Vintage Sci-Fi Shorts

“My Past is Mine” by Gerda Rhoads was published in the October 1954 issue of Fantastic Universe. This season of Vintage Sci-Fi Shorts features stories from the pages of the magazine Fantastic Universe, and particularly from the first two volumes of the magazine, published between 1953 and 1955. Gerda Rhoads, born in Austria, wrote just one published speculative fiction story.

“The Happy Music” by Jeanne Williams was published in the January 1955 issue of Fantastic Universe. This season of Vintage Sci-Fi Shorts features stories from the pages of the magazine Fantastic Universe, and particularly from the first two volumes of the magazine, published between 1953 and 1955. Jeanne Williams is one of the great American Western writers, and her writing career has spanned over 60 years. She wrote a handful of science fiction and fantasy stories during her career, but her Western writing was what won her the most plaudits. She also served as president of the Western Writers of America and won its Golden Spur award in four different decades.

“Nightmare on the Nose” by Evelyn E. Smith was published in the October 1953 issue of Fantastic Universe. This season of Vintage Sci-Fi Shorts features stories from the pages of the magazine Fantastic Universe, and particularly from the first two volumes of the magazine, published between 1953 and 1955. Evelyn E. Smith was an esteemed writer of science fiction and mystery stories, and she appeared frequently in the pages of the 1950s science fiction digests.

“Beyond the Door” by Philip K. Dick was published in the January 1954 issue of Fantastic Universe. This season of Vintage Sci-Fi Shorts features stories from the pages of the magazine Fantastic Universe, and particularly from the first two volumes of the magazine, published between 1953 and 1955. Philip K. Dick is one of science fiction's most enduring figures. We previously featured his story "The Skull" in season four of Vintage Sci-Fi Shorts.

“Lost in the Future” by John Victor Peterson was published in the January 1954 issue of Fantastic Universe. This season of Vintage Sci-Fi Shorts features stories from the pages of the magazine Fantastic Universe, and particularly from the first two volumes of the magazine, published between 1953 and 1955. John Victor Peterson wrote science fiction stories from 1938 to 1959, and he published one novel, Rock the Big Rock, in 1970. 

"The Recalcitrant" by Evelyn Goldstein was published in the September 1954 issue of Fantastic Universe. This season of Vintage Sci-Fi Shorts features stories from the pages of the magazine Fantastic Universe, and particularly from the first two volumes of the magazine, published between 1953 and 1955. Evelyn Goldstein wrote a handful of science fiction stories in the 1950s. She was a school teacher in New York City for 30 years, and she continued writing other works before her passing in 2013.

Season five of Vintage Sci-Fi Shorts is coming soon. I’m reading stories from the first two volumes of the classic speculative fiction magazine Fantastic Universe, including stories in the public domain from Evelyn Goldstein, Philip K. Dick and Judith Merril. In the meantime, enjoy this essay from Philip Jose Farmer. I think it really captures the heart and spirit of the magazine.

"An Empty Bottle" is a short story written by Mari Wolf and published in the September 1952 issue of If magazine. Mari Wolf’s influence on science fiction is one that has endured over the past 70 years: She’s the first person to use “droid” in describing a robot. “An Empty Bottle” is just one of a handful of stories she had published. She also wrote about science fiction fandom. In addition to her fiction writing, she worked at Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

"The Last Gentleman" is a short story written by Dorothea Magill Faulkner and published in the January 1953 issue of If magazine. Dorothea Magill Faulkner, writing as Rory Magill, had just two short science fiction stories and a handful of poems published in the early 1950s. She was also a prominent member of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society.

"Welcome, Martians!" is a short story written by S.A. Lombino and published in the May 1952 issue of If magazine. S.A. Lombino (later, Evan Hunter) was a prolific science fiction and mystery writer. His best-known effort may be in the form of a screenplay adaptation for The Birds, which sparked a long friendship with Alfred Hitchcock.