A sci-fi short story by Fritz Lieber, originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction 1951.
“The dark star passed, bringing with it eternal night and turning history into incredible myth in a single generation!”
public domain
“2 B R 0 2 B” by Kurt Vonnegut
Got a problem? Just pick up the phone. It solved them all—and all the same way!
20+ Best Sci-Fi Short Stories in the Public Domain
These days, it can be difficult to get your hands on many of the most famous classic science fiction short stories. Even outside of the famous names like Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein, the majority of stories are still under copyright, and will be for years to come. Some are available as overpriced paperback collections […]
5 Beautifully Illustrated Pulp-Era Science Fiction Stories
Copyright is a double-edged sword. On the first edge, it’s amazing that after a certain amount of time, and under certain circumstances, every book, every story, every beautiful creature of the imagination that was ever created will enter the public domain, from which point they will be forever free for all to enjoy at no cost.
Dancing on the other edge of the blade, when it comes to classic SF stories from now defunct genre magazines, even when the stories are out of copyright they are often hard to find, expensive to obtain (in terms of time or money), and rarely available in a modern digital reading experience (phone, tablet, ereader, etc.)
With one exception.
“A Little Journey ” by Ray Bradbury
She’d paid good money to see the inevitable …and then had to work to make it happen! A sci-fi short story by Ray Bradbury.
“Wall of Crystal, Eye of Night” by Algis Budrys
He was a vendor of dreams, purveying worlds beyond imagination to others. Yet his doom was this: He could not see what he must learn of his own!
“Youth” by Isaac Asimov
Red and Slim found the two strange little animals the morning after they heard the thunder sounds. They knew that they could never show their new pets to their parents. “Youth” is a short story by Isaac Asimov in the public domain.
“The Day Time Stopped Moving” by Bradner Buckner
All Dave Miller wanted to do was commit suicide in peace. He tried, but the things that happened after he’d pulled the trigger were all wrong. Like everyone standing around like statues. No St. Peter, no pearly gate, no pitchforks or halos. He might just as well have saved the bullet!
“Sentiment, Inc.” by Poul Anderson
Read the sci-fi short story “Sentiment, Inc.” by Poul Anderson. A classic science fiction story about psychologists with too much power. With text provided by Project Gutenberg.
“Omnilingual” by H. Beam Piper
Read the sci-fi short story “Omnilingual” by famed sci-fi author H. Beam Piper. A classic science fiction story, with text provided by Project Gutenberg.