Short Science Fiction Fantasy Stories

When Alexis wakes in a lightless room with an unfamiliar taste on her tongue, time no longer behaves as it should. A clock ticks without moving, shadows breathe, and hunger arrives too quickly to be natural.

Journey beyond the edge of imagination with The Best Classic Science Fiction Short Stories, a powerful collection that brings together some of the most visionary minds in speculative fiction. Featuring unforgettable works by Frank Herbert, Philip K. Dick, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Robert Sheckley, and E. E. Smith, this anthology captures the bold ideas, cosmic wonder, and thought-provoking storytelling that defined the golden age of science fiction.

Step into the visionary worlds that defined a genre. *Golden Age Science Fiction Short Stories Anthology* brings together unforgettable tales from Isaac Asimov, Kurt Vonnegut, Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, E. E. Smith, and Robert Sheckley—masters who shaped modern science fiction with bold ideas, cosmic adventure, and thought-provoking storytelling. From distant planets and advanced civilizations to sharp social commentary and mind-bending twists, this collection captures the imagination, innovation, and timeless wonder of classic sci-fi at its very best.

Step into the golden age of imagination with Classic Science Fiction Short Stories, a powerful collection of visionary tales from the masters who defined the genre. Featuring works by Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, Andre Norton, and E. E. Smith, this anthology explores humanity’s future, the limits of technology, distant worlds, and the nature of reality itself.

The aliens left. Their monsters didn’t. Life after the invasion is perilous for these young men. The world ended while they were still learning to drive. Now, they’re all that stands between humanity and extinction. But here’s the kicker: Earth’s alien invaders didn’t take everything when they departed. They left monsters behind. This collection contains five explosive sci-fi survival stories from bestselling author M.G. Herron. Each one follows a different hero facing impossible odds as he discovers what it takes to remain human when the world—and its alien monsters—want him dead.

Earth is dying, and humanity is scrambling to set up colonies in other star systems. But the search process for habitable planets is not perfect, as the crew of the Ouroboros discover on arrival at their new home.

China thought it would be a quick war, an easy war. But now, years later, as the insurgency on the streets of Los Angeles escalates but the propaganda never changes, a Chinese officer can’t keep silent any longer. Torn between loyalty to his country and loyalty to his troops, he writes a brutally honest—and possibly suicidal—letter home to unmask the truth. Brooks combines his signature meticulous research with unforgettable characters in this landmark work of speculative fiction.

Yorkshire, 1943. Lily Baines, a bright young debutante increasingly ground down by an endless war, has traded in her white gloves for a set of headphones. It’s her job to intercept enemy naval communications and send them to Bletchley Park for decryption. One night, she picks up a transmission that isn’t code at all—it’s a cry for help.

Hundreds of years after the end of the world, the Appalachian community of Iron Hollow finds itself beset by demons. Such horrors are common these days in the outlands, where most folks die young—if they don’t turn into monsters first. When a legendary knight is summoned to hunt down the latest unearthly beast to haunt their woods, the town’s new oral historian, Shrike, has more reason than most to be concerned. Because that demon was her wife. And while Shrike is certain that May still recognizes her—that May is still herself, somewhere beneath it all—she can’t prove it.

This book contains 26 of the greatest science fiction stories ever written. They represent the considered verdict of the Science Fiction Writers of America, those who have shaped the genre and who know, more intimately than anyone else, what the criteria for excellence in the field should be. The authors chosen for the Science Fiction Hall Fame are the men and women who have shaped the body and heart of modern science fiction; their brilliantly imaginative creations continue to inspire and astound new generations of writers and fans.

When DARPA builds the ultimate tactical weapon—a portal capable of instant travel across any distance—they recruit Marine Raider Captain Jackson Glover and his elite team to test it. But this isn’t just a new form of transport: it’s Pandora’s Box. Every time the portal opens, the team must pass through Other Earths—alternate realities filled with hostile environments, alien ecosystems, and threats that defy human comprehension. What should be a shortcut through space becomes a gauntlet of survival, where each “layover” could unleash horrors capable of annihilating our world.

Step into the golden age of imagination with A Vintage Science Fiction Short Stories Collection, a masterfully curated anthology featuring some of the most influential voices in classic science fiction. This timeless volume brings together visionary storytelling from Frank Herbert, Philip K. Dick, Fredric Brown, E. E. Smith, John W. Campbell Jr., Murray Leinster, Robert Sheckley, Stanley G. Weinbaum, and William Tenn—authors who helped shape modern speculative fiction.

A collection of 98 enthralling and pulse-quickening stories, spanning five decades, venerates the remarkable imagination of J. G. Ballard. With a body of work unparalleled in twentieth-century literature, J. G. Ballard is recognized as one of the greatest and most prophetic writers in the world. With the much-hailed release of The Complete Stories of J. G. Ballard, readers now have a means to celebrate the unmatched range and mesmerizing cadences of a literary genius.

A walk around the block, a quick drive, before shutting down your PC ? these short story collections are perfect for when you only have a few minutes to listen."

This superlative collection of futuristic tales explores ground-breaking supernatural themes from the founding heroes of the science fiction genre. The short story form is perfect for capturing the atmospheric tension of these legendary stories.

Step beyond the stars and into the boundless imagination of the genre’s greatest visionaries with The Masters of Science Fiction Short Stories—a powerful collection of timeless tales from the pioneers who shaped modern science fiction.

Exploring the boundaries of the genre, Bova not only writes of spaceships, aliens, and time travel in most of his titles, but also speculates on the beginnings of science fiction in “Scheherazade and the Storytellers,” as well as the morality of man in “The Angel’s Gift.” Stories such as “The Café Coup” and “We’ll Always Have Paris” dip into speculative historical fiction, asking questions about what would happen if someone could change history for the better. This expansive collection is a key addition for Bova fans and sci-fi lovers alike!

Published in chronological order, with extensive story and bibliographic notes, this series not only provides access to stories that have been out of print for years, but gives them a historical and social context. Series editors Scott Conners and Ronald S. Hilger excavated the still-existing manuscripts, letters and various published versions of the stories, creating a definitive "preferred text" for Smith's entire body of work.

The Starship Atlantis takes you on an unforgettable journey through the extraordinary. From alien civilizations and rogue AI to desperate missions on the brink of collapse, these stories will transport you across the stars into the heart of the unknown. This anthology features six never-before-published novellas and short stories, plus two exclusive bonus tales.

Leave your preconceived notions at home as you embark on a mind-bending journey with six of today’s most visionary authors. Brimming with humor and heartache, this collection of short stories maps the roads we took to get here and the paths that lie ahead. The present may be a gift, but the future and the past both come with a price.