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

byScott Miller

FictionScience

The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast restores and narrates forgotten and underrated vintage science fiction short stories spanning from the 1700s through the mid-1960s. Each episode features a professionally narrated classic drawn from pioneering speculative fiction and the magazine era that shaped modern science fiction. Released several times a week, the podcast explores timeless ideas—alien encounters, artificial intelligence, time travel, dystopian futures, and the human cost of progress—through stories by legendary authors including Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, H. G. Wells, Harlan Ellison, and many others. Now in its fourth year with more than 600 epis...

Episodes(40 episodes)

Me, Myself and I by Philip Klass

One careless trip into prehistory leaves Gooseneck McCarthy facing the one man stubborn enough to ruin everything—himself. Every attempt to fix the problem creates another McCarthy, and soon nobody can agree which one belongs in the present. Me, Myself and I by Philip Klass. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Author Philip Klass returns to the podcast today. He was born Philip Klass in London, moved to Brooklyn and his stories bear the name William Tenn most of the time. But not today. He used the name Kenneth Putnam in the Winter 1947 issu...

Published: Aug 12, 2026Duration: 39m 20s

Forever is So Long by John Jakes

Frank Ridley has been given centuries to live, but the woman he loves may have only decades. To keep her, he must ask her to accept the same extraordinary future that has already separated him from everyone else. Forever is So Long by John Jakes. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Today marks the debut of author John Jakes on the podcast. If his name sounds familiar it might be because of the TV Mini Series North and South which aired on ABC in 1985, Book 2 ran in 1986 and Book 3 in 1994. Book 1 had an All Star ca...

Published: Aug 11, 2026Duration: 29m 34s

The Mech Fighter by Stuart McIver

A veteran Mech fighter steps into what should be another routine match, only to discover that someone has turned the arena into a death trap with thousands cheering for the bloodshed. If he survives long enough to expose the deception, he’ll have to do it against the deadliest machine he has ever faced. The Mech Fighter by Stuart McIver. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Another 5-star review on Apple Podcasts Canada. Mistercloth says, “Stories to enjoy while in space flight. I have been enjoying these wonderful stories just about every day as I relax...

Published: Aug 10, 2026Duration: 28m 13s

The Contact Point by Jack Sharkey

A routine first contact becomes far more complicated when two spacefaring expeditions discover they have misunderstood almost everything about one another. Just as genuine friendship begins to replace suspicion, a far more dangerous question demands an immediate answer: who actually lives in the abandoned city around them? The Contact Point by Jack Sharkey. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Thanks to our incredible listeners across Australia, The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast has climbed all the way to #3 in Science Fiction on Apple Podcasts in your country. Every listen, every follow, every rating, and every ti...

Published: Aug 9, 2026Duration: 26m 36s

Open All Doors by Harry Harrison and Hubert Pritchard

A young researcher risks his career, his freedom, and his sanity to prove that madness can be reversed with a single injection. But when the only way to demonstrate the cure is from inside a locked ward, he must decide whether to stake his life on the very drug that put him there. Open All Doors by Harry Harrison and Hubert Pritchard. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Harry Harrison is one of my favorite authors. His spacefaring sci-fi, The Stainless Steel Rat and The Misplaced Battleship are two of my favorites. And I enjoy hi...

Published: Aug 8, 2026Duration: 57m 49s

Probability by Louis Trimble

A quiet man spends decades chasing an impossible invention, only to discover that success carries a responsibility far greater than wealth or fame. When the future reveals a disaster that has not happened yet, one ordinary bartender must decide whether he is willing to become the man history needs. Probability by Louis Trimble. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Louis Preston Trimble makes his debut on the podcast today and it’s probably the only time he will be here. Born in Seattle Washington in 1917 Trimble wrote more than 60 novels, some sci-fi, mostly westerns and myst...

Published: Aug 7, 2026Duration: 21m 50s

Pendulum by Ray Bradbury and Henry Hasse

A scientist condemned to a punishment unlike anything ever devised watches centuries slip past while every civilization around him rises, changes, and disappears. As the world transforms beyond recognition, only one question remains: what will finally bring his endless sentence to an end? Pendulum by Ray Bradbury and Henry Hasse. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. You can never have too many 5-star reviews. Never. Every one reminds us why we do this, but some hit a little differently. This one from Apple Podcasts Canada absolutely made our day. wethesheep-not wrote:...

Published: Aug 6, 2026Duration: 31m 52s

Translator’s Error by Charles Dye

A world that should have bloomed again instead slips beyond reach, leaving one visitor to wonder whether the greatest mistake was made long before humans ever arrived. As forgotten clues begin to fit together, an unsettling possibility emerges that no one is prepared to face. Translator’s Error by Charles Dye. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Author Charles Dye makes his second appearance on the podcast just over 10 months after his first story, Momentum was heard. Let’s travel to Mars through the pages of the December 1952 issue of Dynamic Science Fiction. Our ma...

Published: Aug 5, 2026Duration: 20m 43s

Beyond the Wall of Sleep by H. P. Lovecraft

A dying patient speaks of impossible places no uneducated man should be able to imagine, pushing one young doctor toward an experiment that could shatter everything he believes about the sleeping mind. What answers await beyond ordinary consciousness—and what might still be searching the night sky when the experiment is over? Beyond the Wall of Sleep by H. P. Lovecraft. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. We spend a lot of time thinking about the stories, the pacing, and giving each character a distinct voice. So this review on Apple Podcasts US from “California listen...

Published: Aug 4, 2026Duration: 35m 6s

Death of a Mutant by Charles V. De Vet

A hunted young mutant leaves a trail of unexplained deaths, yet every encounter raises a troubling question about what people think they have witnessed. As one sheriff searches for the truth, he must decide whether he is chasing a remorseless killer—or someone no one has ever truly understood. Death of a Mutant by Charles V. De Vet. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Charles V. De Vet made his debut on the podcast just about a week ago. It’s not uncommon for us to feature another story from a new author soon after their...

Published: Aug 3, 2026Duration: 32m 59s

The Price of Eggs by Randall Garrett

A young diplomat trapped inside an alien royal marriage learns that custom can become a death sentence when an heir fails to appear. Lieutenant Newhouse has only days to outmaneuver a suspicious queen before an Earthman disappears forever inside the laws of Oassi. The Price of Eggs by Randall Garrett. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. There are some authors whose stories seem to get better every time I revisit them, and Randall Garrett is definitely one of those. The more of his work I narrate, the more I appreciate his knack for blending clever id...

Published: Aug 2, 2026Duration: 1h 2m 4s

The Graveyard of Space by Milton Lesser

A drifting graveyard of ruined ships becomes a desperate hunting ground when a stranded couple realizes their only hope lies inside vessels no one ever escaped. Every airlock hides another dead crew, and somewhere in the silent wreckage something is still alive. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. We are thankful for another 5 star rating and review! This one from Dreamtimer1995 on Apple Podcasts UK. “Epic. An excellent show. Full of epic stories from Authors new and old.” Thanks Dreamtimer!! Your 5 star review make a difference and if you haven’t already posted your rev...

Published: Jul 30, 2026Duration: 38m 9s

Pass The Oxygen by Frank Bryning

A desperate rescue on the Moon forces five construction workers to trust an impossible plan that has never been tested outside a laboratory. Every passing second drains away their remaining air, and one man must decide how much of his own chance to live he is willing to surrender. Pass The Oxygen by Frank Bryning. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1907, Francis Bertram Bryning makes his first appearance on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast today. He published 19 science fiction stories during the 1950s before stepping away from publishing, then surprised readers by...

Published: Jul 27, 2026Duration: 22m 0s

Castaways Of Space by Robert Silverberg

A washed-up Galaxy Patrol lieutenant hits a jungle world expecting a quick recovery—then learns the kidnapper has turned the crash into a crown. To get the Earthgirl home, he’ll need a move the natives won’t forgive and a choice he may not survive. Castaways Of Space by Robert Silverberg. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Robert Silverberg is one of our absolute favorites here on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. I’m not even sure how many of his stories we’ve featured so far, but it’s probably getting close to twenty. The really exc...

Published: Jul 26, 2026Duration: 42m 51s

Lorelei by Charles V. De Vet

Nine astronauts trapped on Europa find comfort in an alien who can become anyone they long to see. Their only chance of returning home may require deceiving a creature that can read every thought they try to hide. Lorelei by Charles V. De Vet. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Another day and another author new to the podcast. Charles Vincent De Vet was born in 1911 in Fayette Michigan, a town that had almost disappeared by then, but had once been a bustling iron smelting town. It would later become a ghost town and in 1959 th...

Published: Jul 25, 2026Duration: 24m 57s

The Angry Mammoth by Jack London

A boastful hunter claims he chased the last living mammoth through a hidden northern valley until only one of them could endure. His proof sounds impossible, but the boots on his feet make disbelief far less comfortable. The Angry Mammoth by Jack London. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. We are thankful for another 5 star rating and review. This from Captain Redeyer on Apple Podcasts in Ireland. “An absolute Gem! This is an amazing collection of sci-fi stories, excellently read, and delivered with gusto. Totally recommend for sci-fi fans. Thank you Captain!! We appre...

Published: Jul 24, 2026Duration: 29m 55s

Heroes Die Hard by Leroy Yerxa

A veteran Coast Guard captain witnesses an impossible rescue at sea, then finds himself chasing an explanation no naval report could ever record. As another convoy battles through the North Atlantic, he must decide whether to trust what every sailor knows cannot exist. Heroes Die Hard by Leroy Yerxa. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. Today’s story has one of the most unusual publishing histories we’ve ever featured. Heroes Die Hard first appeared in the December 1943 issue of Fantastic Adventures magazine—but if you looked at the byline, you wouldn’t have seen Leroy Yerx...

Published: Jul 23, 2026Duration: 25m 51s

The Cave Where I Am Hiding by Robert Moore Williams

Adam Jenkins walked away from the world’s most dangerous research project because he became convinced there was something far more important waiting to be built. When his closest friend arrives determined to change his mind, the conversation leads to an unexpected choice that could alter both of their futures. The Cave Where I Am Hiding by Robert Moore Williams. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. This is the fourth time author Robert Moore Williams has been on the podcast in the last ten months and there will me more. There was The Incredible Slingshot Bomb...

Published: Jul 22, 2026Duration: 23m 33s

The Red Hot Deal by Joseph Farrell

Two alien swindlers believe they have found the perfect disguise, the perfect victim, and an easy path to unimaginable wealth. Their carefully staged bargain soon becomes a contest to discover who is truly being fooled. The Red Hot Deal by Joseph Farrell. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. We love hearing from you, yesterday we received this message on Facebook from Stephanie Laugesen, “My brother recently got me hooked on your podcast and I am absolutely loving listening to the stories. I've started from the beginning of the series, and there have been a few that...

Published: Jul 20, 2026Duration: 24m 35s

Juke Box Asteroid by Joseph Farrell

Stranded on an iron asteroid by ruthless competitors, two Earthmen discover that their foolish-looking captors have one irresistible weakness. Steve Burgess has a daring escape plan, but activating it could send the entire asteroid hurtling toward disaster. Juke Box Asteroid by Joseph Farrell. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. One of our favorite things is introducing you to authors making their first appearance on the podcast, and today that author is Joseph Farrell. Like so many writers from the pulp magazine era, he left no personal history behind. We don’t know where he was born...

Published: Jul 18, 2026Duration: 35m 46s