Episodes

  • The Vortex Blaster, by E E Smith, PhD
    Apr 27 2025

    Neal "Storm" Cloud, atomic physicist, through personal tragedy, is destined to become the most noted figure in the galaxy.

    "The Vortex Blaster" appeared in "Comet", July 1941, pages 2 to 17.

    Edward Elmer Smith (May 2, 1890 – August 31, 1965) was an American food engineer and science-fiction author, best known for the Lensman and Skylark series. He is sometimes called the father of space opera. In 1963, he was presented the inaugural "First Fandom Hall of Fame" award at the 21st World Science Fiction Convention in Washington, D.C.

    Links

    Reaper: reaper.fm

    LibSyn: libsyn.com

    "Mesmerizing Galaxy" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

    If there's a story you'd like me to narrate, or a genre you'd like me to include more of, please let me know using the Contact Form.

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    1 hr
  • The Monster Maker, by Ray Bradbury
    Apr 25 2025

    "Get the pirate Gunther," were their orders. But Click and Irish were marooned on the pirate's asteroid—their only weapons a single gun and a news-reel camera.

    "The Monster Maker" appeared in "Planet Stories," Spring 1944, pages 39 - 47.

    Ray Douglas Bradbury (August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and realistic fiction.

    Bradbury is widely known by the general public for his novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and his short-story collections The Martian Chronicles (1950) and The Illustrated Man (1951). Most of his best known work is speculative fiction, but he also wrote and consulted on screenplays and television scripts, including "Moby Dick" and "It Came from Outer Space." Many of his works were adapted into television and film productions as well as comic books.

    The New York Times called Bradbury "the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream."

    Links

    Reaper: reaper.fm

    LibSyn: libsyn.com

    "Mesmerizing Galaxy" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

    If there's a story you'd like me to narrate, or a genre you'd like me to include more of, please let me know using the Contact Form.

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    43 mins
  • Trajectory to Taurus, by Les Cole
    Apr 22 2025

    Why were Fred Kirr's shipmates calling the planet Gamma Tauri II, which they were surveying for evidence of intelligent life, a paradise, when it was in reality a desolate hell? Why was he the only one who could see the truth? Or was he the one going mad?

    "Trajectory to Taurus" appeared in "Amazing Stories," September 1960, pages 39 to 56.

    Lester Hines Cole (14 July 1926 - September 2019) was an American writer of science and historical fiction.

    Links

    Reaper: reaper.fm

    LibSyn: libsyn.com

    "Mesmerizing Galaxy" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

    If there's a story you'd like me to narrate, or a genre you'd like me to include more of, please let me know using the Contact Form.

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    48 mins
  • The Terrors of the Upper Air, by Frank Orndorff
    Apr 20 2025

    Kidwell and Dexter, the daredevil aviators, were attempting to break the world altitude record at the State Fair. But, they were also muderers and thieves, and Pemberton, the renowned detective, had to wait until they returned from their adventures in the upper air before he could bring them to justice...

    "The Terrors of the Upper Air" appeared in "Amazing Stories Quarterly", Winter 1928, pages 138 to 143.

    Frank Milliken Orndorff (22 October 1885 - 10 April 1971) was an American writer of adventure fiction.

    Links

    Reaper: reaper.fm

    LibSyn: libsyn.com

    "Mesmerizing Galaxy" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

    If there's a story you'd like me to narrate, or a genre you'd like me to include more of, please let me know using the Contact Form.

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    40 mins
  • Quinquepedalian, by Piers Anthony
    Apr 16 2025

    What kind of creature could make a nine-foot diameter, two-inch deep footprint in the soil of a forest? Charles Tinnerman and his companions were about to find out...

    "Quinquepedalian" appeared in "Amazing Stories," November 1963, pages 106 - 121 and 130.

    Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob (born 6 August 1934) is an American author in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is best known for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth.

    Links

    Reaper: reaper.fm

    LibSyn: libsyn.com

    "Mesmerizing Galaxy" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

    If there's a story you'd like me to narrate, or a genre you'd like me to include more of, please let me know using the Contact Form.

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    45 mins
  • The Trap, by Murray Leinster
    Apr 13 2025

    Colby’s murder plan was perfect—except at one point...

    "The Trap" appeared in "Munsey's Magazine", August 1929, pages 467 to 477.

    Murray Leinster (June 16, 1896 – June 8, 1975) was a pen name of William Fitzgerald Jenkins, an American writer of genre fiction, particularly of science fiction. He wrote and published more than 1,500 short stories and articles, 14 movie scripts, and hundreds of radio scripts and television plays.

    Links

    Reaper: reaper.fm

    LibSyn: libsyn.com

    "Mesmerizing Galaxy" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

    If there's a story you'd like me to narrate, or a genre you'd like me to include more of, please let me know using the Contact Form.

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    43 mins
  • Manners and Customs of the Thrid, by Murray Leinster
    Apr 10 2025

    The Thrid were the most intelligent creatures in the universe—they said so themselves. So intelligent that they had the perfect government that could never be wrong! The Grand Panjandrum—the leader of the government—could never be mistaken! Provincial Governors' words were truth—none could be contradicted. If you did, you were a criminal, or insane...

    "Manners and Customs of the Thrid" appeared in "Worlds of If Science Fiction," September 1963, pages 40 to 55.

    Murray Leinster (June 16, 1896 – June 8, 1975) was a pen name of William Fitzgerald Jenkins, an American writer of genre fiction, particularly of science fiction. He wrote and published more than 1,500 short stories and articles, 14 movie scripts, and hundreds of radio scripts and television plays.

    Links

    Reaper: reaper.fm

    LibSyn: libsyn.com

    "Mesmerizing Galaxy" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

    If there's a story you'd like me to narrate, or a genre you'd like me to include more of, please let me know using the Contact Form.

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    50 mins
  • The Marching Morons, by C M Kornbluth
    Apr 6 2025

    In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man, of course, is king. But how about a live wire, a smart businessman, in a civilization of 100% pure chumps?

    "The Marching Morons" appeared in "Galaxy Science Fiction", April 1951, on pages 128 to 158.

    Cyril M Kornbluth (July 2, 1923 – March 21, 1958) was an American science fiction author and a member of the Futurians. He used a variety of pen-names, including Cecil Corwin, S D Gottesman, Edward J Bellin, Kenneth Falconer, Walter C Davies, Simon Eisner, Jordan Park, Arthur Cooke, Paul Dennis Lavond, and Scott Mariner.

    As a teenager, he became a member of the Futurians, an influential group of science fiction fans and writers. While a member of the Futurians, he met and became friends with Frederik Pohl, Donald A Wollheim, Robert A W Lowndes, and his future wife Mary Byers. He also participated in the Fantasy Amateur Press Association.

    Links

    Reaper: reaper.fm

    LibSyn: libsyn.com

    "Mesmerizing Galaxy" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

    If there's a story you'd like me to narrate, or a genre you'd like me to include more of, please let me know using the Contact Form.

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    1 hr and 24 mins
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