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

He has the power to fix what everyone else must endure, yet every use of that power risks ending the quiet life he has built. When the cost of doing nothing becomes personal, an old man must decide how much disobedience he can live with. Citizen Jell by Michael Shaara. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

As we approach the podcast’s fourth anniversary, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude and reflection. It’s impossible not to think about the countless ways you have shaped this journey—and my life along with it. There’s no way I can ever fully express how thankful I am.

Years ago, someone requested Orphans of the Void by Michael Shaara. I wish I knew your name, because I would thank you personally, again and again. That single request opened a door for me. Through it, I discovered Michael Shaara’s writing, fell deeply in love with his voice, and now—because of you—we’re sharing yet another one of his stories. This moment, this episode, simply wouldn’t exist without that spark you lit.

Every request you’ve sent, every five-star rating, every thoughtful review—each one has mattered. Each one has helped carry this podcast forward. You’ve supported it, believed in it, and given it life in ways you may never fully realize.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being part of this story.

Published in the pages of Galaxy Science Fiction magazine in August 1959 on page 54, Citizen Jell by Michael Shaara.…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, In a future that prizes engineered clarity and measurable usefulness, one man lives with a body and mind that refuse to fit. When the reason for his difference finally becomes clear, a single choice determines whether his life was wasted—or perfectly timed. Wainer by Michael Shaara.

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In a future where youth is enforced and aging is treated like a moral failure, one man faces a decision that could cost him everything he values. Love, law, and longevity collide when the price of renewal becomes dangerously personal. Up For Renewal by Lucius Daniel. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

One of our shortest episodes, Up For Renewal by Lucius Daniel proves that a story doesn’t need many pages to leave an impression. It’s a smart, engaging look at aging, relationships, and the promises—and pressures—of a future built around staying young.

Lucius Daniel only had three stories published, we’ve featured his first. Martians Never Die and today, his last. Open your copy of Galaxy Science Fiction in November 1954 to page 111, Up For Renewal by Lucius Daniel.…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, He has the power to fix what everyone else must endure, yet every use of that power risks ending the quiet life he has built. When the cost of doing nothing becomes personal, an old man must decide how much disobedience he can live with. Citizen Jell by Michael Shaara.

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What if time itself could be paused—bought, sold, and exploited by anyone with enough money and nerve? Zeritsky’s Law explores the terrifying social consequences when human lives become inventory and the future becomes a loophole. Zeritsky’s Law by Ann Griffith. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

Ann Griffith was a well-known and widely published writer, though science fiction made up only a tiny fraction of her work. During World War II, she served as a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, the pioneering WASP program, graduating from flight school in August 1944 at a time when few women were allowed anywhere near the cockpit of a military aircraft.

After the war, Griffith built a successful writing career, contributing essays, commentary, and sharp humor to publications such as The New Yorker, The American Mercury, The Atlantic, and the aviation magazine Pegasus. Many of her magazine pieces carried deliberately wry, attention-grabbing titles, including “How to Make Housework Easy the Hard Way” and “Gentlemen, Your Tranquilizers Are Showing.”

That same wit carried over into her rare ventures into science fiction. Griffith published only two known sci-fi stories, making Zeritsky’s Law all the more remarkable as a darkly comic exploration of human behavior once technology removes normal limits. From Galaxy Science Fiction, November 1951, on page 51, Zeritsky’s Law by Ann Griffith…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, In a future where youth is enforced and aging is treated like a moral failure, one man faces a decision that could cost him everything he values. Love, law, and longevity collide when the price of renewal becomes dangerously personal. Up For Renewal by Lucius Daniel.

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In a future that has perfected compassion, one man discovers that kindness can be its own kind of cruelty. When humanity finally reaches for the stars again, the greatest test is not technology, but who is deemed worthy to dream. The Age of Kindness by Arthur Sellings. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

One of the questions we hear most is how we decide which stories make it onto the podcast. The answer isn’t a single rule, but a mix of considerations—one of the most important being uniqueness. Is the author someone we’ve never featured before? Does the story take an unexpected turn, explore an unusual idea, or approach familiar science-fiction territory in a way that feels fresh?

Today’s story is all of that. Arthur Sellings makes his debut on the podcast. Sellings was the pen name of English author Arthur Gordon Ley, born in 1921 in Tunbridge Wells England.

Before becoming a professional writer, Ley worked as a scientific researcher for the British government, and he also dealt in books and art, interests that influenced his fiction.

Sellings wrote dozens of short stories that appeared, mostly in the 1950s, in major science fiction magazines, Galaxy Science Fiction, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Nebula Science Fiction and New Worlds. Today’s story is from the November 1954 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction and we will find it on page 124, The Age of Kindness by Arthur Sellings…

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Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, What if time itself could be paused—bought, sold, and exploited by anyone with enough money and nerve? Zeritsky’s Law explores the terrifying social consequences when human lives become inventory and the future becomes a loophole. Zeritsky’s Law by Ann Griffith.

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A lone envoy risks everything to stop a quiet expansion that could ignite a catastrophic war. When fear replaces curiosity, survival depends on whether understanding can arrive before annihilation. Peacemaker by Alan E. Nourse. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

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Today’s episode marks the sixth appearance of Alan E. Nourse on the podcast. Two longtime favorites, The Fifty-Fourth of July and Derelict, also come from Nourse, whose work consistently blends sharp ideas with human stakes. Our story first appeared on page 52 of the February 1953 issue of Science Fiction Adventures, Peacemaker by Alan E. Nourse…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, In a future that has perfected compassion, one man discovers that kindness can be its own kind of cruelty. When humanity finally reaches for the stars again, the greatest test is not technology, but who is deemed worthy to dream. The Age of Kindness by Arthur Sellings.

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