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

Martian Homecoming by Frank Belknap Long

05 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A restless ex-boxer on Mars is haunted by memories of Earth and tempted by impossible dreams. When a deadly Martian creature invades the colony, he mu...

The Tunnel Under the World by Ferderik Pohl

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guy Burckhardt wakes from a violent dream to find his town subtly—but profoundly—wrong. As June 15th repeats itself, he begins to realize that rea...

The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A routine emergency mission becomes an unforgiving test of physics, law, and human conscience. When one hidden mistake is discovered, a pilot must fac...

The Shambler From the Stars by Robert Bloch

21 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A struggling writer’s obsession with forbidden knowledge leads him to a discovery no human mind was meant to grasp. One reckless act opens a doorway...

The Grip of Death by Robert Bloch

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A young man plots a quiet inheritance in a decaying waterfront mansion haunted by whispers, rituals, and an uncle who knows far too much. When murder ...

Day of Reckoning by Morton Klass

12 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Roggs have finally surrendered, and an old freedom fighter sits across the table from the alien who once held his life in a whip’s shadow. On hu...

The Homesteader by James Blish

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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. Am...

The Last Evolution by John W. Campbell

05 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a future where humanity has grown soft, only their self-evolving machine descendants stand between Earth and an unstoppable alien force. As the las...

The Curious Experience of Thomas Dunbar by Francis Stevens

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A man awakens in the home of a mysterious scientist after a violent accident, only to discover extraordinary strength coursing through his body. But t...

First Landing by Roger D. Aycock

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Caught in the fog-choked wilds of Venus, Castle stumbles into a mystery far stranger than the hostile “natives” stalking him through the gloom. Hi...

Bonus Episode - A Musical Thank You

30 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 regul...

Conquest Over Time by Michael Shaara

26 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 l...

The Holes by Michael Shaara

22 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, p...

The Last Weapon by Robert Sheckley

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A desperate treasure hunt on the frozen surface of Mars turns explosive when three men uncover the legendary weapons of a vanished civilization. But t...

The Nine Billion Names Of God by Arthur C. Clarke

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 nea...

Know Thy Neighbor by Elisabeth R. Lewis

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a rundown San Francisco apartment building, Ellen begins to suspect something monstrous is hiding behind her neighbors’ polite smiles. When the c...

The Meteor Girl by Jack Williamson

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Char...

The Other One by A. H. Gibson

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Shadow World by Ray Cummings

07 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Two men cross into a mysterious fourth-dimensional world in search of a rare element that could save their own civilization — or destroy another. Bu...

What’s He Doing in There? By Fritz Leiber

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An unsuspecting family hosts Earth’s first Martian visitor… only to discover he’s been locked in their upstairs bathroom for hours. Curiosity tu...

The Man Without A Body by Edward Page Mitchell

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A brilliant but reckless scientist unlocks the power to transmit matter through electricity—only to find himself reborn as a talking head in a museu...

The Horror in the Hold by Frank Belknap Long

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Monsters Came by Night by Robert Silverberg

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Transformation by Mary Shelley

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune by Robert E. Howard

26 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Scientific Pioneer by Nelson S. Bond

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Transition Of Juan Romero by H. P. Lovecraft

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 h...

The Genius of Lancelot Biggs by Nelson S. Bond

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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. B...

The Abominations of Yondo by Clark Ashton Smith

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Banished from civilization, a weary wanderer stumbles into the cursed desert of Yondo—a realm where nature itself seems possessed by madness. Beneat...

The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison

12 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 nex...

No Evidence by Victoria Lincoln

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 divid...

Shandy by Ron Goulart

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Shandy was a teddy bear, a lion, an ape, a rival for Nancy Tanner’s affections.... But what else was he? Shandy by Ron Goulart. That’s next on The...

The Dream Snake by Robert E. Howard

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On a still night under a rising golden moon, a man begins to reveal the strange vision that has haunted him since childhood. What follows is a chillin...

The Man Who Was Pale by Jack Sharkey

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

She was just a sweet, kind-hearted old landlady who couldn't keep her nose out of other people’s business. This was very unfortunate for Mr. Thobal....

Don’t Look Now by Henry Kuttner

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

That man beside you may be a Martian. They own our world, but only a few wise and far-seeing men like Lyman know it! Don’t Look Now by Henry Kuttner...

The Secret Flight of Friendship Eleven by Alfred Connable

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Behind closed doors and under the cover of night, a spacecraft rises. Conceived in confidence and launched in silence, this is the unforgettable tale ...

Process by A. E. van Vogt and Dear Nan Glanders by Beta McGavin

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An ancient intelligence stirs, locked in a struggle for survival against forces both familiar and alien. But when outsiders arrive with their own secr...

Poor Little Warrior! by Brian W. Aldiss

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A man flees his tedious modern life by traveling back to the age of dinosaurs, convinced he’ll find freedom in prehistoric adventure. But his dream ...

Thirty Degrees Cattywonkus by James Bell

21 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It doesn't take a heap of leaving to make any house a nightmare. One vanishing door will do nastily. Thirty Degrees Cattywonkus by James Bell. That’...

Cosmic Tragedy by Thomas S. Gardiner

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Humanity’s reach for the stars promised glory, but destiny had other plans. In the vast silence of space, triumph and tragedy walk side by side. Cos...

Gambler's Asteroid by Manly Wade Wellman

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Patch Merrick and Zaarrgon Try to Win a Stake in Order to Escape the Vengeance of a Dazzling but Dangerous Beauty! Gambler's Asteroid By Manly Wade We...

The Incredible Aliens by William Bender Jr.

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Narant's personal problem seemed of more importance than his mission as an interstellar investigator. But they combined when he met—The Incredible A...

The Day the Monsters Broke Loose by Robert Silverberg

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

People were trampled underfoot, people were crunched by ten-foot teeth in huge, fanged jaws - people died by the hundreds that day were eaten like tid...

Guaranteed—Forever! By Frank M. Robinson

14 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Manning had spent his life exposing mail order frauds. But Forsythe's outfit topped them all. Its products were too good to exist—yet! Guaranteed—...

Later Than You Think by Fritz Leiber

14 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's much later. The question is ... how late? Later Than You Think by Fritz Leiber. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.We have some amazing new...

The Broken Axiom by Alfred Bester

13 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Laws of Physics State That Two Bodies Cannot Occupy the Same Space at the Same Time-but Dr. Halday Finds a Loophole! The Broken Axiom by Alfred Be...

The Old Timer by Richard R. Smith

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Shakish was the last of his kind. If the insulting Earthmen had only bothered to find out why he was a rare being they would have lived a whole lot lo...

The Sea Raiders by H. G. Wells

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Along the quiet Devon coast, something stirs beneath the waves—something with tentacles, teeth, and a hunger for flesh. When it rises, the seaside w...

Two Black Bottles by H. P. Lovecraft

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Old Dominie Vanderhoof was dead, but he did not rest in his grave, for evil was afoot in the old Dutch church. Two Black Bottles by H. P. Lovecraft. T...

Hide and Seek by Arthur C. Clarke

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's obvious that, a fight between one man in a space-suit, and a full-fledged space cruiser is, certainly, "no contest". True-but you've got the wron...

The Night Wire by H. F. Arnold

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From Xebico a strange and uncanny story came over the wire in the wan hours before the dawn. The Night Wire by H. F. Arnold. That’s next on The Lost...

The First Spaceman by Gene L. Henderson

07 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rogers was a hero . . if only he hadn't come back alive! The First Spaceman by Gene L. Henderson. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.We’ve hea...

Lancelot Biggs: Master Navigator by Nelson S. Bond

06 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trust Lancelot Biggs to get his ship into a mess just when speed and good navigation meant the prize contract of the year…! Lancelot Biggs: Master N...

The Metal Man by Jack Williamson

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Beneath the dust of a college museum stands a statue too lifelike to be mere art—Professor Thomas Kelvin, transformed by a strange and deadly fate. ...

The Life–Work of Professor Muntz by Murray Leinster

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Multiple time–tracks lead to the Ajax Brewery! The Life–Work of Professor Muntz by Murray Leinster. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.“He...

The Men Return by Jack Vance

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alpha caught a handful of air, a globe of blue liquid, a rock, kneaded them together…. The Men Return by Jack Vance. That’s next on The Lost Sci-F...

The Hills of Home by Alfred Coppel

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

“Normality” is a myth; we're all a little neurotic, and the study of neurosis has been able to classify the general types of disturbance which are...

Postmark Ganymede by Robert Silverberg

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Consider the poor mailman of the future. To "sleet and snow and dead of night"—things that must not keep him from his appointed rounds—will be add...

Man of Distinction by Michael Shaara

31 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Being unique is a matter of pride—but being a complete mathematical impossibility? Man of Distinction by Michael Shaara. That’s next on The Lost S...

Bleekman's Planet by Randall Garrett and Robert Silverberg

30 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Thornwald had done his tour of duty for the Solar Service; now it was time for him to retire. But a life of relaxation would not be simple on—Bleekm...

Dead Man's Planet by Russ Winterbotham

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For unmarked ages a dead man kept his ghostly vigil on that barren, frozen asteroid. Dead Man's Planet by Russ Winterbotham. That’s next on The Lost...

The Hermit of Mars by Stephen Bartholomew

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

He was the oldest man on Mars ... in fact, the only one! The Hermit of Mars by Stephen Bartholomew. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.All we kn...

The Quantum Jump by Robert Wicks

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Captain Brandon was a pioneer. He explored the far reaches of space and reported back on how things were out there. So it was pretty disquieting to fi...

Martians Never Die by Lucius Daniel

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It was a wonderful bodyguard: no bark, no bite, no sting ... just conversion of the enemy! Martians Never Die by Lucius Daniel. That’s next on The L...

Summertime on Icarus AKA The Hottest Piece Of Real Estate In The Solar System by Arthur C. Clarke

24 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alone on the scorching side of this tiny little world, an astronaut races against time as the blazing sun creeps closer to incinerating him. Survival ...

Strange Alliance by Bryce Walton

23 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Haunted by their dark heritage, a medieval fate awaited them… Strange Alliance by Bryce Walton. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.You’ve he...

The Nothing Equation by Tom Godwin

22 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The space ships were miracles of power and precision; the men who manned them, rich in endurance and courage. Every detail had been checked and double...

Ground by Hal Clement

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

They were inside the sun, in a temperature of 900 Kelvin. With the refrigerators out there was only one wild chance to pull through. Ground by Hal Cle...

Fall of Knight by A. Bertram Chandler

08 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sir Ian's proposal shocked them all. They were spacemen. This was not a thing that they'd know how to do. Fall of Knight by A. Bertram Chandler. That’...

And Miles To Go Before I Sleep by William F. Nolan

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

He knew, to the exact minute, when he was going to die. And Earth was too far away to reach…. And Miles To Go Before I Sleep by William F. Nolan... ...

The Madness of Lancelot Biggs by Nelson S. Bond

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There was more at stake than just a football game for Lancelot Biggs and the crew of the Saturn. So Biggs made a bargain; his rocket emblem in exchang...

The Star Beast by Damon Knight

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

They called this strange tentacle-headed blob that had floundered into the System Oscar. They were to learn a better name. The Star Beast by Damon Kni...

You Were Right, Joe by J. T. McIntosh

13 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You Nailed the Future, Joe—Why Didn’t You See This Coming? You Were Right, Joe by J. T. McIntosh. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.We star...

The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A man and his cat. A bond… broken. Then came the madness. The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe… That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.Here’s anot...

The Big Bounce by Walter S. Tevis

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Seeing it in action, anybody would quaver in alarm: What hath Farnsworth overwrought? The Big Bounce by Walter S. Tevis. That’s next on The Lost Sci...

Flight Through Tomorrow by Stanton A. Coblentz

29 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Super warfare has destroyed the old race of man, but elsewhere a new civilization is dawning… Flight Through Tomorrow by Stanton A. Coblentz. That’...

The Thought-Men of Mercury by Russ Winterbotham

22 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hall and Upjohn had to escape from that "No-man's-land" on Mercury. But to form a plan, they had to think—and their captors could read minds. The Th...

The Yes Men of Venus by Ron Goulart

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Privileged we are to bring you this historic story—one which will warm the manly hearts of the legion of devoted admirers of that venerable fantasis...

The Hairy Ones by Basil Wells

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Marooned on a world within a world, aided by a slim girl and an old warrior, Patrolman Sisko Rolf was fighting his greatest battle—to bring life to ...

Robot Nemesis by E. E. Doc Smith

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A ruthless metal monster is programmed to destroy—and only one man can stop it. Robot Nemesis by E. E. Doc Smith. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi P...

The Nobles are Coming by Arthur Jean Cox

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Together they discussed the Nobles—the old prospector and the weary, frightened man. Then—utter terror struck! The Nobles Are Coming by Arthur Jea...

Dwellers in Silence by Ray Bradbury AKA The Long Years

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A shattered Earth suddenly remembered poor Hathaway, marooned all alone there on Mars by the mad rush homeward. But—was Hathaway alone? Dwellers in ...

The Irresistible Perfume by Harold Lawlor

08 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ne...

The Volcanic Valve by W. L. Alden

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When a brilliant inventor tries to control volcanic eruptions with a mechanical valve, his bold experiment threatens to unleash fiery chaos on an unsu...

The Thing in the Trunk by Paul Ernst

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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.Ca...

Dead Man's Planet by William Morrison

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Morr...

The Mercurian by Frank Belknap Long

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, steamin...

The Artificial Honeymoon by H. Bedford–Jones

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Cor...

Anton's Last Dream by Edwin Baird

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 po...

The Shoddy Lands by C. S. Lewis

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When a skeptical professor steps into the mind of a former student’s fiancée, he discovers a surreal landscape shaped by vanity, obsession, and ala...

The Artificial Man by Clare Winger Harris

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 himsel...

The Invisible Girl by Mary Shelley

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 darkne...

The Shunned House by H. P. Lovecraft

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Lancelot Biggs Cooks a Pirate by Nelson S. Bond

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"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 Co...

Infiltration by Algis Budrys - What if the monsters are more human than we are?

18 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If werewolves exist, they don't necessarily conform to all the superstitions people have. They may even know fear…. Infiltration by Algis Budrys. Th...

Con-Fen by James R. Adams

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Stranger by Gordon R. Dickson

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Strang...

The Shadow and the Flash by Jack London

11 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, ...

Try and Change the Past by Fritz Leiber - Infinite Paths, One Fate: Can the Past Truly Be Changed?

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Avenger by Damon Knight - Earth’s Last Hope Was No Longer Human

04 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...