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The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast - Vintage Sci-Fi Short Stories
A Prophecy of Monsters by Clark Ashton Smith and The Rag Thing by Donald A. Wollheim
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 moisture and greasy chemical compounds once combined to make life, the laziness of a slattern landlady might cause them to combine again. In that case, the results would not be pretty. The Rag Thing by Donald A. Wollheim. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.
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Our first story today is shorter than most but I love it and I think you will too. It has been published many times, in Hauntings and Horrors, Ten Grisly Tales, 100 Great Fantasy Short Short Stories, 100 Creepy Little Creatures and Werewolf! It’s been titled Monsters in the Night but that’s not the original title. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in October 1954 open your seven decade old copy to page 119, A Prophecy of Monsters by Clark Ashton Smith...
We’ve got another short story for you today, and this one is a little different too! It was also first published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in October, but three years earlier in 1951, the magazine says it was written by David Grinnel but it was actually written by an old friend of the podcast, turn to page 34, The Rag Thing by Donald A. Wollheim…
Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, 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 Snatcher, by Randall Garrett.
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400. Fall of Knight by A. Bertram Chandler
22:56||Ep. 400Sir 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’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.Today marks the 400th episode of The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Thank you for your support, your encouragement and thank you of listening!!The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast has showcased A. Bertram Chandler only once to date, with his intriguing short story The Ultimate Vice. Today he returns with a tale published in Fantastic Universe in June 1958. Discover this regal story on page 18, Fall of Knight by A. Bertram Chandler…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, 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 Clement.☕ Buy Me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/scottsV===========================Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLostSciFiPodcastTwitter - https://x.com/LostSciFiPodInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyThreads - https://www.threads.net/@scottscifiguy=========================== ❤️ ❤️ Thanks to All Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 Anonymous Listener$25 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 Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listener399. And Miles To Go Before I Sleep by William F. Nolan
14:05||Ep. 399He 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... That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.More 5 star reviews on Apple Podcasts! This from FabRascal67, “Great, but… Love the storytelling. Keeps the mind busy during slow periods at work. My only complaint is I wish the covers weren’t done by AI.”Thanks FabRascal67!And this 5 star review is from Tiger101000, “Great stories… anti AI. Love the show! Perfect bedtime stories for the sci fi lover. Great narration. Disappointed in the AI episode covers.”Thanks Tiger101000!!Before The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, our plan was to narrate these stories so people could buy them all over the world. The problem was not many people bought them. After working full time narrating these stories, and trading six months of my life to do so, we had made $180. My wife thought I was crazy. I thought about giving up, but then I decided to create new covers using AI. Like it or not people DO judge a book by its cover and the ones I created were horrible. AI didn’t make a difference, it made a huge difference and a few months later The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast was born. If it hadn’t been for those new AI images I would have given up and there would never have been a Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.My hope is that the audio you listen to on the podcast is of sufficient quality that you will overlook the images if you don’t like them.William F. Nolan returns to our podcast today with a really short story. You may remember Small World by Nolan, one of my favorites, which we released almost 3 years ago. From Infinity Science Fiction Magazine in August 1958, turn to page 88, And Miles To Go Before I Sleep by William F. Nolan…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, 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.☕ Buy Me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/scottsV===========================Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLostSciFiPodcastTwitter - https://x.com/LostSciFiPodInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyThreads - https://www.threads.net/@scottscifiguy=========================== ❤️ ❤️ Thanks to All Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 Anonymous Listener$25 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 Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listener398. The Madness of Lancelot Biggs by Nelson S. Bond
52:47||Ep. 398There 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 exchange for a new uranium condenser—and how it worked! The Madness of Lancelot Biggs by Nelson S. Bond. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.Some of you have probably noticed that there haven’t been as many podcast episodes lately. That wasn’t planned! We’ve been dealing with a few health issues, which slowed things down a bit. Thankfully, some of that is behind us now, and we’re hoping the rest will be cleared up soon. We’re looking forward to getting back to releasing several episodes a week as soon as we can—thanks for your patience and thanks for sticking with us!The saga of Lancelot Biggs continues with this story on page 70 of Fantastic Adventures in April 1940, The Madness of Lancelot Biggs by Nelson S. Bond…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, He thought he was returning to the familiar rivers and trees of Earth—but the Sacred Iss and the jeweled cliffs of Korus whispered otherwise. In the quiet of an alien dusk, memory and reality blurred, and home was no longer where he left it. The Hills of Home by Alfred Coppel.☕ Buy Me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/scottsV===========================Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLostSciFiPodcastTwitter - https://x.com/LostSciFiPodInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyThreads - https://www.threads.net/@scottscifiguy=========================== ❤️ ❤️ Thanks to All Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 Anonymous Listener$25 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 Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listener397. The Star Beast by Damon Knight
31:48||Ep. 397They 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 Knight. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.Damon Knight returns to the podcast today with a story from Planet Stories Magazine. We will discover our story in the Spring 1949 issue on page 59, The Star Beast by Damon Knight…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, 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 exchange for a new uranium condenser—and how it worked! The Madness of Lancelot Biggs by Nelson S. Bond☕ Buy Me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/scottsV===========================Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLostSciFiPodcastTwitter - https://x.com/LostSciFiPodInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyThreads - https://www.threads.net/@scottscifiguy=========================== ❤️ ❤️ Thanks to All Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 Anonymous Listener$25 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 Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listener396. You Were Right, Joe by J. T. McIntosh
33:40||Ep. 396You 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 start the podcast today with a huge THANK YOU to you, our listeners around the world. We’ve just reached a new milestone — we’re now the #2 Science Fiction Podcast in Japan! That makes 44 countries where we are #1 or #2. We are thankful for your amazing support.Today, we’re proud to introduce another voice in vintage science fiction: J. T. McIntosh.J. T. McIntosh was the pen name of James Murdoch MacGregor, born in Paisley, Scotland in 1925. Before turning to writing full time, he worked as a journalist and editor.Over the course of his career, he authored more than a hundred short stories and sixteen novels. From Galaxy Science Fiction in November 1957 let’s turn to page 30 for an interesting take on time travel, You Were Right, Joe by J. T. McIntosh…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, 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 Knight.☕ Buy Me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/scottsV===========================Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLostSciFiPodcastTwitter - https://x.com/LostSciFiPodInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyThreads - https://www.threads.net/@scottscifiguy=========================== ❤️ ❤️ Thanks to All Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 Anonymous Listener$25 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 Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listener395. The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe
31:55||Ep. 395A 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 another new 5-star review from Apple Podcasts Australia, courtesy of a listener named “Why make it worse?” “Fantastic Podcast - Can’t wait for each story. Every time I get in the car for the commute I check if I can listen to a new one! Brilliant stories, wonderfully read.” Thanks for the fantastic review! We’re proud to have a 5-star average on Apple Podcasts Australia.If you’re enjoying The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, leaving a quick review helps more listeners discover these timeless tales. We appreciate your support!Originally published on August 19, 1843, in The Saturday Evening Post—then briefly titled the United States Saturday Post—today’s chilling tale quickly gained traction. That same year, it was reprinted in both The Baltimore Sun and The Pensacola Gazette, cementing its place among Poe’s most haunting works. The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, You Nailed the Future, Joe—Why Didn’t You See This Coming?You Were Right, Joe by J. T. McIntosh☕ Buy Me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/scottsV===========================Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLostSciFiPodcastTwitter - https://x.com/LostSciFiPodInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyThreads - https://www.threads.net/@scottscifiguy=========================== ❤️ ❤️ Thanks to All Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 Anonymous Listener$25 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 Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listener394. The Big Bounce by Walter S. Tevis
26:47||Ep. 394Seeing 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-Fi Podcast.Today’s tale comes from an author whose name may not be as instantly recognizable as some, but whose work has left a lasting impact on both science fiction and American literature.Born in San Francisco in 1928, Walter Tevis spent much of his childhood in poor health, even spending a year in a convalescent home while his family moved to Kentucky without him. He was 11 when he took a train across the country by himself to reunite with his family. That early experience of isolation would later echo through many of his stories.While best known for his six novels — including the science fiction classic The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Hustler, and The Color of Money, all of which became major motion pictures and The Queen’s Gambit which was adapted in a Netflix miniseries, he also penned over a dozen short stories.From the pages of Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine in February 1958, turn to page 37, The Big Bounce by Walter S. Tevis…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A man and his cat. A bond… broken. Then came the madness. The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe.☕ Buy Me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/scottsV===========================Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLostSciFiPodcastTwitter - https://x.com/LostSciFiPodInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyThreads - https://www.threads.net/@scottscifiguy=========================== ❤️ ❤️ Thanks to All Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 Anonymous Listener$25 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 Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listener393. Flight Through Tomorrow by Stanton A. Coblentz
24:04||Ep. 393Super warfare has destroyed the old race of man, but elsewhere a new civilization is dawning… Flight Through Tomorrow by Stanton A. Coblentz. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.Stanton A. Coblentz was born in San Francisco, California, in 1896. He earned a master’s degree in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley, and began his career as a poet and journalist before turning to science fiction in the 1920s. Coblentz contributed to magazines like Weird Tales, Wonder Stories, Amazing Stories, and Science Fiction Quarterly. Over the course of his career, he wrote more than a dozen novels and dozens of short stories. Today’s story was published in Fantasy Book, Volume 1, in 1947. Turn to page 29 for, Flight Through Tomorrow by Stanton A. Coblentz…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, Seeing it in action, anybody would quaver in alarm: What hath Farnsworth overwrought? The Big Bounce by Walter S. Tevis.☕ Buy Me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/scottsV===========================Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLostSciFiPodcastTwitter - https://x.com/LostSciFiPodInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyThreads - https://www.threads.net/@scottscifiguy=========================== ❤️ ❤️ Thanks to All Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 Anonymous Listener$25 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 Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listener392. The Thought-Men of Mercury by Russ Winterbotham
33:21||Ep. 392Hall 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 Thought-Men of Mercury by Russ Winterbotham. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.It’s 1942. The world is at war, but on newsstands across America, another kind of battle rages—in the pulp pages of Planet Stories magazine. Crack open the Fall issue, flip to page 42, and step into a strange new world of thought control, danger, and desperate escape. An adventure where minds are weapons, and freedom hangs by a thread. The Thought-Men of Mercury by Russ Winterbotham…Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, Super warfare has destroyed the old race of man, but elsewhere a new civilization is dawning… Flight Through Tomorrow by Stanton A. Coblentz☕ Buy Me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/scottsV===========================Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLostSciFiPodcastTwitter - https://x.com/LostSciFiPodInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/lostscifiguyThreads - https://www.threads.net/@scottscifiguy=========================== ❤️ ❤️ Thanks to All Our Listeners Who Bought Us a Coffee$200 Someone$100 Tony from the Future$75 James Van Maanenberg$50 Anonymous Listener$25 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 Someone, Carolyn Guthleben, Patrick McLendon, Curious Jon, Buz C., Fressie, Anonymous Listener$10 Anonymous Listener$5 Every Month Eaten by a Grue$5 Denis Kalinin, Timothy Buckley, Andre'a, Martin Brown, Ron McFarlan, Tif Love, Chrystene, Richard Hoffman, Anonymous Listener