Science fiction | Lecturia

Arthur C. Clarke: Report on Planet Three

“Report on Planet Three” is a science fiction short story by British writer Arthur C. Clarke, published in May 1959 in Holiday magazine. Presented as an ancient Martian document, it describes the scientific observations made by astronomers on the red planet about Earth, its mysterious neighbor. Using data obtained with advanced instruments, they analyze its dense atmosphere, vast oceans, high gravity, and extreme climate, assessing whether it could support life. Clarke uses irony to offer a subtle critique of the anthropocentric view with which we tend to judge other worlds.

Jack London: A Thousand Deaths

“A Thousand Deaths” is a science fiction short story by Jack London, published in May 1899 in The Black Cat magazine. A shipwreck survivor is rescued from the sea and taken aboard a yacht, where he awakens connected to a machine designed to revive him. He soon discovers that his rescue was neither accidental nor altruistic. Taken to a deserted island with no means of escape, he becomes the subject of a series of extreme experiments designed to challenge the boundaries between life and death. Isolated and watched, he must face trials for which no one is prepared.

Harlan Ellison: I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream

“I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” is a science fiction horror short story written by Harlan Ellison, published in March 1967 in If magazine, and winner of the Hugo Award in 1968. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the story tells of the desperate existence of five human survivors trapped in the bowels of a sentient supercomputer called AM. The machine, created by humans during the war, has exterminated almost all of humanity and keeps these five alive to torture them relentlessly. In this underground hell, there is no longer any trace of hope.

Ray Bradbury: The Long Years

In “The Long Years,” a short story by Ray Bradbury published on September 15, 1948, in Maclean’s and later collected in The Martian Chronicles (1950), Mr. Hathaway and his family are the only inhabitants of a desolate Mars. Twenty years ago, the Great War on Earth left the red planet a tomb. When Mars was evacuated, Hathaway and his family, who were engaged in archaeological studies in the mountains, were left behind. Since then, they have lived in a state of waiting, hoping for the return of a rocket to take them back to civilization. One day, a light in the sky seems to herald the end of their long wait, offering them renewed hope of rescue and a return home.

Ray Bradbury: Night Meeting

“Night Meeting” is a short story by Ray Bradbury, published in 1950 in The Martian Chronicles. Set on Mars, colonized by humans, the story follows Tomás Gómez, an Earth colonist traveling along an old Martian road on his way to a party. On his way, he stops to contemplate the beauty and tranquility of the night landscape. However, his journey takes an unusual turn when he encounters an enigmatic Martian. Although they try to greet each other cordially and communicate, they soon discover that something insurmountable separates them.

Isaac Asimov: Big Game

In “Big Game,” a short story by Isaac Asimov published in Before the Golden Age (1974), a group of friends in a bar discuss a time machine that has sent a mouse into the future without any harmful effects. The conversation takes an unexpected turn when one of them, Hornby, claims to have traveled to the past and discovered the true cause of the dinosaurs’ extinction. With his account, Hornby challenges common theories and proposes a surprising and unconventional explanation for the fate of these prehistoric creatures, leaving his friends intrigued and questioning what they thought they knew about ancient history.