Lots!

Just a ton of stuff this time.

Long Ago, Far Away by Murray Leinster. From Amazing Science Fiction Stories September 1959. About 35,000 words.

Old fashioned adventure through space and time by Leinster. 'Nuff Said!

So the struggle to escape through time was begun in the fifty-ninth minute of the last hour. Cities struggled to build time-ships and get a pioneer vessel through to future time. Asteroids plunged down upon them, wiping them out. Cities struggled on, passing to each other—to the thinning number of those who remained—such solutions to such problems as they developed. But there were fewer and fewer.... The city from which the children came had fallen in ruins from earth-shocks, and only a fraction of its population continued frantically to labor on....

Available from Project Gutenberg and Manybooks.net.


"Charley de Milo" by Larry M. Harris. From Astounding Science Fiction May 1959.

An unusual short story of unwelcome regeneration.

"I'm an Armless Wonder," Charley said. "That's a pretty good thing to be. In a carny, they look up to an Armless Wonder—he's a freak, a born freak, and that's as high as you can go, in a carny. I get a good salary—I send enough to my mother and my sister, in Chicago, for them to live on. And I have what I need myself. I've got a job, professor, and standing, and respect." He paused. "Now, suppose I had arms. I'd have to start from scratch, all over again. I'd have to start from the bottom up, just learning the basic elements of any job I signed on for. I'd be a forty-two-year-old man doing the work of an eighteen-year-old. And not making much money. And not having much standing, or respect."

Available from Project Gutenberg.

"History Repeats" by George Oliver Smith. From Astounding Science Fiction May 1959. About 5,300 words.

A campy little story. (H/T SF Signal)

"Peacekeeper," chuckled the dog. "Well listen and become wise. Dog and man, man and dog, have been together for about a half-million years. Once dog helped man in war and peace, and man gave dog food and shelter. Dog helped man rise above the level of the savage, and man has helped dog rise to the level of intelligence. But dog has one advantage. None of us has been intelligent long enough to really believe that dog has a soul, and those of us who do believe that also know that dog's soul is devoted to man.

Available from Manybooks.net and Project Gutenberg.

Beam Me Up has a new podcast with an interesting informal discussion of recent SF and science news, a reading of Shaun Saunders' short story "C.R.T." (very timely!) and a Podiobooks reading of "All Aboard."

Available in streaming audio and MP3 download here.




And at Subterranean Press, a ninety minute reading of Charles Stross' "Trunk and Disorderly." available via SFF Audio Here.















Just found another cool online magazine Ray Gun Revival. Unabashedly supporting of space opera, this magazine has some extremely entertaining stories, including many well developed serials.

The latest issue, number 36, is a Christmas themed issue and has a couple of stories on topic. All issues are available in PDF format. I enjoyed what I read and look forward to catching up with the serials.

"Hope" by Robert Mancebo. Flash Fiction
Nothing in their training could prepare the cosmonauts for what they find when they come to the aid of a crippled American space station.

"Wise Men, A Jack Brand Story" by John M. Whalen. Serial Fiction
The star of Bethlehem, a hopeless land, and a babe in a manger. For Jack Brand, it's deja vu all over again. Except for the escapees from the asylum...

Featured artist interviewwith Tomislav Tikulin

"Jasper Squad, Chapter 7, Sleeping With The Enemy" by Paul Christian Glenn. Serial Fiction
The crew of the Jasper goes underground on Drinias Pel while they seek to clear their name.

"The Adventures of the Sky Pirate, Chapter 18, The Cleric's War" by Johne Cook. Serial Fiction
Two men with strong personalities wage a war behind the scenes for the approval of the crew and the tacit control of the airship Alacrity.

"Memory Wipe, Chapter 16, Hostage" by Sean T. M. Stiennon. Serial Fiction
Sherri is taken hostage to lure Takeda out into the open.

Available Here.