Science fiction | Lecturia

Isaac Asimov: The Ultimate Crime

The Ultimate Crime (1976) is a story by Isaac Asimov that is part of More Tales of the Black Widowers. The story takes place during one of the monthly dinners of the exclusive Black Widowers Club, where the conversation revolves around Sherlock Holmes and his nemesis, Professor Moriarty. A guest, a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, poses an intriguing literary conundrum related to Moriarty’s fictional treatise entitled The Dynamics of an Asteroid. The evening becomes a brilliant exchange of ideas where club members explore theories connecting science, literature, and the criminal mind, revealing the group’s fascinating collective ingenuity.

Ray Bradbury: A Sound of Thunder

A Sound of Thunder is a science fiction masterpiece by author Ray Bradbury. First published in Collier’s magazine on June 28, 1952, and later collected in the book The Golden Apples of the Sun (1953), the story tells the story of a group of men who travel back in time to satisfy their desire to hunt a Tyrannosaurus rex. During the trip, something goes wrong, leading to unexpected consequences.

Isaac Asimov: Dreaming Is a Private Thing

Dreaming Is a Private Thing is a science fiction story by Isaac Asimov, published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in December 1955. The story is set in a future where dreams have become the supreme form of entertainment thanks to technology that allows them to be recorded and replayed. In this world, a select group of people endowed with extraordinary imagination – the professional dreamers – create dreamlike experiences that the rest of humanity can enjoy. Through this innovative scenario, Asimov reflects on the uniqueness of creative talent and the ethical dilemmas posed by its commercialization in a society obsessed with consumption.

Philip K. Dick: The Father-Thing

The Father-Thing is a disturbing science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick published in December 1954 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. An eight-year-old, Charles, begins to suspect something terrible is happening to his father. One night, as he enters the garage, he witnesses a disturbing scene: next to his father is an identical replica of him. During dinner, Charles is confronted by the disturbing creature that, he is convinced, has usurped his father’s place. His mother’s incomprehension and the escalation of events that this provokes lead Charles to run away from home in search of help, triggering a desperate struggle to discover the truth in an environment that becomes increasingly oppressive and terrifying.

Isaac Asimov: Christmas Without Rodney. Summary and analysis

In Isaac Asimov’s Christmas Without Rodney, Howard and his wife Gracie face holiday chaos when Gracie gives their faithful household robot, Rodney, a holiday during the family’s Christmas visit. Their son, DeLancey, his haughty wife, Hortense, and their spoiled child, LeRoy, bring their ultra-modern robot, Rambo, whose sleek design proves useless in the couple’s old-fashioned home. Blending humor, family conflict, and subtle exploration of robotics, the story raises profound questions about human relationships, technology, and the limits of artificial intelligence.

Philip K. Dick: Foster, You’re Dead

Foster, You’re Dead is a science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick, published in Star Science Fiction Stories No. 3 in 1955. In a society obsessed with preparing for nuclear war, Mike Foster faces the stigma of being the son of an ‘anti-P’, someone who refuses to buy bomb shelters or contribute to the community defence system. While his peers make booby traps and knives at school, he lives with the constant humiliation and fear of not having a shelter to protect him. Social pressure and fear drive him to crave security in a world where paranoia has become a lucrative business.