The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast &#8211; Vintage Sci-Fi Short Stories

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The Good Life by John R. Pierce Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

Sylvia finally finds a way to escape the life she believes is holding her back, but freedom proves far stranger than she imagined. As she drifts farther from the people who love her, she faces a frightening question: what if the life she abandoned no longer wants her back? The Good Life by John R. Pierce. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

What is the guy who invented the term transistor doing on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast? Well it turns out that John Robinson Pierce who was born in 1910 in Des Moines Iowa wasn’t just a brainiac electrical engineer.

He graduated from CalTech, worked at Bell Labs, came up with the term transistor and according to the National Inventors Hall of Fame Pierce invented the first communications satellite. He was granted over 90 patents, and was awarded the Edison Medal, and the National Medal of Science.

And he was a science fiction author in his spare time with 19 stories to his credit from 1930 to 1973.

Four of those stories were published under the pen name J. J. Coupling as was today’s story which can be found on page 59 in the February 1952 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, The Good Life by John R. Pierce…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A lone Briton fleeing murderous outlaws stumbles into a hidden world beneath the forests of ancient Britain, where an older people still remember every stolen homeland and every dead king. One act of mercy may be the only thing standing between Cororuc and a vengeance that has burned in darkness for centuries. The Lost Race by Robert E. Howard.

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The Agent by Stephen Marlowe Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

A desperate performer signs with a miracle agent who promises work, food, and a paying audience beyond anything Broadway can offer. But once the contract is signed, Mike Hennesy learns that show business has just opened on a much larger stage. The Agent by Stephen Marlowe. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

Stephen Marlowe returns to the podcast, and if the name doesn’t sound familiar, you’ve already heard his work here under several others. He previously appeared as Milton Lesser, Darius John Granger, and C. H. Thames.

Our story first appeared on page 94 of the April 1953 Avon Science Fiction and Fantasy Reader, the second and last issue to bear that title. Here’s “The Agent” by Stephen Marlowe…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, Sylvia finally finds a way to escape the life she believes is holding her back, but freedom proves far stranger than she imagined. As she drifts farther from the people who love her, she faces a frightening question: what if the life she abandoned no longer wants her back? The Good Life by John R. Pierce.

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Day’s Work by Noel Loomis Jul 01, 2026

Show notes

A young god wagers billions of years on a daring experiment that every elder around him expects to fail. If he can prove that intelligence and compassion can grow together, an entirely new species may change the future of the galaxy—or confirm its darkest doubts. Day’s Work by Noel Loomis. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

There are a number of ways you can support The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast. You can leave a 5 star rating and review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify or wherever you listen to us.

You can become a Lost Sci-Fi Premium member and listen to every episode without commercials or you can buy us a coffee as James van Maanenberg did recently. Actually James bought us $50 worth of coffee!!! “My kids were only just talking when I first started listening, now they are fans too. We chat about the stories and just love pausing them and making predictions about what might happen next. Thank you Scott and all the people who cheer you on and contribute to this, the best of all sci-fi podcasts.”

Thank you James!! We appreciate you and every one of our tens of thousands of listeners all around the world.

Noel Loomis wrote more than 30 sci-fi short stories that were published from 1946 to 1970. Today’s story was published in the third and last issue of Rocket Stories, published at the height of the science fiction magazine boom, and in this case bust. The date on the cover of this magazine, September 1953, and we will find our story on page 128, Day’s Work by Noel Loomis…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A company offers a service so extraordinary that every satisfied customer forgets ever hiring them, leaving behind only impossible evidence and an unpaid question that refuses to disappear. When Steve Stevens demands an explanation, he uncovers a business built on a scientific breakthrough that could rewrite every relationship he has ever known. Alternatives Inc. by Mack Reynolds

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Star Of Panadur by Albert dePina and Henry Hasse Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

A stranded explorer on Jupiter’s frozen moon discovers that the greatest danger is not the brutal landscape but the choices made when desperation takes hold. When an alien race reveals powers far beyond human understanding, Hugh Betancourt must decide whether some discoveries are too valuable to bring home. Star Of Panadur by Albert De Pina and Henry Hasse. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

Henry Hasse has appeared on the podcast before, but today marks the Lost Sci-Fi Podcast debut of Albert dePina.

Albert Robert dePina was born in 1901 in Havana, Cuba. Like many writers from the pulp science fiction era, very little is known about his life. Between 1943 and 1954, he published just ten stories, four of them co-written with Henry Hasse.

dePina passed away in 1956 at the age of 55, less than two years after the publication of his final story.

Turn to page 65 in Planet Stories, March 1943, Star Of Panadur by Albert dePina and Henry Hasse…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A young god wagers billions of years on a daring experiment that every elder around him expects to fail. If he can prove that intelligence and compassion can grow together, an entirely new species may change the future of the galaxy—or confirm its darkest doubts. Day’s Work by Noel Loomis.

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The New Accelerator by H. G. Wells Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

A breakthrough drug gives two men access to a world where ordinary life appears frozen, turning a quiet seaside afternoon into something almost impossible to comprehend. But once they begin treating time itself like a playground, a dangerous problem emerges that neither of them anticipated. The New Accelerator by H. G. Wells. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

H. G. Wells is best known for classics like The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, and The Invisible Man, but his shorter fiction often contains some of his most inventive ideas. Today’s story asks a fascinating question: what would happen if a scientific discovery allowed you to experience hours while the rest of the world experienced only seconds?

Published in the December 1901 issue of The Strand Magazine, on page 622, The New Accelerator by H. G. Wells…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A stranded explorer on Jupiter’s frozen moon discovers that the greatest danger is not the brutal landscape but the choices made when desperation takes hold. When an alien race reveals powers far beyond human understanding, Hugh Betancourt must decide whether some discoveries are too valuable to bring home. Star Of Panadur by Albert De Pina and Henry Hasse.

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Some Words With a Mummy by Edgar Allan Poe Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

A late-night experiment meant to impress a room full of scholars turns humiliating when their ancient guest begins judging the modern world instead. A scientific curiosity becomes a razor-sharp battle of egos, where every proud claim about progress risks another devastating laugh. Some Words With a Mummy by Edgar Allan Poe. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

There have been a few Edgar Allan Poe stories featured on the podcast. Like H. P. Lovecraft, Poe wasn’t originally an author we planned to include. But we pay close attention to your feedback, and many of you have asked for more Lovecraft and more Poe—so we’re happy to deliver.

And speaking of feedback, we always love hearing from you. If there’s a story, author, or type of science fiction you’d like us to feature, send us an email at scott@lostscifi.com and let us know. Your suggestions help shape the future of The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

Let’s go back in time more than 181 years and open the April 1845 publication of The American Review to page 363, Some Words With a Mummy by Edgar Allan Poe…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A breakthrough drug gives two men access to a world where ordinary life appears frozen, turning a quiet seaside afternoon into something almost impossible to comprehend. But once they begin treating time itself like a playground, a dangerous problem emerges that neither of them anticipated. The New Accelerator by H. G. Wells.

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Cakewalk to Gloryanna by Joseph Wesley Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

A routine cargo run turns into a relentless battle against a chain of biological surprises that no one bothered to translate correctly. As one problem breeds the next, a stubborn starship captain must decide how much misery he can endure before the cargo destroys him—or ruins an entire world. Cakewalk to Gloryanna by Joseph Wesley. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

Joseph Wesley made his debut on the last episode of the podcast and now he’s back with another story about Captain Hannah and the space freighter Delta Crucis.

From the June 1963 issue of Worlds of Tomorrow on page 105, Cakewalk to Gloryanna by Joseph Wesley…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A late-night experiment meant to impress a room full of scholars turns humiliating when their ancient guest begins judging the modern world instead. A scientific curiosity becomes a razor-sharp battle of egos, where every proud claim about progress risks another devastating laugh. Some Words With a Mummy by Edgar Allan Poe.

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An Elephant for the Prinkip by Joseph Wesley Jun 14, 2026

Show notes

A veteran freighter captain accepts a job that sounds impossible, then discovers the real challenge isn’t transporting the cargo—it’s keeping control of it. Every solution creates a new problem, and one misunderstanding threatens to turn a profitable voyage into a very expensive disaster. An Elephant for the Prinkip by Joseph Wesley. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

There isn’t much information about Joseph Wesley. One source says he was born in 1918 but doesn’t say where.

He frequently used the pseudonyms L. J. Stecher and L. J. Stecher Jr.

Wesley wrote 13 short sci-fi stories from 1956 to 1969.

Open the August 1960 issue of Galaxy Magazine to page 122, An Elephant for the Prinkip by Joseph Wesley…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A routine cargo run turns into a relentless battle against a chain of biological surprises that no one bothered to translate correctly. As one problem breeds the next, a stubborn starship captain must decide how much misery he can endure before the cargo destroys him—or ruins an entire world. Cakewalk to Gloryanna by Joseph Wesley.

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Through the Purple Cloud by Jack Williamson Jun 13, 2026

Show notes

A routine flight becomes a nightmare when two stranded survivors discover a barren world where thirst can drive a man insane and a single mistake means death. Somewhere inside that crimson wasteland lies the only path home, but opening it may destroy them before they can escape. Through the Purple Cloud by Jack Williamson. That’s next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast.

Author Jack Williamson wasn’t just an early sci-fi author, he was a prolific science fiction author who wrote for more than seven decades and turned out quality fiction well into his 90s. In fact he won a Hugo and Nebula award for his novella The Ultimate Earth in 2001 at the age of 93!

We narrated his first story, The Metal Man, his 5th, The Cosmic Express, his 8th story, The Meteor Girl and today his tenth story which appeared in Wonder Stories in May 1931, on page 1398, Through the Purple Cloud by Jack Williamson…

Next on The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, A veteran freighter captain accepts a job that sounds impossible, then discovers the real challenge isn’t transporting the cargo—it’s keeping control of it. Every solution creates a new problem, and one misunderstanding threatens to turn a profitable voyage into a very expensive disaster. An Elephant for the Prinkip by Joseph Wesley.

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