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

She got exactly what she wanted—years without a single line, a face untouched by time, a voice that never faltered. But as everything around her changed, she faced a choice no mirror could answer: remain flawless or become whole again. The Mordant by Merab Eberle. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.Huge thanks to our amazing Spotify listeners for helping us reach 400 ratings with an incredible 4.9 average.You keep The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast growing. We truly appreciate every listen, every rating, and every share—thank you for being part of this vintage sci-fi journey.Merab Eberle was born in Mattoon Illinois in 1891. She wrote children’s plays, poems and two science fiction short stories.From Amazing Stories in March 1930 on page 1181, The Mordant by Merab Eberle…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, Two relics of a vanished political age stumble into a town that no longer believes in either of them. When neither can accept a world that has quietly moved on, their last argument forces a reckoning no one else wanted. The Last of the Deliverers by Poul Anderson.👉 💎 Lost Sci-Fi Premium - https://lostscifi.supercast.com/☕ Buy Me a Coffee - https://lostscifi.com/coffee===========================🎧 Newsletter - https://lostscifi.com/free/Facebook - https://lostscifi.com/facebookYouTube - https://lostscifi.com/youtubeX - http://Lostscifi.com/xInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyBluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/lostscifipodcast.bsky.social👕 Merchandise - https://lostscifi.creator-spring.com/===========================❤️ ❤️ Thanks to Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 MizzBassie, Anonymous Listener$25 Fintan Quigley, Curious Jon, David Bell, Steve, Miriam, Someone, Someone, Eaten by a Grue, Jeff Lussenden, Fred Sieber, Anne, Craig Hamilton, Dave Wiseman, Bromite Thrip, Marwin de Haan, Future Space Engineer, Fressie, Kevin Eckert, Stephen Kagan, James Van Maanenberg, Irma Stolfo, Josh Jennings, Leber8tr, Conrad Chaffee, Anonymous Listener$15 Every Month Someone$15 Steve, Someone, SueTheLibrarian, Joannie West, Amy Özkan, Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 David, Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Tammy, Owen, Bruce, Someone, TLD, David, Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listenerhttps://lostscifi.com/podcast/the-mordant-by-merab-eberle/

A discovery that could rewrite medicine instead threatens to erase the man who reaches for it first. Now one decision must be made—protect the truth, or bury it forever to preserve a lifetime of belief. The Sweeper of Loray by Robert Sheckley. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.Robert Sheckley returns to the podcast with an unusual story from Galaxy magazine in April 1959 on page 120, The Sweeper of Loray by Robert Sheckley…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, She got exactly what she wanted—years without a single line, a face untouched by time, a voice that never faltered. But as everything around her changed, she faced a choice no mirror could answer: remain flawless or become whole again. The Mordant by Merab Eberle.👉 💎 Lost Sci-Fi Premium - https://lostscifi.supercast.com/☕ Buy Me a Coffee - https://lostscifi.com/coffee===========================🎧 Newsletter - https://lostscifi.com/free/Facebook - https://lostscifi.com/facebookYouTube - https://lostscifi.com/youtubeX - http://Lostscifi.com/xInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyBluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/lostscifipodcast.bsky.social👕 Merchandise - https://lostscifi.creator-spring.com/===========================❤️ ❤️ Thanks to Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 MizzBassie, Anonymous Listener$25 Fintan Quigley, Curious Jon, David Bell, Steve, Miriam, Someone, Someone, Eaten by a Grue, Jeff Lussenden, Fred Sieber, Anne, Craig Hamilton, Dave Wiseman, Bromite Thrip, Marwin de Haan, Future Space Engineer, Fressie, Kevin Eckert, Stephen Kagan, James Van Maanenberg, Irma Stolfo, Josh Jennings, Leber8tr, Conrad Chaffee, Anonymous Listener$15 Every Month Someone$15 Steve, Someone, SueTheLibrarian, Joannie West, Amy Özkan, Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 David, Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Tammy, Owen, Bruce, Someone, TLD, David, Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listenerhttps://lostscifi.com/podcast/the-sweeper-of-loray-by-robert-sheckley/

He builds the perfect opponent, then realizes the contest won’t mean anything unless it can truly cost him something. When he finally forces that moment into existence, he has to decide whether victory is still worth pulling the trigger. The Fastest Draw by Larry Eisenberg. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.This is the first story by Larry Eisenberg featured on the podcast. He was born in the Bronx in December 1919 and built a career that spanned both science and writing.Alongside his science fiction, Eisenberg worked as a biomedical engineer and became widely known for the witty limericks he posted in the comment sections of The New York Times. When he died in 2018 at the age of 99, the paper honored him with the headline, “Larry Eisenberg, 99, Dead; His Limericks Were Very Well Read.”He studied at City College of New York, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics, and later continued at Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, completing both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in electronics.With that kind of technical foundation, it’s no surprise this story reflects the idea that writers often draw from what they know.Over the course of his career, he wrote about fifty short stories between 1962 and 1988. This was only his second published story, appearing in Amazing Stories in October 1963 on page 35, The Fastest Draw by Larry Eisenberg…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A discovery that could rewrite medicine instead threatens to erase the man who reaches for it first. Now one decision must be made—protect the truth, or bury it forever to preserve a lifetime of belief. The Sweeper of Loray by Robert Sheckley.👉 💎 Lost Sci-Fi Premium - https://lostscifi.supercast.com/☕ Buy Me a Coffee - https://lostscifi.com/coffee===========================🎧 Newsletter - https://lostscifi.com/free/Facebook - https://lostscifi.com/facebookYouTube - https://lostscifi.com/youtubeX - http://Lostscifi.com/xInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyBluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/lostscifipodcast.bsky.social👕 Merchandise - https://lostscifi.creator-spring.com/===========================❤️ ❤️ Thanks to Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 MizzBassie, Anonymous Listener$25 Fintan Quigley, Curious Jon, David Bell, Steve, Miriam, Someone, Someone, Eaten by a Grue, Jeff Lussenden, Fred Sieber, Anne, Craig Hamilton, Dave Wiseman, Bromite Thrip, Marwin de Haan, Future Space Engineer, Fressie, Kevin Eckert, Stephen Kagan, James Van Maanenberg, Irma Stolfo, Josh Jennings, Leber8tr, Conrad Chaffee, Anonymous Listener$15 Every Month Someone$15 Steve, Someone, SueTheLibrarian, Joannie West, Amy Özkan, Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 David, Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Tammy, Owen, Bruce, Someone, TLD, David, Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listenerhttps://lostscifi.com/podcast/the-fastest-draw-by-larry-eisenberg/

A seasoned trapper finds a doorway to a richer land—but something on the other side is already feeding and watching. When the hunting turns both ways, he must decide whether to claim the new world or survive it. Cat and Mouse by Ralph Williams. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.Lost Sci-Fi Premium members can listen to Cat and Mouse and the other 520 episodes of the podcast without commercials. Bonus episodes for premium members too. It’s less than 20 cents a day to be a Lost Sci-Fi Premium subscriber.Go to https://lostscifi.com/premium or click on the link in the description and enjoy a 7 day free trial.👉 💎 Lost Sci-Fi Premium - https://lostscifi.supercast.com/I had never heard of Cat and Mouse or author Ralph Williams, until I got an email from Fintan Quigley in Ireland asking if we would narrate the story. When we said yes Fintan sent us 5 coffees. “Thanks for reading Cat & Mouse, I hope this podcast continues to be the success it has been for as long as you wish!”Thanks Fintan for the kind words and the coffee, and for requesting such a great story! By the way you don’t have to buy us a coffee when you request a story, but it is nice.Ralph Williams was the pen name for Ralph William Slone who was born in Effingham, Illinois in 1914. He moved to Alaska and wrote eleven stories that were published from 1940 to 1959. Cat and Mouse was recognized as his most notable work, and was a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1960. It didn’t win and it would be his last story, he died in a fishing accident after Cat and Mouse was released. He was only 45 years old.Published on page 8 of Astounding Science Fiction in June 1959, Cat and Mouse by Ralph Williams…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, He builds the perfect opponent, then realizes the contest won’t mean anything unless it can truly cost him something. When he finally forces that moment into existence, he has to decide whether victory is still worth pulling the trigger. The Fastest Draw by Larry Eisenberg.👉 💎 Lost Sci-Fi Premium - https://lostscifi.supercast.com/☕ Buy Me a Coffee - https://lostscifi.com/coffee===========================🎧 Newsletter - https://lostscifi.com/free/Facebook - https://lostscifi.com/facebookYouTube - https://lostscifi.com/youtubeX - http://Lostscifi.com/xInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyBluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/lostscifipodcast.bsky.social👕 Merchandise - https://lostscifi.creator-spring.com/===========================❤️ ❤️ Thanks to Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 MizzBassie, Anonymous Listener$25 Fintan Quigley, Curious Jon, David Bell, Steve, Miriam, Someone, Someone, Eaten by a Grue, Jeff Lussenden, Fred Sieber, Anne, Craig Hamilton, Dave Wiseman, Bromite Thrip, Marwin de Haan, Future Space Engineer, Fressie, Kevin Eckert, Stephen Kagan, James Van Maanenberg, Irma Stolfo, Josh Jennings, Leber8tr, Conrad Chaffee, Anonymous Listener$15 Every Month Someone$15 Steve, Someone, SueTheLibrarian, Joannie West, Amy Özkan, Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 David, Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Tammy, Owen, Bruce, Someone, TLD, David, Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listenerhttps://lostscifi.com/podcast/cat-and-mouse-by-ralph-williams/

A decision has to be made before the clock runs out, and every method designed to produce certainty keeps failing. With millions of lives in the balance, the only answer left may come from a man who knows how to bet when there’s no second chance. One-Shot by James Blish. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.If you’ve been enjoying The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast and want even more stories—and a smoother listening experience—I’ve got something special for you.You can now subscribe to Lost Sci-Fi Premium, available wherever you get your podcasts.As a Lost Sci-Fi Premium subscriber, you’ll get at least two bonus episodes every month that you won’t hear anywhere else, plus additional really short bonus episodes too. And you’ll enjoy every story completely ad-free—no interruptions, just pure vintage science fiction.This is something many of you have been asking us for, and I’m really excited to finally offer it.Subscriptions are just $6 a month or $60 a year, and you can try it free for seven days to see if it’s right for you.If you’d like to support the show, listen to every episode with no commercials and unlock these extra episodes, go to https://lostscifi.com/premium or click on the link in the description.👉 💎 Lost Sci-Fi Premium - https://lostscifi.supercast.com/Turn to page 127 in the August 1955 issue of Astounding Science Fiction for, One-Shot by James Blish…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A seasoned trapper finds a doorway to a richer land—but something on the other side is already feeding and watching. When the hunting turns both ways, he must decide whether to claim the new world or survive it. Cat and Mouse by Ralph Williams.👉 💎 Lost Sci-Fi Premium - https://lostscifi.supercast.com/☕ Buy Me a Coffee - https://lostscifi.com/coffee===========================🎧 Newsletter - https://lostscifi.com/free/Facebook - https://lostscifi.com/facebookYouTube - https://lostscifi.com/youtubeX - http://Lostscifi.com/xInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyBluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/lostscifipodcast.bsky.social👕 Merchandise - https://lostscifi.creator-spring.com/===========================❤️ ❤️ Thanks to Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 MizzBassie, Anonymous Listener$25 Fintan Quigley, Curious Jon, David Bell, Steve, Miriam, Someone, Someone, Eaten by a Grue, Jeff Lussenden, Fred Sieber, Anne, Craig Hamilton, Dave Wiseman, Bromite Thrip, Marwin de Haan, Future Space Engineer, Fressie, Kevin Eckert, Stephen Kagan, James Van Maanenberg, Irma Stolfo, Josh Jennings, Leber8tr, Conrad Chaffee, Anonymous Listener$15 Every Month Someone$15 Steve, Someone, SueTheLibrarian, Joannie West, Amy Özkan, Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 David, Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Tammy, Owen, Bruce, Someone, TLD, David, Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listenerhttps://lostscifi.com/podcast/one-shot-by-james-blish/

A quiet accountant accepts a game-show challenge that promises a fortune if he can predict the world’s headlines after months cut off from civilization. With one hundred thousand dollars on the line, the only question is whether his careful predictions will be enough to claim the prize. The Long Question by David Mason. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.This is just the second story by David Mason on the podcast. Mason wrote about a dozen short science fiction stories mostly in the 1950s and four novels from 1969 to 1973. From Infinity Science Fiction in November 1957 on page 88, The Long Question by David Mason…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A decision has to be made before the clock runs out, and every method designed to produce certainty keeps failing. With millions of lives in the balance, the only answer left may come from a man who knows how to bet when there’s no second chance. One-Shot by James Blish.☕ Buy Me a Coffee - https://lostscifi.com/coffee===========================🎧 Newsletter - https://lostscifi.com/free/Facebook - https://lostscifi.com/facebookYouTube - https://lostscifi.com/youtubeX - http://Lostscifi.com/xInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyBluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/lostscifipodcast.bsky.social👕 Merchandise - https://lostscifi.creator-spring.com/===========================❤️ ❤️ Thanks to Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 MizzBassie, Anonymous Listener$25 Fintan Quigley, Curious Jon, David Bell, Steve, Miriam, Someone, Someone, Eaten by a Grue, Jeff Lussenden, Fred Sieber, Anne, Craig Hamilton, Dave Wiseman, Bromite Thrip, Marwin de Haan, Future Space Engineer, Fressie, Kevin Eckert, Stephen Kagan, James Van Maanenberg, Irma Stolfo, Josh Jennings, Leber8tr, Conrad Chaffee, Anonymous Listener$15 Every Month Someone$15 Steve, Someone, SueTheLibrarian, Joannie West, Amy Özkan, Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 David, Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Tammy, Owen, Bruce, Someone, TLD, David, Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listenerhttps://lostscifi.com/podcast/the-long-question-by-david-mason/