. Or so it seems. After all, these four-armed alien overlords seem more in...
Episode 40: Forty-Eight Minutes at the Trainview Cafe by M Bennardo
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you could virtually simulate any type of extraordinary life experience, would you go on a hike of Himalayan proportions, or maybe just a hot date?...
Episode 39: Destiny Delayed by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki’s “Destiny Delayed” is set in a futuristic uber-capitalist Nigeria where the wealthy ruling class has further deepene...
Episode 38: Bonus Footage by Marissa Lingen
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sam is the star host of an interplanetary travel program. Usually, Sam's adventures go quite smoothly—or at least they appear that way to viewers. ...
Episode 37: The Tin Pilot by K.A. Teryna
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When the golems returned from the moon wars, they didn’t receive the heroes welcome they deserved. Instead, this race of humanoids designed to withs...
Episode 36: The Waylost Cafe - James Van Pelt
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Nobody else on Mars can brew beer quite like Paul Hopper. He’s an Earther who’s been forced into servitude by a surly brewery owner. But he’s th...
Episode 35: The Magpie Stacks Probabilities - Arie Coleman
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of a near-fatal accident, Emma struggles to readjust to home life. But it’s not the nagging sling or her son’s new habit that she can’...
Episode 34: Welcome Home by Jendayi Brooks-Flemister
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Theresa moved into her new smarthome with healthy skepticism. Here was a house with everything she could ever need or want—and more—for an afforda...
Episode 33: Bread and Circuits by Misha Lenau
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Greatbread 2X is no ordinary toaster. It’s sleek; it knows countless recipes; it happens to be sentient. And one just showed up on Nadia’s doo...
Episode 32: Filaments by Mercurio D. Rivera
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“Filaments,” read and written by Mercurio D. Rivera, explores a tragic accident, a troubled relationship, and the terrifying mystery that lies at ...
Episode 31: Tweak by Taimur Ahmad
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Minor edits here and there; that’s all Amin’s doing at the clinic, tweaking painful recollections until they hurt less. If only Laura understood h...
Episode 30: My Heart Is at Capacity by TJ Berry
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Paul does everything he can to love Rebecca and make her happy. Still, he knows it’s not enough; his processor just isn’t sufficiently advanced fo...
Episode 29: Grandma +5°C by James Patrick Kelly
08 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Willow has a Grandma problem . . . sure she comes with some cool gadgets from a prosperous past, but she also comes with the heat of the rangers. And ...
Episode 28: Mayor for Today by Fran Wilde
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Victor is used to having gigs like “driver,” “teacher,” or “administrative assistant,” so when his GigTime App shows “Mayor” for a dur...
Episode 28: Mayor for Today by Fran Wilde
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Victor is used to having gigs like “driver,” “teacher,” or “administrative assistant,” so when his GigTime App shows “Mayor” for a dur...
Episode 27: Grief, as Faithful as My Hound by Marissa Lingen
07 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s an Earth-shattering revelation: Aliens are real, and making contact all around us. Rina Cutter, however, is busy dealing with her own, private ...
Mangy White Dog by Y.M. Pang
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When a “Mangy White Dog” starts showing up to watch Sunflower and Taihe perform, Sunflower is suspicious. What does the dog want? Doesn't it know ...
Imaginary Children
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, the author envisions the future of dating apps and media companies, while our narrator Petra balances a demanding job with apparition...
Pax Mongolica by Evan Marcroft
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this May/June installment of our podcast, we have a fascinating alternate history where gods are very much real and being held captive in zoos. Ple...
National Poetry Month Podcast 2020
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Happy National Poetry Month! We have a dozen poems here pulled from past and current issues to celebrate our poets this year. Each of these poems is s...
A Summary of Our Neighborhood's Salvation After the Storm by Jason Sanford
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"A Summary of Our Neighborhood’s Salvation After the Storm" introduces us to a cloud-based approach to the afterlife and three women disillusioned w...
"Go. Now. Fix." & "The Refraction of White Lies"
08 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To start off the new decade, we have a special double feature. Our first story—"Go. Now. Fix." by Timons Esaias—features an unlikely narrator who ...
Selfless by James Patrick Kelly
22 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Joseph Jirasek doesn't exist. Not since he was a boy and was taken from himself. Now he struggles to hold the personalities within him that are vying ...
All in Green Went My Love Riding
21 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Enjoy Dani Daly's beautiful read of Megan Arkenberg's enchanting thriller, "All in Green Went My Love Riding," where we discover some very unique youn...
The Ocean Between the Leaves by Ray Nayler
18 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our newest podcast showcases author Ray Nayler’s lyrical tale of social, economic, and medical injustice in a distant future and the impact of yet-t...
Sacrificial Iron
30 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In Ted Kosmatka's "Sacrificial Iron," all of Earth looks on as two astronauts clash during their life-spanning mission. Please enjoy this tale about t...
Asimov's Poetry Podcast for National Poetry Month 2019
05 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Enjoy a curated selection of poems from recent Asimov's issues including: "Wobble" read & written by Richard Schiffman, "Room with a View" written...
Tourists by Rammel Chan
19 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In Rammel Chan’s “Tourists,” we meet some unusual travelers who follow strict rules. We learn, along with our protagonist, the risks and rewards...
"The Gorgon" by Jay O'Connell
14 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In Jay O’Connell’s “The Gorgon,” a job-obsessed businessman accidentally wanders into an online realm of horror and intrigue. Enjoy this tale ...
What I Am & Because Reasons
30 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This November/December episode brings you a science fiction double feature. The first story we’ll hear is from the current issue and is titled “Wh...
R.U.R.-8? by Suzanne Palmer
29 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Hugo-winning-author Suzanne Palmer reimagine's Capek's R.U.R. with this darkly funny play in which the robot Stout innocently searches for a new leg f...
Rules of Biology
27 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Esterman faces the challenges of fatherhood as we discover the alternate and unusual "Rules of Biology" at play in this new tale written and read by D...
Riverboats, Robots, and Ransom in the Regular Way by Peter Wood
24 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Maggie's boring work retreat turns around when pirates board their vessel. This may not be the most ideal form of entertainment, but it is sure to mak...
In Event of Moon Disaster
02 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In Rich Larson’s chilling new tale—pulled from the pages of our current March/April 2018 issue on sale now—a routine mission goes deeply wrong “...
"Bidding War" by Rich Larson
14 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Ladies' Aquatic Gardening Society
08 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Boredom and a keen thirst for one-upsmanship are a destructive combination in Henry Lien's "The Ladies' Aquatic Gardening Society." Join us in this fa...
Our Lady of the Open Road
08 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A good tour van is the glue that holds a band together. In "Our Lady of the Open Road" Sarah Pinsker takes a look at one band's journey through a near...
To Live and Die in Gibbontown
08 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Derek Künsken's "To Live and Die in Gibbontown" is a tongue-in-cheek satire listeners are sure to enjoy: Follow our macaque protagonist as he races t...
Bloom
14 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In the thrillingly tense "Bloom," Gregory Norman Bossert takes us to an alien world where the study of the indigenous lifeforms must be done with extr...
What Changes You, What Takes You Away
21 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In the face of a mystery, it often takes the unlikely but extraordinary individual to get to the bottom of what’s really going on. Listen to the imm...
Pearl Rehabilitative Colony for Ungrateful Daughters - Part 2
21 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In “Pearl Rehabilitative Colony for Ungrateful Daughters” Henry Lien brings us into the irreverent and complex mind of the teenage girl. But these...
Pearl Rehabilitative Colony for Ungrateful Daughters - Part 1
21 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In “Pearl Rehabilitative Colony for Ungrateful Daughters” Henry Lien brings us into the irreverent and complex mind of the teenage girl. But these...