The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast - Vintage Sci-Fi Short Stories
Episodes
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...
The Unnamable by H. P. Lovecraft - They Spoke of the Unseen… Until It Spoke Back
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
A World to Die For by Sam Carson - To Build, to Love, to Stand Among Titans
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Car...
Master of the Asteroid by Clark Ashton Smith - Alone, Doomed, and Deified on a Forgotten Asteroid
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Los...
The Crystal Man by Edward Page Mitchell
27 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Crysta...
Exile of the Eons by Arthur C. Clarke - The Long Sleep and the Longer Exile
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Exiled to an utterly remote future, Trevindor thought he suffered the ultimate punishment . . . until he met the second exile—and learned that the U...
Old Crompton's Secret by Harl Vincent - In the Shadows of Progress, One Man Dared to Play God
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 mi...
Return of a Legend by Raymond Z. Gallun - Survival is the Only Law on Mars
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mars' fever they called it. Could the wild boy cheat the Red Planet's skeleton deserts and the dogged trailers from Port Laribee? Return of a Legend b...
Man–Hunting Robot by James Rosenquest
19 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One man alone on a planet of death. — A deadly robot made especially to pursue a human being. Was it just a cruel sport devised for some bloodthirst...
Forever by Robert Sheckley - Living Forever Comes at a Price
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries—was there no way of keeping it discovered? Forever by Robert Sheckley. That’s next on The L...
The Coming of the Ice by G. Peyton Wertenbaker - Humanity’s Last Days Before the Freeze
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alone in a world buried by endless snow and ice the last man on Earth drifts through a twilight of silence and memory. Time has lost all meaning... Th...
Lake of Fire by Frank Belknap Long - After Mars, Earth Is Just a Memory
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When you've been to Mars, when you've struggled with men and ships and supplies like some tremendous Herculean figure in the morning of the world, you...
Eight Million Dollars From Mars by Winston Marks - Crime, Corruption, and Crimson Horizons
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pauker had killed ten men to get eight million dollars. Now his flight to Mars would insure his safety from justice. Or would it? Eight Million Dollar...
The Crystal Egg by H. G. Wells - A Window to Another World
06 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A curious antique dealer discovers a strange crystal egg that reveals eerie glimpses of an alien world teeming with life. As he obsesses over its myst...
The Father Thing by Philip K. Dick - Not All Monsters Come From Outer Space
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Something is wrong with Dad… Charlie knows it, but no one believes him. Is it all in his head, or has something terrifying taken his father’s plac...
The Time Snatcher by Randall Garrett - A High-Stakes Chase Through Time Itself
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tampering with events of the past could bring disastrous results in the future. It was why Brek was given a pair of six-guns to catch—The Time Snatc...
A Prophecy of Monsters by Clark Ashton Smith and The Rag Thing by Donald A. Wollheim
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A creature in the night hunting for fresh meat. Hunting in a way that never fails. A Prophecy of Monsters by Clark Ashton Smith. And, If heat and mois...
Misbegotten Missionary by Isaac Asimov, also known as Green Patches - The Creatures, and the Truth!
29 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It was a lovable little creature, anxious to help solve the troubles of the world. Moreover, it had the answer! But what man ever takes free advice? T...
Before the Fact by Zenna Henderson - When Premonitions Become Reality: A Masterpiece of Sci-Fi Suspense
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Renwick, with too much time on his hands, was bored. He turned to Mead, in his discontent, only to discover some frightening aspects of his friend’s...
Orphans of the Void by Michael Shaara - A Classic Sci-Fi Adventure Exploring Artificial Intelligence and Cosmic Mystery
23 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Finding a cause worth dying for is no great trick—the Universe is full of them. Finding one worth living for is the genuine problem! Orphans of the ...
Beyond Annihilation by Henry Kuttner - A Cosmic Battle for Survival
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An Earthman and Earthwoman are hurled through worlds within worlds by a diabolical weapon! Beyond Annihilation by Henry Kuttner. That’s next on The ...
Cool Air by H. P. Lovecraft - A Haunting Story of Madness and the Icy Grip of the Unknown
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A tale of dark science, and the ghastly mystery that enveloped the Spanish doctor’s attempts at artificial refrigeration. Cool Air by H. P. Lovecraf...
Adam and No Eve by Alfred Bester - A Chilling Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Tale from a Sci-Fi Grand Master
16 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The last living man on a world rendered utterly lifeless by all–consuming fire– how could he start life alone? Adam and No Eve by Alfred Bester. T...
Momentum by Charles Dye - From Future combined with Science Fiction Stories in July 1951
16 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Just because an event "has to" happen, some people think that, of course, it will happen. It ain't necessarily so! Ballard had but a few hours to solv...
Parking Unlimited by Noel Loomis - From Future combined with Science Fiction Stories May-June 1950
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It was a wonderful plan, a boon to humanity. And solving the parking problem would make a fortune for Slim and me. But when the secret got out… Park...
The Goggles of Dr Dragonet by Fritz Leiber
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To those who wear the goggles of Dr. Dragonet there is another world–of mystery, joy and, yes, terror… The Goggles of Dr. Dragonet by Fritz Leiber...
Trainee for Mars by Harry Harrison - Training for the First Space Flight to Mars
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The important thing was that they survive. Men were needed who’d be able to explore the surface once the ship landed. Trainee for Mars by Harry Harr...
A Moth by H. G. Wells - A Short Story from the "Father of Science Fiction" in The Pall Mall Gazette in 1895
09 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two bitter rival scientists are locked in a feud that consumes their lives, but nature has a strange way of taking sides. When an eerie moth appears, ...
Keep Your Shape by Robert Sheckley - Science Fiction Short Story from 1953
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Only a race as incredibly elastic as the Grom could have a single rule of war: Keep Your Shape by Robert Sheckley. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Po...
The Eel by Miriam Allen DeFord
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The punishment had to fit more than just the crime—it had to suit every world in the Galaxy! The Eel by Miriam Allen DeFord. That’s next on The Lo...
The Elf-Trap by Francis Stevens - Written by the Woman Who Invented Dark Fantasy
01 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Silently it waited in a woodland glen, baited with dreams to tempt… the strange lost company that time had forgot. The Elf-Trap by Francis Stevens. ...
The Incredible Slingshot Bombs by Robert Moore Williams
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It was only a slingshot, but it hurled more death than a thousand-pound bomb. Where did Tommy Sonofagun get those deadly pellets? The Incredible Sling...
Project Hush by William Tenn and Homesick by Lynn Venable - Two Stories from Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The biggest job in history and it had to be done with complete secrecy. It was—which was just the trouble! Project Hush by William Tenn and What thr...
Goliah by Jack London - A Short Sci-Fi Story from 1908 published in The Red Magazine
22 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if a single mysterious figure could bring the world’s armies to their knees and reshape society overnight? A future where science becomes the u...
Captain Midas by Alfred Coppel
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The captain of the Martian Maid stared avidly at the torn derelict floating against the velvet void. Here was treasure beyond his wildest dreams! How ...
F. O. B. Venus by Nelson S. Bond - Pulp Sci-Fi Short Story from 1939
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lancelot Biggs was perhaps the worst second mate Captain Hanson had ever shipped, and he was convinced of it when he ruined their cargo. But how dumb ...
The Man Who Could Work Miracles by H.G. Wells - Short Story Published in 1898 in The Illustrated London News
16 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if you had the power to change reality with a single thought? An ordinary man discovers his limitless abilities—only to learn that absolute pow...
The Colour Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft - Cosmic Horror Weird Fiction from Amazing Stories in 1927
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1927 Amazing Stories had this to say about our next episode, We could wax rhapsodical in our praise, as the story is one of the finest pieces of li...
The Untouchable Adolescents by Harlan Ellison - Vintage Science Fiction from the 1950s
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The aliens wouldn't accept help, though their world was about to explode. They were adolescents. Adolescence is the time when you aren't smart enough ...
The Risk Profession by Donald E. Westlake - 1960s Classic Science Fiction
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The men who did dangerous work had a special kind of insurance policy. But when somebody wanted to collect on that policy, the claims investigator sud...
The Good Seed by Mack Reynolds
08 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The island was drowning—if they failed to find some common ground, both of them were doomed. The Good Seed by Mack Reynolds. That’s next on The Lo...
The Judge's House by Bram Stoker an Episode Swap with the Just Chills Podcast
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the Lost Sci-Fi Podcast we will do something we have never done, and something we may never do again. An episode swap with another podcast. T...
Mr. Meek Plays Polo by Clifford D. Simak - From Planet Stories Magazine in Fall 1944
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mr. Meek was having his troubles. First, the educated bugs worried him; then the welfare worker tried to stop the Ring Rats' feud by enlisting his aid...
Mr. Meek - Muskeeter by Clifford D. Simak - From Planet Stories Magazine in the Summer of 1944
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Adventure flamed in Mr. Meek's timorous heart, the surge of battle and singing blades. And so, with a rocket-ship for his steed and a ray-gun for his ...
Collision Orbit by Katherine MacLean
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The mountain men who opened up the frontier in the west weren’t settlers, they were trappers, traders, fighters and gunmen — the men who didn’t ...
Collision Orbit by Clyde Beck
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The tiny asteroid with the frightened girl and the wrecked spacer with the grim young man slowly spun closer and closer ... but the real danger came a...
Transience by Arthur C. Clarke - Science Fiction Short Story From the 1940s
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Though The World May Die, Man Will Go On. Transience by Arthur C. Clark. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.Almost six months ago we shared the ...