Short stories | Lecturia

Edmond Hamilton: Devolution

“Devolution” is a short story by Edmond Hamilton, published in December 1936 in Amazing Stories magazine. Deep in the Canadian north, a pilot flies two biologists in search of unusual creatures he claims to have observed from his plane: gelatinous, translucent, glowing masses that seemed to float above the ground. During the night, as the team rests in a makeshift camp, doubts and fatigue set in, without imagining that what they are trying to find could be much closer than they think.

Isaac Asimov: The Last Question

“The Last Question” is a fascinating short story by Isaac Asimov, published in 1956 in Science Fiction Quarterly magazine, which explores the evolution of humanity and technology over eons. The story begins in 2061, when two technicians working on an advanced computer called Multivac discuss the possibility of humanity being able to extract energy from the sun forever. This discussion leads to the question of how to reverse the entropy of the universe, a question that recurs throughout the narrative as humanity and technology advance and merge.

Robert Silverberg: Passengers

“Passengers” is a short story by Robert Silverberg, published in 1968 in the anthology Orbit 4. In a world invaded by entities that control people without warning, a man wakes up with a confused mind and his body marked by the traces of an unknown host. Not knowing what he has done during the last few days, he tries to reconstruct the lost time by observing his surroundings: the mess in the apartment, traces of a woman, signs of someone else’s life. While the city adapts to this disturbing form of slavery, the protagonist clings to the illusion of becoming himself again and regaining control of his destiny.

Alfred Bester: The Men Who Murdered Mohammed

“The Men Who Murdered Mohammed” is a science fiction short story written by Alfred Bester, published in 1958 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The story follows Professor Henry Hassel, who, after discovering his wife’s infidelity, builds a time machine with the intention of erasing her existence by altering historical events. However, as he murders key figures from the past, Hassel discovers that time is a much more complex matter than he had expected. With a mixture of dark humor and temporal paradoxes, Bester questions the nature of time and the consequences of manipulating it.

Ursula K. Le Guin: Mazes

“Mazes” is a short story by Ursula K. Le Guin, published in 1975 in Epoch. It presents the testimony of a creature imprisoned by an unknown intelligence that subjects it to meticulous and cruel experiments. Forced to navigate mazes as part of an incomprehensible system of observation, the narrator attempts to preserve her lucidity and find meaning in her captor’s behavior. Amid hunger, weakness, and confusion, she searches for a way to communicate with that alien mind, while her confinement becomes a struggle to preserve her dignity and hope.

Ray Bradbury: Kaleidoscope

“Kaleidoscope” is a science fiction story written by Ray Bradbury, published in 1949 in Thrilling Wonder Stories magazine and later included in the collection The Illustrated Man (1951). The story follows a group of astronauts who, after their ship explodes, are left floating uncontrollably in space, doomed to imminent death. As they drift apart and their lives fall apart, their radio conversations become a reflection of their fears, regrets, and reflections on life and death.