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

Two exhausted spacemen gamble their lives on an impossible return from Venus while an isolated outpost waits for rescue that may never come. As Earth races closer by the second, one reckless landing idea stands between them and a fireball over the Pacific. Message from Venus by Russ Winterbotham. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

Although he isn’t remembered as a major contributor to science fiction Russ Winterbotham’s career lasted more than three decades. He wrote seven novels and more than 60 short stories beginning in 1935.

Winterbotham was paid $44.55 for the story back in 1941. Adjusted for inflation that would be about $570 today. How do we know how much he was paid? Comet magazine paid a penny per word for every story it published. Which may not seem like a lot but two competing science fiction magazines that got their start about the same time didn’t pay anything at all.

Those two magazines combined for only seven issues before they ceased publication. Russ Winterbotham’s story was published in the January 1941 issue of Comet magazine which lasted for only 5 issues. Turn to page 21, Message from Venus by Russ Winterbotham…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A reporter spends ten years chasing evidence that certain men do not stay dead, only to discover that every attempt to expose them pushes him closer to losing his own mind. When the last piece of proof vanishes before his eyes, Dane Phillips faces a far worse possibility than failure. Dead Ringer by Lester Del Rey.

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Beneath Castle Kralitz, a family ritual waits in darkness for the next heir to descend the hidden stairway and take his place among the dead. Franz Kralitz enters expecting a secret and discovers a fate that has been waiting for him since birth. The Secret of Kralitz by Henry Kuttner. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

Henry Kuttner was one of the most prolific writers in the early days of science fiction. I stopped counting after around 200 short stories, and what makes it all the more amazing is that he did it in just 21 years. Kuttner was only 42 when he died of a heart attack in 1958.

This was only his fourth published story which can be found in Weird Tales magazine in October 1936 on page 361, The Secret of Kralitz by Henry Kuttner…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, Two exhausted spacemen gamble their lives on an impossible return from Venus while an isolated outpost waits for rescue that may never come. As Earth races closer by the second, one reckless landing idea stands between them and a fireball over the Pacific. Message from Venus by Russ Winterbotham

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A discovery meant for museums turns deadly when something ancient refuses to stay buried and begins hunting the living. Trapped far from Earth, the crew must decide whether escape is still possible—or if they’ve already carried the danger home with them. The Moon Devils by John Wyndham. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

This is only the second story written by John Wyndham on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. The first, Never on Mars. Wyndham, whose real name was John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris, is best known for The Day of the Triffids written in 1951, and filmed in 1962, and The Midwich Cuckoos which was written in 1957 and filmed in 1960 as Village of the Damned.

Some authors have a style that makes their stories effortless to bring to life through narration. John Wyndham is one of them. His pacing, atmosphere, and sense of tension make his work incredibly engaging and enjoyable to read aloud, and there will definitely be more John Wyndham stories on the podcast in the future.

Pick up a copy of Wonder Stories published in April 1934 and you will see our story on the cover. The actual story can be found on page 968, The Moon Devils by John Wyndham…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, Beneath Castle Kralitz, a family ritual waits in darkness for the next heir to descend the hidden stairway and take his place among the dead. Franz Kralitz enters expecting a secret and discovers a fate that has been waiting for him since birth. The Secret of Kralitz by Henry Kuttner.

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A silent ship drifts where no human craft should ever be, carrying the final moments of a journey that went terribly wrong. As the truth comes into focus, one question remains—what broke first: the machine, or the people trapped inside it? The Derelict of Space by William Thurmond and Ray Cummings. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

William T. Thurmond wrote one story that was published and there is no other information about his life. Ray Cummings was a prolific science fiction author who’s stories were published for almost 50 years.

Our story was first published in Wonder Stories Quarterly in the Fall 1931 issue on page 98, The Derelict of Space by William Thurmond and Ray Cummings…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A discovery meant for museums turns deadly when something ancient refuses to stay buried and begins hunting the living. Trapped far from Earth, the crew must decide whether escape is still possible—or if they’ve already carried the danger home with them. The Moon Devils by John Wyndham.

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A crew stranded in comfort discovers that the one thing they cannot have begins to unravel their discipline and judgment. When one man claims he has found a way around the impossible, the cost of proving it may be far higher than anyone expects. The Hero by Elaine Wilber. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

Couldn’t find a thing about author Elaine Wilber and this was the only science fiction story credited to her.

Every now and then, we like to remind listeners that some of the stories we narrate may contain ideas or language that feel outdated or uncomfortable today. Our mission is to preserve these stories exactly as they were originally written, not to revise or censor works created 60, 80, or even 100 years ago to match modern perspectives.

Let’s turn to page 33 in If Worlds of Science Fiction in February 1958, The Hero by Elaine Wilber…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A silent ship drifts where no human craft should ever be, carrying the final moments of a journey that went terribly wrong. As the truth comes into focus, one question remains—what broke first: the machine, or the people trapped inside it? The Derelict of Space by William Thurmond and Ray Cummings.

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