Kirinyaga by Mike Resnick • Page count: 13 “Kirinyaga” is an award winning 1988 science fiction short story by Mike Resnick. It is about a colony of Kikiru living on a utopian world who are investigated for their religious practices.

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Heaven, As Built By Tackleby Ames by Bart Meehan • Word count: 540 • Page count: 2 “Heaven, As Built By Tackleby Ames” is a 2007 flash fiction story by Bart Meehan. It is about a rich old jerk who builds a computer in which he can spend eternity.

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A Rose for Ecclesiastes by Roger Zelazny • Word count: 12431 • Page count: 29 “A Rose for Ecclesiastes” is a 1963 science fiction novelette written by Roger Zelazny. It is about a gifted linguist who is the first human allowed to read sacred Martian texts.

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“Hello” Said the Stick by Michael Swanwick • Word count: 1358 • Page count: 4 “Hello” Said the Stick is a 2002 science fiction short story by Michael Swanwick. It is about a soldier who finds a talking stick with a deadly secret.

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Blood Music by Greg Bear • Page count: 18 Blood Music is a 1983 award winning science fiction novelette by Greg Bear. It is about a scientist who injects himself with billions of tiny biological computers, and then gets nervous when they start changing his body.

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The finalists for the 2007 Nebula Awards (which are awarded in 2008) have finally been announced. There are several longer pieces by famous short story authors, but I was mainly interested in the short story list:

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Bears Discover Fire by Terry Bisson • Page count: 7 Bears Discover Fire is a multiple award winning science fiction short story by Terry Bisson. It is about bears that have started making campfires on interstate medians.

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“The Veldt” is a 1950 science fiction short story by Ray Bradbury. It is about a couple of parents who become concerned when their children use a virtual nursery to recreate an all-too-realistic African veldt.

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A Walk In The Sun by Geoffrey A. Landis • Word count: 6424 • Page count: 15 A Walk In The Sun is an award winning science fiction short story by Geoffrey A. Landis. It is about an astronaut stranded on the moon who must stay in the sunlight until she is rescued.

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Lambing Season by Molly Gloss • Word count: 5625 • Page count: 9 Lambing Season is a 2002 science fiction short story by Molly Gloss. It is about a sheepherder who one night sees an alien spaceship land near her flock.

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Salvador by Lucius Shepard • Page count: 12 Salvador is an award winning science fiction short story by Lucius Shepard. It is about a group of specially trained US soldiers using drugs to enhance their fighting abilities in Central America.

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A Cabin On The Coast by Gene Wolfe • Page count: 9 A Cabin On The Coast is a 1984 science fiction / fantasy short story by Gene Wolfe. It is about a young man who makes a deal with an alien ship in exchange for his girlfriend’s life.

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The Lincoln Train by Maureen F. McHugh • Page count: 10 The Lincoln Train is an award winning alternate history short story by Maureen F. McHugh. It is about the people of a Southern town who are forcibly removed from their homes after the North wins the US Civil War.

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None So Blind by Joe Haldeman • Word count: 4100 • Page count: 6 None So Blind is a Hugo award winning science fiction short story by Joe Haldeman. It is a different kind of love story about a brilliant boy and a talented girl who join forces to change the intelligence paradigm and, eventually, [...]

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Stories of the Alien Invasion by Manek Mistry • Word count: 4444 • Page count: 11 Stories of the Alien Invasion is a science fiction short story by Manek Mistry. It is about throngs of aliens that invade Earth, then don’t do much more than annoy people.

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The 43 Antarean Dynasties by Mike Resnick • Audio Length: 40 minutes The 43 Antarean Dynasties is a Hugo winning science fiction short story by Mike Resnick. It is about a proud tour guide showing three humans the remains of his planet’s once great culture.

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In The Season of Blue Storms by Jude-Marie Green • Word count: 4134 • Page count: 9 In The Season of Blue Storms is a science fiction short story by Jude-Marie Green. It is about two scientists surveying a world ravaged by storms and the unique life forms they discover there.

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The Dog Said Bow-Wow by Michael Swanwick • Word count: 6231 • Page count: 16 The Dog Said Bow-Wow is an award winning science fiction short story by Michael Swanwick. It is about two scoundrels who have concocted the perfect con game in a future London.

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The Best Christmas Ever by James Patrick Kelly • Word count: 5264 • Page count: 16 The Best Christmas Ever is a science fiction short story by James Patrick Kelly. Nominated for the 2005 Hugo Award for Best Short Story, it is about a Christmas party thrown for the last man on earth.

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Henry James, This One’s For You by Jack McDevitt • Word count: 3209 • Page count: 10 Henry James, This One’s For You is a science fiction short story by Jack McDevitt. Nominated for the 2006 Nebula Award for Best Short Story it is about an editor of a small press publishing company who discovers [...]

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