Aristotle and the Gun by L. Sprague de Camp

Most time travellers, when they decide to change history for the better, opt to kill Hitler or tweak the American Continue reading →

The Hated by Frederik Pohl

Early on an astronaut in a bar is asked: “What’s it like to fly to Mars on a rocket?” His Continue reading →

The Distributor by Richard Matheson

A newcomer moves into a quiet suburb. He goes to the eight nearest houses and greets the families. There are Continue reading →

The Magic Chalk by Abe Kobo

One of the first books I remember reading is ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’ by Crockett Johnson, about a boy Continue reading →

Theory of Rocketry by C.M. Kornbluth

There’s a huge amount packed into this story. Just consider how economical the opening paragraph is (written in 1958): Mr. Continue reading →

The Adventure of the Wax Gamblers by Adrian Conan Doyle & John Dickson Carr

I have a fondness for detective stories that start out with utterly mundane mysteries (Charles Stross’ The Concrete Jungle is Continue reading →