Articles tagged with science-fiction
Review Science Fiction short Story: "Dead Giveaway" by Randall Garrett
Dave Turnbull has just returned to Earth from a year exploring Lobon. Back at his apartment, he receives a couple pieces of mail from his friend and mentor, Scholar Duckworth, that give him pause. The first, postmarked 21 August 2187, says that he believes
Review: Science Fiction Short Story : "Martians Never Die" by Lucius Daniel
This is a creepy little story, only that plays on greed and hatred. It is perhaps almost too subtle in some respects, but the ending is sad in more than one way. And there is a faint streak of misogyny. Beryl needs someone to take care of her. She
Science Fiction Short Story Review: "The Radiant Shell" by Paul Ernst
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as free dow
Science Fiction Short Story Review: "The Power and the Glory" by Charles W. Diffin
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as free dow
Science Fiction Short Story Review: "The Moon is Green" by Fritz Leiber
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as free dow
Science Fiction Short Story Review: "Pandemic" by Jesse F. Bone
Research pathologist Dr. Walter Kramer is hiring another new assistant. It’s not his pipe that’s driving them away. Thurston’s disease has wiped out nearly one billion of the three billion people on the planet. It’s particularly har
Review: Science Fiction Short Story: "Foundling on Venus" by John and Dorothy De Courcy
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as free dow
Review: Science Fiction Short Story: "Missing Link" by Frank Herbert
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as free dow
Review: Science Fiction Short Story: "McIlvaine's Star" by August Derleth
This is one of author August Derleth’s stories involving newspaperman Tex Harrigan. In this, Tex is relating an odd story about an old man he came across, Thaddeus McIlvaine, one of the “lost people or strayed, crackpots or warped geniuses.&rdq
Review: Science Fiction Short Story: "Lease to Doomsday" by Lee Archer
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as free dow
Review: Science Fiction Short Story: "The Indulgence of Negu Mah" by Robert Andrew Arthur
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as
Review: Science Fiction Short Story: "Hex" by Laurence Mark Janifer
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as free dow
Science Fiction Short Story Review – Brian Aldiss – No Gimmick
Spoiler alerts. The Friday Project. Another 1950’s classic from Aldiss, this time with a dark totalitarian theme. A science fiction author has been arrested and imprisoned in a cell by agents of a near-future fascistic government. H
Short Science Fiction Story Review - Brian Aldiss – Judas Danced
The Friday Project – spoiler alerts Another 1950’s classic from Aldiss, with a unique spin on posthumous pardons for executed murderers. The hero is about to be executed a second time for the second time he has murdered the same man.
Science Fiction Short Story Review: "Four Miles Within" by Anthony Gilmore
Professor David Guinness, along with his daughter Sue and engineer Phil Holmes is about to descend in a digging sphere to a radium deposit about four miles beneath the earth surface outside Palmdale, California. It’ll probably get warm on the way dow
Science Fictions Short Story Review: "The Guardians" by Irving Cox, Jr.
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as free dow
Review Science Fiction: "Divinity" by Joseph Samachson
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as free dow
Review: Science Fiction Short Story: "Dead World" by Jack Douglas
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as free dow
Science Fiction Short Story Review: "Dead Ringer" by Lester del Rey
Journalist Dane Phillips is not so sure about his fellow man—some of them anyway—because they don’t seem to be staying dead even after they’re buried. His editor doesn’t believe him. No one seems to believe him. Eventually he
Review: Science Fiction Short Story: "Cully" by Jack Egan
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as free dow
Review: Science Fiction Short Story: "Blind Spot" by Bascom Jones, Jr.
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as free dow
Review: Science Fiction short story: "Beyond Lies the Wub" by Philip K. Dick
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as free dow
Short Science Fiction Story Review Brian Aldiss The Shubshub Race
Spoiler alerts – 1957 A brilliant science fiction fable in the style of a Hans Christian Anderson fantasy fairy story but with scientific explanations for its magical happenings. A king on Earth is very ill, and plans a long recuper
Science Fiction Short Story Review: "Earthmen Bearing Gifts" by Fredric Brown
Dhar Ry is anxiously awaiting the earth rocket, due to land 1000 outside the single remaining Martian city. The Martians know this because their telepath teams have been reading the thoughts of the earthmen for centuries. The rocket is expected to allow ea
review: science fiction short story: "Accidental Death" by Peter Bailey
The story opens with howling wind blowing ice crystals. A figure lies in a furrow in the snow, beginning to move. The man comes to grips with the idea that he’s still alive. He knows it will be a while before he’s found—if he is, indeed,
Short Science Fiction Story Review – Brian Aldiss - The Ultimate Millennium
The last of the Millennium quartet also known as Galaxies Like Grains Of Sand. As the universe itself begins to disintegrate a space voyager running low on oxygen makes a desperate effort to land on a planet hoping to find air there. He dies, but
review: science fiction short story: “A World is Born” by Leigh Brackett
Mel Gray is a “volunteer,” a world-builder on Mercury, toiling for the father and daughter team of the Moultons, who’d organized the destitute and desperate veterans of the Second Interplanetary War. But Mel’s had enough unselfish
Short Science Fiction Story Review – Brian Aldiss – The Dark Millennia
1957 – spoiler alerts An Earth traveller, eons in the future, meets a mysterious naked man in the woods on Earth. The man, Ishrael, claims to be the stranded admiral of an alien fleet, who has been exiled to Earth by his enemies. In
Short Science Fiction Story Review – Brian Aldiss – The Sterile Millennia
1957 – Spoiler alerts A bold look at the aftermath of an Earth war in the far flung future. Race war has exterminated the white Caucasian peoples, leaving black people the only survivors until one man gives birth to a white girl. Al
Diary – Thursday 12th February 2015
It was a great relief not to have to get up and go to the farcical call centre job which wasn’t paying staff any more. I got a pleasant lie in for the first time in weeks. Later in the day my job brokers sent me details of a new job, with a supermar
Short Science Fiction Story Review – Brian Aldiss – The New Father Christmas
Spoiler alerts – The Friday Project Press A rather anti-Christmas story, in its utter bleak vision of a future Yule in a mechanized hostile World ruled by artificial intelligence. Many SF stories predicted robots as the saving grace
Short Science Fiction Story Review – Brian W Aldiss – Outside
1955 - Spoiler alerts Six people have been trapped for many years in a strange house from fear of the World outside, and even wondering if there is a World outside any more. Life in the house is dull but pleasant, though every move is clo
Short Science Fiction Story Review – Brian W Aldiss – Pogsmith
1955 - Spoiler alerts Aldiss is often darkly serious in his story-telling but he could also let his hair down to write something shamelessly silly, as with Pogsmith. Here, a bickering married couple win tickets to visit an interplanetary
Science Fiction Short Story Review: "A Question of Courage" by Jesse Franklin Bone
“I smelled the trouble the moment I stepped on the lift and took the long ride up the side of the Lachesis,” Lt. Thomas Marsden tells the reader as he assumes his new position aboard the scout spaceship. As Executive Officer, he’s pleased
Diary – Thursday 22nd January 2015
I had to report to two separate welfare advisors today. Initially the appointments clashed but I was able to move the second mandatory meeting back a few hours. The first was just to sign on, where they check my job searching activity is on-going.
Science Fiction Novella Review – Brian W Aldiss – Equator
1958 Various editions – Spoiler alerts Also released as Vanguard From Alpha One of the most action packed SF stories, crime drama, spy story, comedy thrillers I have ever read and one screaming out for turning into a
Short Science Fiction Review – Brian W Aldiss – Conviction
1955 – The Friday Project – Spoiler alerts Poor David Stevens is just an average kind of guy who is suddenly picked randomly to represent Earth before a tribunal of God-like overlords of the Universe. He has been given just months to p
Science Fiction Review: "The Chronic Argonauts" by H. G. Wells
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as
Short Science Fiction Story Review – Brian W Aldiss – Our Kind Of Knowledge
1955 – Friday Project – Spoiler alerts. A very weird story from Aldiss, in which a group of monks visiting the North Pole discover a spaceship there. Examining it, they inexplicably end up taking off in it, though barely able to steer
Review: Science Fiction Short Story: "Zen" by Jerome Bixby
This is another in the series of “It Came from the Pulps!” where I review science fiction short stories that were originally published in the pulp magazines of mid-20th century. Many of these have become available in electronic form as free dow
Short Science Fiction Story Review – Brian W Aldiss – Not For an Age
1955 – Friday Project Press – Spoiler alerts A rather scary precursor to Groundhog Day, which wouldn’t be filmed for decades after this Aldiss take on the idea of living a single day over and over. The hero, Rodney has l
Science Fiction Limericks
A friend challenged me to come up with science fiction themed clean limericks. The first is self-contained. The second is a two parter in limerick form. Enjoy. Harry Android dreamt Of Electric Sheep After counting them while trying to sleep Insp
Short Science Fiction Review - Brian W Aldiss – The great Time Hiccup
1955 – Friday Project Press – Spoiler alerts Some time in the future time itself will stop running smoothly and in its neat linear pattern. It will be a minor hiccup for the cosmos, but for humanity, the consequences of being thrown da
Short Science Fiction Story Review – Brian W Aldiss – Breathing Space
1955 – The Friday Project Press – Spoiler Alerts A short story that Aldiss used to explore themes later developed in more detail in his brilliant novel, Non-Stop (published in 1958) The premise has a similar Plato’s Cave
Short Science Fiction Story Review – Brian W Aldiss – Criminal Record
1955 – Spoiler alerts Another early gem from Aldiss, again involving aliens causing problems for people who go shopping. This time, the main hero finds what he believes to be a rare collectible music recording on Vinyl, and rushes home with
Silly Fantasy Story - Thump Thump Thump
Our experiments on the International Space Station told us that there was extremely little chance of life existing on other worlds beyond our own. Leaving Fraja on the station, Terry and I were returning to Earth in the three seater supply ship wit
Short Science Fiction Story Review – Chris Beckett – Rat Island
2013 Newcon Press – Spoiler alerts A sad tale of the last days of life as we know it as all our efforts to go green, recycle and save the environment prove to be too little, too late. A young man reminisces on his childhood, with ph
