Featuring a genial German rocket scientist – ah, if only they had all been as good-natured and likable and well-intentioned as him! – and his charming and soon-to-be-super-intelligent mouse neighbour, with whom he has struck up a warm and talkative and very cheese-based relationship, that he sends out on the first-ever space mission in the history of mankind (we are in 1942), this inventive story about very-hard-to forget mice and men cannot fail to leave you with a smile on your lips and (…)
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"The Star Mouse" (1942) by Frederick Brown
8 April 2017, by Frederic Brown -
"Correspondence Course" (1945) by Raymond F. Jones
7 April 2017, by Raymond F. JonesA soldier returning from war subscribes to a correspondence course and opens up a whole new vista of exciting possibilities for himself – and for the world: what a great theme, and what a great story!
This very classy and evocative tale was first published in the April 1945 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, the most important popular science-fiction magazine of the “golden-age” forties by far, a magazine in which most issues during that decade had a full-page ad on page 1 by the (…) -
"The Twonky" (1942) by Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore (Lewis Padgett)
6 April 2017, by Henry Kuttner and C. L. MooreKerry and Martha have bought a modern radio console without realising that although it has the look and feel of a modern-forties appliance, it had just been made by a time-warped and very expert worker from another dimension according to the standards of that mysterious time-space.
Boy, are they (and we) in for a surprise!
The Twonky was first published in the September 1942 issue of Astounding Science Fiction under the pen-name of Lewis Padgett, which was used by the prolific (…) -
"Uncommon Sense" (1945) by Hal Clement
4 March 2017, by Hal ClementThis interesting tale of conflict and survival in a hostile and unknown land was first published in the September 1945 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, with the striking illustrations by Williams that we have reproduced here.
Its author Hal Clement (1922-2003) was a trained astrophysicist who brought an emphasis on the "science" part of science-fiction that was particularly effective, interesting and convincing in this quite perfect little story that has so well passed the test of (…) -
The funniest golden-age sci-fi story: "The Proud Robot" (1943) by Henry Kuttner (Lewis Padgett)
3 March 2017, by Henry KuttnerWe just loved this lively and often frankly hilarious account of how a very gifted (when under the influence of the demon Drink) scientist struggles to come to grips with the wackiness of his almost-perfect robot - which he had just created with quite extraordinary powers, for a purpose which he cannot remember - and with his seemingly inextricable financial predicament(s).
It was first published in the October 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction as by "Lewis Padgett", a nom de plume (…) -
"A Matter of Size" (1934) by Harry Bates
2 March 2017, by Harry BatesWe found this imaginative and rather charming story by the author of Farewell to the Master (The Day the Earth Stood Still), about one personable and very resourceful scientist’s encounter with the emissary of a surprisingly-advanced civilization that requires his services for an unnamed but really pretty basic function, in one of the — and one of the best ever — major anthologies of science-fiction stories and novellas: the remarkable 1000-page "Adventures in Time and Space", edited by (…)
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"Skirmish (Bathe Your Bearings in Blood!)" (1950) by Clifford Simak
20 May 2015, by Clifford SimakOriginally published in the December 1950 issue of Amazing Stories under the rousing title Bathe Your Bearings in Blood!, always republished under the later and somewhat subtler — and rather more in keeping with the spirit of the story, it must be said — title of Skirmish, this striking account of one very average man’s struggle against machine-like aliens bent on rallying all of the world’s machines to their cause will probably leave as strong and unforgettable impression on you as it did (…)
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"When Time Was New" (1964) by Robert F. Young
23 May 2013, by Robert F. YoungRobert F. Young (1915-1986) was a prolific science-fiction writer whose 200-odd stories were published in all of the leading s-f magazines of his day as well as in Colliers, The Saturday Evening Post and Playboy. Although many of his stories were also published in book form, they are today almost all out of print and are unfortunately very hard to find, even in second-hand bookstores, on the Internet or elsewhere.
This charming and very inventive tale first appeared as the cover story of (…) -
"The Wishes We Make" (1943) by E. Mayne Hull
27 April 2013, by E. Mayne HullA genie suddenly appears before a condemned man in his death cell and offers him not just one wish but six - what is the problem? you might ask. Well, avoiding one’s destiny is not as easy as it sounds, as this quite brilliant and very amusing golden-age tale with the most sombre of overtones, first published in the June 1943 issue of Unknown Worlds, shows us.
(6,700 words)
Its author, Edna Mayne Hull was born and brought up in Manitoba, Canada, as was her husband, our favourite (…) -
The Funniest Science-Fiction Story: “MUGWUMP 4” (1959) by Robert Silverberg
12 April 2013, by Robert SilverbergScience fiction is not a domain noted for its humour – adventure in far-off spaces, dramatic encounters with alien life forms and cosmic strife involving the fate of whole galaxies or at least that of mankind are more what come to mind when the term is evoked.
But a number of noteworthy efforts have regularly been made in a lighter vein, sometimes to spoof the whole genre, sometimes to hide a serious intent behind surface frivolity, and more often than not just to benefit from the idiom’s (…)