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

A brilliant engineer discovers that the visitors who hired him have already murdered one man, and he may be next. His only chance is to outsmart criminals from thousands of years in the future, but the woman he has fallen in love with may be the one person he cannot save. The Gun Runners by Ralph Williams. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

Ralph Williams didn’t write a lot of science fiction, but I’ve loved narrating the stories he published between 1940 and 1959. He’s one of those authors who leaves you wishing there were more.

We first introduced Ralph Williams to The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast about seven months ago with Cat and Mouse, and I’m delighted to bring you another of his stories today.

Turn to page 70 of the December 1954 issue of If Worlds of Science Fiction for The Gun Runners by Ralph Williams…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, Thomas Olney has spent years longing for something beyond the safe, predictable world he knows. When he finally reaches a place where impossible visitors cross the threshold, he may discover that a man can return home without bringing all of himself back. The Strange High House in the Mist by H. P. Lovecraft.

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In a world where the government controls every movement and punishes dissent, even its most decorated citizens can become enemies of the state. When a respected military doctor discovers what happened to his son, an ordinary journey becomes the beginning of a dangerous reckoning. Underground Movement by Allen K. Lang. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

Someone who wishes to remain anonymous bought us three coffees and left this wonderful message:

“I’m enjoying the Lost Sci-Fi episodes every day. Thank you for your hard work finding these lost stories and bringing them back to life for us to enjoy!”

Well, thank you, Someone! We love bringing these forgotten science fiction tales back to life, and knowing you’re enjoying them makes it even more rewarding.

And to everyone who has supported The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast by buying us a coffee, thank you! Your generosity means a lot to us. You’ll find our coffee link in the description, or you can visit lostscifi.com/coffee

Let’s turn back the hands of time 70 years to the December 1956 issue of Infinity Science Fiction magazine and turn to page 100, Underground Movement by Allen K. Lang…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A revolutionary invention promises to make workers more productive than anyone ever imagined, but one extraordinary employee discovers how to turn that technology against the boss. With his business on the verge of collapse, a desperate manager must rely on the very man who has made his life miserable. The Gun Runners by Ralph Williams.

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A Revolutionary War hero discovers that the America he helped create has become a place he barely recognizes. When his descendants proudly reveal what they stand for, one disgusted soldier may have the power to change everything. The Ordeal of Colonel Johns by George H. Smith. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

George H. Smith made his debut on the podcast a month and a half ago with The Watchers. He is back today with a bit of history.

This wonderfully fun story imagines a scientific invention that can bring historical figures back to life. But when a patriotic organization decides to honor one of its most distinguished ancestors, the celebration doesn’t go quite as planned.

Let’s go back to the year 1954, The New York Giants swept the Cleveland Indians that year to win the World Series. Willie Mays made The “Catch” in game 1 of the series, at the Polo Grounds in New York City. Four years later the New York Giants relocated to San Francisco.

And the June 1954 issue of If World of Science Fiction featured a time travel story on page 84, The Ordeal of Colonel Johns by George H. Smith…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, In a world where the government controls every movement and punishes dissent, even its most decorated citizens can become enemies of the state. When a respected military doctor discovers what happened to his son, an ordinary journey becomes the beginning of a dangerous reckoning. Underground Movement by Allen K. Lang.

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Brent Dalgreen traveled to the Moon and nearly died trying to capture its alien beauty on canvas. Now, back on Earth, he discovers another artist has accomplished what he couldn’t—and he’s determined to find out how. An Artist’s Life by Harry Harrison. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

Before Harry Harrison became a successful science fiction author, he made his living as a professional artist and illustrator. After serving in the Army Air Force during World War II, Harrison studied art at Hunter College in New York and worked as a commercial illustrator. He also drew comic books, collaborating with legendary comic book artist Wally Wood.

Harrison began publishing science fiction in 1951, so when he wrote today’s tale just two years later, he was drawing on years of firsthand experience as an artist. It’s an interesting connection, especially considering how much of this tale revolves around a painter’s frustration with his own work and his determination to understand another artist’s extraordinary talent.

First published in September 1953, in the third and final issue of Rocket Stories, beginning on page 142, An Artist’s Life by Harry Harrison…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A Revolutionary War hero discovers that the America he helped create has become a place he barely recognizes. When his descendants proudly reveal what they stand for, one disgusted soldier may have the power to change everything. The Ordeal of Colonel Johns by George H. Smith.

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Knucklebone Smith has spent his entire life searching for the one thing he was born to do, but nobody believes he’s good for anything. On the frozen surface of Pluto, a desperate emergency may finally give him the chance to prove everyone wrong. The Pluto Lamp by Charles A. Stearns. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

This is the Lost Sci-Fi Podcast debut for author Charles A. Stearns. He published about 25 science fiction short stories between 1953 and 1959.

He also wrote westerns and later had fiction published in The Saturday Evening Post, bringing his total to at least 37 short stories, but he never published a science fiction novel.

In 2023, Wildside Press brought his science fiction tales together in a collection devoted entirely to his work, introducing a new generation of readers to an author whose fiction had largely disappeared from view.

Published in the Fall 1954 issue of Planet Stories magazine on page 56, The Pluto Lamp by Charles A. Stearns…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, Brent Dalgreen has risked his life trying to paint something no Earthbound artist has ever truly seen. When another painter somehow captures that impossible viewpoint, Brent follows the clue toward an answer that may carry him far beyond the world he knows. An Artist’s Life by Harry Harrison.

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