Like The Gold Rush

Have you ever dreamed about being a prospector? I have. Sure, it may be a little bit more difficult (or maybe just more electronic) now that it was back in the gold rush days, but the idea of discovering something worth a fortune sure is attractive! This excellent story has that “prospector” feel to it which, along with many other plot twists, makes this a must read if you enjoy adventure stories.

Non-Spoiler Summary

Audee Walthers lives in the harsh environment of Venus. He owns a little business and gets by pretty well most of the time. However, he now needs a liver transplant which is quite expensive, so when a super rich tourist from Earth comes looking for someone to guide him and his young girlfriend to underground alien artefacts Audee steps up to the plate. Things are looking good for Audee, that is until he learns some dark secrets about his client at the same time his liver is about to give out. Sounds fun huh? But don’t worry – there are even more surprises in store for our lucky protagonist and they are not all bad… I think.

Some Interesting Tidbits

• Word count: 32,884 (55 pages)
• Did you know that this was Frederik Pohl’s first Heechee story? Yep. This was the start of a fantastic series of stories and novels that eventually included the multiple award winning book Gateway.

Where To Find The Merchants of Venus

• This story was first published in the July 1972 edition of Worlds of If.
• You can read "The Merchants of Venus" for free online at Baen eBooks.
• It is also included in the excellent anthology Platinum Pohl: The Collected Best Stories.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you liked "The Merchants of Venus" then you may also enjoy “The Hated” – about an astronaut who has returned from Mars and the psychological problems he is trying to work out – also by Frederik Pohl.

Time Travel. What a compelling, uniquely seductive science fiction theme! The chance to correct a wrong, witness an historical event first hand, or simply escape to a better time when the world made sense; you know – the “good old days”.

Often described as the “sequel” to H.G. Wells’ “The Time Traveler”, this 1976 short story by Richard Cowper breathes new life into the classic tale and extends the adventure.

Told in a rich, antiquated British literary style, Cowper adds an authentic feel to this masterful tale as he transports us back to 17th Century England.

The Story In A Nutshell:

Upon the death of his Great Aunt Victoria (a dealer in old books and antiquities), Francis Decressie is left the Hertford Manuscript – a volume written and produced in the late 17th century.

Serving mainly as an historical register, this boring volume would remain undisturbed, collecting dust if not for the inexplicable fact that, bound up with the original contents, Francis discovers several sheets of different paper, written in a different hand, outlining a journal of someone from the early 20th century!

The journal unfolds thus;

The journal goes on to detail his desperate attempt to effect repairs and return to his own time.

The Good:

• Very well researched and written.
• A vivid portrayal of the period is presented and our vicarious journey is enhanced greatly in 2 ways:
  1. The diary/journal format creates the belief that this is indeed a factual account.
  2. The overall style with which the story is told lends a degree of credibility for the period in which it takes place.

The Bad:

• Those who want great “Science” in their S.F. won’t find it here. Personally the Science factor is a non issue unless it is key to the story and THEN it better be at least good. A great plot, human drama, wonderful characters are all more desirable to me than the mechanics of how light speed or anti-gravity is achieved.
• For those who are NOT Dicken’s fans, the old British style used here may be a turn off.
• My absolute favorite Science Fiction theme is Time Travel so I am heavily biased in my love of this story!

Some Interesting Tidbits

• Word Count 13,493
• Page Count 18
• Appeared in Fantasy and Science Fiction October 1976
• Included in Donald A. Wollheim Presents The 1977 Annual World’s Best SF

Chocoholic

Yes, I admit it – I am very nearly addicted to chocolate. It’s funny because I can resist pretty much all kinds of sweets… but put something chocolatey in front of me and my resolve weakens by the second! Mmm, mmm, mmm! Oh well, it is good to know that this delightful substance tempts not only Earthlings but people on other planets as well!

Non-Spoiler Summary

Romee is an inhabitant of the planet Notcid. It is a pretty easy going place, but now that the “traders” have been replaced by more concerned Earth people she is having difficulty purchasing her favorite Earth food: chocolate. So when she is given the chance to participate in a study on “response to environmental stimuli” she literally jumps at the chance – especially since she will make a load of money for doing it. The study turns out to be a little bit scary and frustrating, but her experience with it proves to be invaluable after she learns to apply it in truly dangerous situations. Now if she can just teach the others to learn these new ways they will have chocolate galore! Yum!

Some Interesting Tidbits

• Word count: 6,857 (14 pages)
• Did you know that in the early 1970s Howard L. Myers was poised to become “one of science fiction’s top authors” when he suddenly died at the age of 41? Yep. You can learn more about this fantastic, yet nearly forgotten, author in the Preface to his book.
• Special thanks to Variety SF for pointing out this great story!

Where To Find Health Hazard

• This short story first appeared in the January 1973 edition of Analog Science Fiction / Science Fact – over a year after the author’s death.
• You can read "Health Hazard" for free online at The Fifth Imperium.
• It is also included in the book of Howard L. Myers short stories The Creatures of Man.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you liked "Health Hazard" then you may also enjoy “Finisterra” by David Moles – about an engineer from Earth who contracts out to help poachers on a distant world make their biggest kill yet.

"Air Raid", a 1977 short story by John Varley, is about time travelers rescuing people from airplanes that are about to crash with no survivors.

Non-Spoiler Summary

Wearing make-up, wigs and dressed up as the airline crew members, the Snatch Team waits for the portal to activate and jump into action. They have to hurry, because 90 minutes or so after take off the plane will crash and everybody on board will die. But what is so important about this particular rescue mission? Or any other rescue mission for that matter?

My thoughts on this story

I found this story very entertaining. It is fast paced, written in the first person. We follow the action through the eyes of one member of the Snatch Team. I really enjoyed this story.

Interesting tidbits

• Page count: 14
• "Air Raid" was first published under John Varley’s pseudonym Herb Boehm.
• Best Short Story Hugo nominee in 1978.
• Best Short Story Nebula nominee in 1978.
• "Air Raid" provided the basis for the 1989 film Millennium.
• The 1983 novel Millennium by John Varley is also based on the short story "Air Raid".

Where to find this story

• This story first appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine in 1977.
• It was also published in the short story collection Nebula Winners Thirteen in 1981.
• It was also published in the science fiction anthology Timegates in 1997.
• It is included in the excellent collection The John Varley Reader.
• To find out about other stories by John Varley, you may visit his official website varley.net.

Rose Colored Asimov Glasses

I’ll admit it: I am a huge fan of Isaac Asimov! I have loved nearly every Asimov story and book I’ve read. So it comes as no surprise that I really enjoyed "The Bicentennial Man" too. This is classic Asimov. If you like his other stuff then it’s a safe bet to say you’ll like this too. And if not, well… you know what to do.

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Andrew Martin is a very unique robot – much to the dismay of the company that created him. He started life simple enough, as a servant for the Martin family, but when it is discovered that he has an artistic talent he begins to make a lot of money – both for himself and the Martins. As the years go by and the people Andrew knows and loves get older and eventually die, he starts to use some of his wealth to buy freedom and fight for robot rights. This makes him extremely unpopular and even gets him into some trouble. Eventually he discovers that there are a few high risk things he can do that will make huge differences in his struggles, but will he have the courage to do them?

Interesting Tidbits:

• Word Count: 14,088 (31 pages)
• "The Bicentennial Man" won the 1977 Hugo Award, Nebula Award and Locus Poll for Best Novelette. Impressive! But what else would you expect from one of the grand masters of science fiction?
• Isaac Asimov, the author of this story, well… let’s just say he wrote a few books during his lifetime.
• "The Bicentennial Man" was the inspiration for the 1999 movie of the same name starring Robin Williams. The movie was ok, but I liked the story much better.
• Not only did this story inspire a movie, but it also inspired a novel co-written by Asimov and Robert Silverberg: The Positronic Man.

Where You Can Find The Bicentennial Man:

• This story first appeared in February 1976, in the anthology Stellar #2: Science Fiction Stories.
• "The Bicentennial Man" is a super famous story, and fortunately has been reprinted many times – most recently in Asimov’s collection Robot Visions.
• Do you have a public library near you? Chances are they have a copy of "The Bicentennial Man". Here is a list of books that contain this wonderful story. Any library worth its salt should have at least one of those!

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

If you liked "The Bicentennial Man" then you might also enjoy “Helen O’Loy” by Lester del Rey – about two men who buy a beautiful robot house keeper and the all too life-like problems they encounter with her.

Becoming Part of Another Culture

Have you ever tried to be part of a different culture? It is difficult and takes a long time, but the rewards for learning a different way of thinking are extremely satisfying. I spent a year living on the pacific island of Pohnpei, and I can relate to the feelings the protagonist of this story describes: curiosity, fear, embarrassment, paranoia, not fitting in, striving to understand… and ultimately a bit of acceptance. It is very difficult to describe, but I think this story does a great job of it.

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

The narrator of this story is an unemployed man who is wandering across the United States working odd jobs and staying with self-sustaining communities. Variety is the spice of life, and he is getting a lot of it. As he gets closer to California he comes across a commune of deaf-blind people and his curiosity forces him to see how they live. He finds out that they are children whose mothers were infected with Rubella while pregnant – which caused their condition. There were initially loads of deaf-blind children in the early 1960s, but these hundred or so have been educated and subsequently fought for their right to live on their own. They are a tight-knit community with some strict rules, but our drifter is determined to learn their ways – especially since getting to know Pink, the teen aged daughter of one of the deaf-blind people. She helps him learn their language, culture and rules. But there is something he is missing and he can’t quite put his finger on it – perhaps it is better that he doesn’t find out what it is!

My Two Cents…

• There is a lot of so-called “hippy” culture in this story – liberal amounts of free-love and self-expression. I found it fascinating but your tastes may vary.
• The narrator’s discussions about communication, language, learning and love is deeply interesting.
• Wow – this story is told in a fantastic way! The writing style, the characters, the situations – excellent!
• "The Persistence of Vision" is a very soft science fiction story – so don’t be expecting anything too alien. Ha – pun intended!
• Warning: There are a few sexually explicit scenes in this story – so stay away if that kind of stuff bothers you.

Interesting Tidbits:

• Page Count: 40
• Audio Length: 2 hours
• Did you know that John Varley was once an unemployed drifter himself? Yep. You can learn more about this fascinating author on his web site.
• "The Persistence of Vision" won the 1979 Hugo Award for Best Novella, the 1979 Nebula Award for Best Novella and placed 1st in the 1979 Locus Readers Poll.
• Special thanks to Variety SF for pointing out this great story!

Where You Can Find The Persistence of Vision:

• This story was first published in the March 1978 edition of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
• You can listen to (or download) a wonderful audio version of "The Persistence of Vision" at spiderrobinson.com. (The story begins at time index 5:43, and there is a 12 minute musical intermission.)
• It is included in the excellent collection The John Varley Reader.
• You can also read this story online for free courtesy of Google Books. (This link may not work if you are outside the United States)
  

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

If you enjoyed "The Persistence of Vision" then you might also like "…For a Single Yesterday" by George R. R. Martin – about a musician in a post-apocalyptic commune who uses a powerful drug to re-live the past.

A Practical Use For Fairy Tale Creatures

I have always been a fan of dragons. I love everything about them: the pictures, the mythology, the sense of fear and wonder – ah, they are such cool beasts! And while these beautiful creatures often show up in fantasy themed stories, this is the first time I have come across the idea in a truly legitimate science fiction story – and that is awesome!

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Omar Olivine has taken a huge risk, and one that he hopes will pay off big. See, he used to be a proxad in the Space Patrol, but he got tired of that and so sprung a group of criminals to help him in his new-found life of crime. Now their rag-tag bunch is orbiting a very secret planet and they intend to find out, harvest and sell the reason for that secret. They should make a killing right? Well, probably, if they can get past the dangerous Jurassic-period lifeforms, and the strange euphoric feeling that keeps overcoming them! Hmm… maybe Omar should have been more careful in his crew selection.

My Two Cents…

• The dinosaur-like life forms encountered on Dothlit Three were totally fun – and a cool SF mashup of some interesting ideas!
• The “secret” mother-lode the criminals discover was pretty funny too. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised given the state of the world at the time "The Pyrophylic Saurian" was written!
• Ok, so this story has a bit of a campy SF space opera feel to it, but I didn’t mind – I thought it was just a fun story to read. Your taste may vary.

Interesting Tidbits:

• Page Count: 17
• Word Count: 9,229
• Special thanks to Free SF Reader for suggesting "The Pyrophylic Saurian".

Where You Can Find The Pyrophylic Saurian:

• This short story first appeared in the January 1970 edition of Analog Science Fiction / Science Fact.
• You can read "The Pyrophylic Saurian" online for free at Webscription.net.
• It is also included in Baen’s book of Howard L. Myers stories A Sense of Infinity.

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

If you liked "The Pyrophylic Saurian" then you might also enjoy “Who’s Afraid of Wolf 359?” by Ken MacLeod – a Hugo nominated short story about a man who agrees to investigate an abandoned experimental civilization around a distant red dwarf.

He’s A Great Writer

You are probably familiar with George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. I have only read the first one, A Game of Thrones, but I was absolutely blown away by the author’s mastery of story telling. Honestly, he makes most other authors sound like grade school kids. So it was with great anticipation that I dove into this story looking for the same awesome style I became accustomed to in his books – I was not disappointed, and I don’t think you will be either!

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Keith is a man who has bad luck. He happened to be visiting a commune during the “Blast” – a sort of nuclear holocaust which wasted the rest of the world – and now he is effectively stuck there for the rest of his life. Sure, life is hard, and lonely and pretty much crappy but at least he has his Chronine – a drug which allows him to re-live the past in extraordinary detail – and that makes it bearable. But when a group of former military men show up and try to make life better for everyone they decide that the Chronine could be put to much better use. But could it really? Check out this groovy tale, man, and like decide for yourself.

My Two Cents…

• I really enjoyed the idea of Chronine – a drug which allows one to not only remember the past but re-live it in a very detailed manner. How cool would that be!
• The dichotomy between Keith, the commune’s bard, and Winters, the former military leader, was awesome and worked very well.
• The setting was excellent. There was just something delightfully ironic about a surviving “hippy” commune that took care of post-war survivors.

Interesting Tidbits:

• Page Count: 16
• Word Count: 9,821
• Did you know that George R. R. Martin worked as a story editor for Twilight Zone in the 80′s? Yep. You can learn more about this excellent writer at his web site.
• Special thanks to Free SF Reader for recommending this great story.

Where You Can Find …For a Single Yesterday:

• This novelette first appeared in the October 1975 edition of Epoch.
• You can read a free online version of "…For a Single Yesterday" at the LightSpeed magazine web site.
• This story is also included in George R. R. Martin’s short story collection Songs the Dead Men Sing.

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

If you liked "…For a Single Yesterday" then you might also enjoy The First Men by Howard Fast – about a group of gifted children, raised in a controlled environment, who evolve into super humans.

Perfect Therapy?

Have you ever been to therapy? I have, (Shh! Don’t tell anyone!) and I found it incredibly useful. However, after reading this story I very much wished that I could visit the doctor/island in this story. Now that is what I call awesome therapy! Oh, except for the homicidal guy – yeah, he was a little bit scary.

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Nicholas Kenneth de Vore has just been transferred to the island, and what a lovely place it is! A beautiful, tropical island that talks to and helps Nicholas, and it is nearly deserted. Yeah, there are 2 other people on the therapeutic island – but everyone on it is crazy in their own special way. (How fun is that!) But the island (Dr. Island, by the way) has a plan to help them. The only problem is that the plan doesn’t end so well – but did it help anyone? Hmm… good question.

My Two Cents…

• Doctor Island was a very cool idea – in both a psychological and science fictiony kind of way.
• I really enjoyed the character of Nicholas / Kenneth. Both his personality and his past were quite interesting to read about.
• This is a classic Gene Wolfe story, which could be good or bad for you. It is very descriptive and starts out slow, but the ending is both strange and cool. If you like his other stuff then you’ll probably like this one too.

Interesting Tidbits About This Story:

• Page Count: 51
• “The Death of Doctor Island” won the 1974 Nebula and Locus Awards for Best Novella, and was also nominated for the Hugo Award.
• Did you know that Gene Wolfe is a convert to the Catholic faith? Yep. You can learn more about this amazing author at Wikipedia.

Where You Can Find The Death of Doctor Island:

• This story was originally published in the 1973 anthology Universe 3, edited by Terry Carr.
• You can read a free online version of “The Death of Doctor Island” at the Harper Collins web site. (Hint: Use the Table of Contents button to jump to Chapter 1)
• This novella is also part of the awesome collection The Best of Gene Wolfe: A Definitive Retrospective of His Finest Short Fiction.

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

If you liked “The Death of Doctor Island” then you may enjoy Memorare, about a man making a documentary of the dangerous tombs built in asteroids, also by Gene Wolfe.

I Was Dis-Possessed!

When I was a young and just starting out reading science fiction I read Ursula Le Guin’s book The Dispossessed and, admittedly, hated it. There wasn’t near enough action or stereotypical SF elements in it for me to enjoy it. In the many years since then I have come to appreciate the importance of that book and its political under-pinnings. So when I had the chance to read this story, which could be considered a short prequel to The Dispossessed, I figured it was my chance to redeem myself by showing how much I had learned and matured since then. Well, I guess I have advanced, intellectually speaking, a little bit because I enjoyed this story and found myself wanting to re-read The Dispossessed. That is proof enough that I’ve matured… isn’t it?

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Laia is an ugly, old woman who recently had a stroke, yet she is respected immensely by the people who surround her. Why? Because she is a major figure in an anarchist revolution on her home world of Urras that will eventually lead to the events depicted in The Dispossessed. In this story we are treated to a typical day for a revolutionary who is well past her prime, including dreams of her husband, memories of being a political prisoner and dictation of anarchist essays. The question is will she survive long enough to see the changes she fought so hard for really take effect?

My Two Cents…

• This is NOT an action story by any means, so don’t expect anything too exciting from it.
• If you haven’t read The Dispossessed (or it has been a long time since you read it) then I HIGHLY recommend you familiarize yourself with that story, otherwise you may find yourself scratching your head after you finish reading “The Day Before the Revolution”.
• Anyway, regardless of the previous 2 points, this is still a fascinating story. Ursula Le Guin is an excellent writer and that shows in her beautiful descriptions of Laia’s thoughts and actions.

Interesting Tidbits About This Story:

• Page Count: 9
• Word Count: 6,233
• “The Day Before the Revolution” won 3 short story awards in 1975: The Nebula, the Locus and the Jupiter. Impressive!
• Did you know that Ursula Le Guin was raised in Berkeley, California by her famous anthropologist parents? Yep. You can learn more about this fascinating author at Wikipedia.

Where You Can Find The Day Before the Revolution:

• This story was originally published in the August 1974 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction.
• “The Day Before the Revolution” is included in Ursula Le Guin’s excellent collection of short stories The Wind’s Twelve Quarters.
• You can read an online version of this story at the Harper Collins web site. (Hint: use the Table of Contents button to jump to Chapter 2)

Craving More?

If you liked “The Day Before the Revolution” then may want to check out Ursula Le Guin’s very famous and multiple award winning novel The Dispossessed, which describes events that take place years after this story.