Great Science Fiction Short Stories

These are stories I ranked as "great" on reading or re-reading well over 1,000 sci-fi short stories since about 2020. I used a very broad four-tier ranking system (great, good, ok, not worth it). Most stories are from 1930-1975.

Format: Author: Title (year written/published) Theme(s). Notes

Authors who regularly wrote under a pseudonym are not indicated. For example, James Tiptree, Jr., the primary pseudonym of Alice Bradley Sheldon, is left as Tiptree, without comment. Similarly, Lewis Padgett (the commonly used pseudonym for C. L. Moore and her husband Henry Kuttner) is not commented on, but when they used the rare pseudonym of Lawrence O'Donnell, that is noted. Also noted: if the story was published under different names at different times, such as Campbell's Who Goes There? which was originally published under the Don A. Stuart pseudonym but is usually found with Campbell's byline.

The Theme listed for each story are selected from a list, and so are fairly rudimentary. They are also sometimes idiosyncratic. They are not meant to convey details about the story.

Notes are only provided when necessar; for example, to indicate a story is a novella or short novel.

You can also view this list arranged alphabetically by author.

Where can you find these stories if you want to read them?

If you search The Internet Speculative Fiction Database you can find all of the places a story was published, from magazines to anthologies. Many of the early sci-fi magazines have been scanned into the Internet Archive. I also find some used bookstores to be goldmines for sci-fi anthologies.

Chronological List

1. H. G. Wells: The Time Machine (1895) Theme: time travel. Novella
2. H. G. Wells: The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes (1895) Theme: unusual sentience
3. H. G. Wells: The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1895) Themes: invention, humor
4. Mark Twain: From the London Times of 1904 (1898) Themes: mental powers, humor
5. H. P. Lovecraft: The Color Out of Space (1927) Theme: alien(s)
6. Murray Leinster: Sidewise in Time (1934) Theme: time travel. Novella
7. Stanley G. Weinbaum: A Martian Odyssey (1934) Theme: Mars
8. John W. Campbell, Jr.: Who Goes There? (1938) Themes: alien(s), possession. Originally published under the pseudonym as Don A. Stuart.
9. Isaac Asimov: Robbie (1940) Theme: robot(s)
10. Jorge Luis Borges: Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius (1940) Theme: fictitious alien world
11. Theodore Sturgeon: Cargo (1940) Theme: ghost story
12. Isaac Asimov: Liar! (1941) Theme: robot(s)
13. Isaac Asimov: Nightfall (1941) Theme: apocalyptic, alien world
14. Isaac Asimov: Runaround (1942) Theme: robot(s)
15. Lewis Padgett: Line to Tomorrow (1941) Theme: time travel, precognition
16. Theodore Sturgeon: Microcosmic God (1941) Theme: super genius, invention(s)
17. Theodore Sturgeon: Yesterday Was Monday (1941) Theme: time travel.
18. Robert A. Heinlein: Goldfish Bowl (1942) Theme: alien(s). Originally published under the pseudonym as Anson Macdonald.
19. A. E. van Vogt: The Weapon Shop (1942) Theme: power struggle. There is also a longer version titled The Weapon Shops of Isher
20. Anthony Boucher: Q. U. R. (1943) Theme: robot(s)
21. Leigh Brackett: The Halfling (1943) Theme: alien(s)
22. Edmond Hamilton: Exile (1943) Theme: different dimensions
23. Lewis Padgett: Mimsy Were the Borogoves (1943) Theme: different dimensions
24. Lewis Padgett: The Proud Robot (1943) Theme: robot(s), humor
25. A. E. van Vogt: The Search (1943) Theme: time travel
26. Fredric Brown: Arena (1944) Theme: alien(s)
27. C. L. Moore: No Woman Born (1944) Theme: cyborg. Novella.
28. Lewis Padgett: When the Bough Breaks (1944) Theme: super genius
29. Clifford D. Simak: Huddling Place (1944) Theme: Mars, vision of the future
30. Clifford D. Simak: Desertion (1944) Theme: unusual sentience, pantropy
31. Isaac Asimov: Catch the Rabbit (1944) Theme: robot(s)
32. Isaac Asimov: Blind Alley (1945) Theme: alien(s)
33. Isaac Asimov: Escape! (1945) Themes: space travel, robot(s)
34. Jorge Luis Borges: The Aleph (1945) Theme: different dimensions
35. Murray Leinster: First Contact (1945) Theme: alien(s)
36. Lewis Padgett: What You Need (1945) Theme: precognition, invention(s)
37. Ray Bradbury: The Million-Year Picnic (1946) Theme: Mars.
38. Henry Kuttner: Call Him Demon (1946) Theme: alien(s)
39. Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore: Vintage Season (1946) Theme: time travel. Published under the pseudonym Lawrence O'Donnell
40. Murray Leinster: A Logic Named Joe (1946) Themes: robot(s), humor.
41. Isaac Asimov: Evidence (1946) Theme: robot(s)
42. Isaac Asimov: Little Lost Robot (1947) Theme: robot(s)
43. Robert A. Heinlein: The Green Hills of Earth (1947) Theme: space travel
44. Fritz Leiber, Jr.: The Man Who Never Grew Young (1947) Theme: extended life
45. T. L. Sherred: E if for Effort (1947) Theme: invention(s)
46. Theodore Sturgeon: Thunder and Roses (1947) Theme: apocalyptic
47. Jack Williamson: With Folded Hands (1947) Theme: robot(s)
48. Poul Anderson: Genius (1948) Theme: super-genius
49. Ray Bradbury: The Earth Men (1948) Theme: Mars
50. Ray Bradbury: Mars is Heaven! (1948) Theme: Mars. In the Martian Chronicles, this story is called The Third Expedition
51. Ray Bradbury: And the Moon Be Still as Bright (1948) Theme: Mars
52. Henry Kuttner: Happy Ending (1948) Themes: time travel, robot(s)
53. Judith Merril: That Only a Mother (1948) Theme: mutant or mutation
54. Lewis Padgett: Ex Machina (1948) Themes: robot(s), humor
55. Cordwainer Smith: Scanners Live in Vain (1948) Themes: space travel, pantropy
56. Theodore Sturgeon: There is No Defense (1949) Themes: alien(s), weapons of war
57. Ray Bradbury: Kaleidoscope (1949) Theme: space travel
58. Roald Dahl: The Sound Machine (1949) Theme: inventions
59. Robert A. Heinlein: In Our Fair City (1949) Themes: unusual sentience, humor
60. Robertson Osborne: Contact, Incorporated (1949) Theme: alien(s). Also published as Action on Azura.
61. Peter Phillips: Manna (1949) Themes: time travel, ghost story
62. Theodore Sturgeon: The Hurkle is a Happy Beast (1949) Theme: alien(s), humor
63. Ray Bradbury: Forever and the Earth (1950) Themes: time travel, story about writing a story
64. Ray Bradbury: The Martian (1950) Theme: Mars
65. Ray Bradbury: Night Meeting (1950) Theme: Mars
66. Ray Bradbury: Way in the Middle of the Air (1950) Theme: Mars
67. Ray Bradbury: There Will Comes Soft Rains (1950) Theme: post-apocalyptic
68. Jack Finney: The Third Level (1950) Theme: time travel
69. C. M. Kornbluth: The Little Black Bag (1950) Theme: time travel
70. Fritz Leiber, Jr.: Coming Attraction (1950) Theme: vision of the future
71. Katherine MacLean: Contagion (1950) Themes: human colony, relationship
72. Katherine MacLean: Incommunicado (1950) Theme: space travel
73. Theodore Sturgeon: The Dreaming Jewels (1950) Theme: unusual sentience. Short novel.
74. A. E. van Vogt: The Enchanted Village (1950) Theme: Mars
75. Anthony Boucher: The Quest for Saint Aquin (1951) Theme: robot(s), oppressive society
76. Edgar Pangborn: Angel's Egg (1951) Theme: alien(s)
77. Jack Vance: Winner Lose All (1951) Theme: alien(s)
78. Alfred Bester: Hobson's Choice (1952) Theme: time travel
79. Ray Bradbury: A Sound of Thunder (1952) Theme: time travel
80. Edmond Hamilton: What's It Like Out There? (1952) Theme: space travel, Mars
81. Zenna Henderson: Ararat (1952) Themes: alien(s), relationship
82. Michael Shaara: All the Way Back (1952) Theme: we're the aliens
83. Arthur C. Clarke: The Nine Billion Names of God (1953) Theme: apocalyptic
84. Fritz Leiber, Jr.: A Bad Day for Sales (1953) Theme: robot(s)
85. Jack Lewis: Who's Cribbing? (1953) Theme: time travel
86. Jerome Bixby: It's a Good Life (1953) Theme: mutant or mutation
87. Katherine MacLean: Games (1953) Theme: mindreading
88. Margaret St. Clair: Prott (1953) Theme: alien(s)
89. William Tenn: The Liberation of Earth (1953) Themes: alien(s), apocalyptic, dark humor.
90. Alfred Bester: Fondly Fahrenheit (1954) Theme: robot(s)
91. Ray Bradbury: All Summer in a Day (1954) Theme: Venus
92. Algis Budrys: To Civilize (1954) Themes: aliens(s), join the federation
93. Tom Godwin: The Cold Equations (1954) Theme: space travel
94. Damon Knight: Rule Golden (1954) Theme: alien(s). Novella
95. C. M. Kornbluth: Gomez (1954) Themes: time travel, inventions
96. Chad Oliver: Let Me Live in a House (1954) Themes: alien(s), space travel
97. Edgar Pangborn: The Music Master of Babylon (1954) Theme: post-apocalyptic
98. Clifford D. Simak: Immigrant (1954) Themes: alien(s), mindreading
99. Margaret St. Clair: Short in the Chest (1954) Themes: robot(s), humor
100. Theodore Sturgeon: The Education of Dursilla Strange (1954) Theme: alien(s)
101. Mari Wolf: The First Day of Spring (1954) Theme: human colony
102. Philip K. Dick: Autofac (1955) Theme: post-apocalyptic
103. Damon Knight: The Country of the Kind (1955) Theme: mutant or mutation
104. Judith Merril: Project Nursemaid (1955) Theme: Moon
105. James H. Schmitz: Grandpa (1955) Themes: alien(s), human colony
106. Evelyn E. Smith: The Princess and the Physicist (1955) Themes: alien(s), humor
107. Margaret St. Clair: Change the Sky (1955) Themes: space travel, invention(s). Initially published under the pseudonym Idris Seabright
108. Theodore Sturgeon: The [Widget], the [Wadget], and Boff (1955) Theme: alien(s)
109. J. G. Ballard: Prima Belladonna (1956) Themes: strange Earthlife, mutant
110. Algis Budrys: Silent Brother (1956) Themes: alien(s), space travel
111. Zenna Henderson: Anything Box (1956) Theme: virtual reality?
112. Damon Knight: Stranger Station (1956) Theme: alien(s)
113. C. M. Kornbluth: The Cosmic Expense Account (1956) Themes: super genius, humor
114. Robert Nathan: Digging the Weans (1956) Theme: post-apocalyptic
115. Theodore Sturgeon: The Other Man (1956) Themes: future psychology. Novella
116. Theodore Sturgeon: The Skills of Xanadu (1956) Themes: human colony, unusual sentience
117. Julia Verlanger: The Bubbles (1956) Theme: post-apocalyptic
118. Alfred Bester: The Stars My Destination (1956) Themes: space travel, teleportation. Short novel.
119. Leigh Brackett: The Queer Ones (1957) Theme: alien(s)
120. George Langelaan: The Fly (1957) Theme: invention(s)
121. Evelyn E. Smith: Once a Greech (1957) Theme: alien(s)
122. Walter Tevis: The Ifth of Oofth (1957) Themes: different dimensions, apocalyptic
123. James White: Sector General (1957) Themes: vision of the future, alien(s). Novella
124. Brian Aldiss: Poor Little Warrior (1958) Theme: time travel
125. Pauline Ashwell: Unwilling to School (1958) Themes: super genius, humor. Novella
126. Carol Emchwiller: Pelt (1958) Themes: alien(s), we're the aliens
127. Katherine MacLean: Unhuman Sacrifice (1958) Theme: alien(s)
128. Judith Merril: Wish Upon a Star (1958) Theme: generation ship
129. Cliffor D. Simak: The World That Couldn't Be (1958) Theme: alien(s), human colony. Novella
130. Cliffor D. Simak: Final Gentleman (1959) Theme: alien(s). Novella
131. Daniel Keyes: Flowers for Algernon (1959) Theme: super genius
132. Will Worthington: Plenitude (1959) Themes: post-apocalyptic, post-industrial
133. J. G. Ballard: The Voices of Time (1960) Themes: mutant or mutation, vision of the future
134. Jane Rice: The White Pony (1960) Themes: post-apocalyptic, relationship
135. Theordore Sturgeon: Need (1960) Theme: precognition. Novella
136. Rosel George Brown: Of All Possible Worlds (1961) Theme: alien(s)
137. Alice Glaser: The Tunnel Ahead (1961) Theme: overpopulation
138. Stanislaw Lem: Solaris (1961) Theme: alien(s). Short novel
139. Cordwainer Smith: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard (1961) Theme: vision of the future
140. E. C. Tubb: Umbrella in the Sky (1961) Theme: pre-apocalyptic
141. Poul Anderson: Kings Who Die (1962) Themes: space travel, weapons of war
142. Fredric Brown: Puppet Show (1962) Themes: alien(s), join the federation, humor
143. Edmond Hamilton: Requiem (1962) Theme: space travel
144. Theodore Sturgeon: When You Care, When You Love (1962) Theme: relationship
145. Poul Anderson: The Horn of Time the Hunter (1963) Theme: we're the aliens. Also published as Homo Aquaticus
146. Alfred Bester: They Don't Make Life Like They Used To (1963) Theme: post-apocalyptic
147. Otis Kidwell Burger: The Pleaides (1963) Theme: extended life
148. Avram Davidson: What Strange Stars and Skies (1963) Theme: alien(s)
149. Sonya Dorman: The Putnam Tradition (1963) Theme: mutant or mutation
150. P. M. Hubbard: The Golden Brick (1963) Theme: extended life
151. Ursula K. Le Guin: Darkness Box (1963) Theme: time statis
152. Roger Zelazny: A Rose for Ecclesiastes (1963) Theme: Mars
153. Hilary Bailey: The Fall of Frenchy Steiner (1964) Theme: alternate past
154. J. G. Ballard: The Drowned Giant (1964) Theme: strange Earthlife
155. Arthur C. Clarke: Sunjammer (1964) Theme: space travel, future sport
156. M. J. Engh: We Serve the Star of Freedom (1964) Theme: alien(s). Initially published under the pseudonym Jane Beauclerk.
157. John Baxter: The Hands (1965) Themes: we're the aliens, alien(s)
158. Harlan Ellison: "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman (1965) Theme: repressive society
159. Sever Gansovsky: Day of Wrath (1965) Themes: unusual sentience, mutant or mutation
160. Colin Kapp: The Subways of Tazoo (1965) Themes: alien(s), inventions
161. Sonya Dorman: When I Was Miss Dow (1966) Theme: alien(s)
162. Bob Shaw: Light of Other Days (1966) Theme: inventions
163. Kate Wilhelm: Staras Flonderans (1966) Themes: alien(s), space travel
164. Poul Anderson: Eutopia (1967) Theme: different dimensions
165. Samuel R. Delany: Aye, and Gomorrah… (1967) Theme: space travel, pantropy
166. Philip K. Dick: Faith of Our Fathers (1967) Theme: alien(s)
167. Philip Jose Farmer: Riders of the Purple Wage (or The Great Gavage) (1967) Theme: vision of the future
168. Fritz Leiber, Jr.: Gonna Foll the Bones (1967) Theme: entertainment gone bad
169. Howard Rodman: The Man Who Went to the Moon - Twice (1967) Theme: space travel
170. Samuel R. Delany: High Weir (1968) Theme: Mars
171. Ursula K. Le Guin: Nine Lives (1969) Theme: clones, extraterrestrial mining
172. Ursula K. Le Guin: Winter's King (1969) Theme: power struggle
173. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Snows Are Melted, The Snows Are Gone (1970) Themes: post-apocalyptic, post-industrial, mutant or mutation
174. Gordon R. Dickson: Jean Dupres (1970) Theme: alien(s)
175. Robin Scott: The Big Connection (1970) Themes: inventions, humor
176. Ursula K. Le Guin: Vaster Than Empires and More Slow (1971) Themes: alien(s), unusual sentience
177. Joanna Russ: Gleepsite (1971) Theme: post-apocalyptic
178. Terry Carr: Ozymandias (1972) Theme: post-apocalyptic
179. Thomas M. Disch: Things Lost (1972) Themes: extended life, space travel
180. Harlan Ellison: On the Downhill Side (1972) Theme: ghost story
181. Pamela Sargent: Fears (1972) Theme: repressive society
182. Boris Strugatsky and Arkady Strugatsky: Roadside Picnic (1972) Theme: alien(s). Short novel
183. James Tiptree, Jr.: And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill's Side (1972): Theme: alien(s)
184. Gene Wolfe: The Fifth Head of Cerberus (1972) Themes: clones, robot(s). Novella.
185. Leonard Tushnet: In re Glover (1972) Themes: extended life, humor
186. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.: The Big Space Fuck (1972) Themes: overpopulation, humor
187. Kate Wilhelm: The Funeral (1972) Theme: repressive society
188. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Women Men Don't See (1973) Theme: alien(s)
189. Gordon Eklund and Gregory Benford: If the Stars Are Gods (1974) Theme: alien(s)
190. Ursula K. Le Guin: The Day Before the Revolution (1974) Theme: power struggle
191. Yasutaka Tsutsui: Standing Woman (1974) Theme: repressive society
192. Barry N. Malzberg: A Galaxy Called Rome (1975) Themes: space travel, story about writing a story
193. Kathleen M. Sidney: The Anthropologist (1975) Theme: alien(s)
194. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Screwfly Solution (1977) Theme: apocalyptic. Initially published under the pseudonym Raccoona Sheldon.
195. M. Lucie Chin: The Best is Yet to Be (1978) Theme: extended life
196. Joanna Russ: The Extraordinary Voyages of Amelie Bertrand (1979) Theme: time travel
197. Octavia E. Butler: Speech Sounds (1983) Theme: post-apocalyptic
198. Octavia E. Butler: Bloodchild (1984) Theme: alien(s)
199. S. N. Dyer: Passing as a Flower in the City of the Dead (1984) Theme: relationship, extended life
200. C. J. Cherryh: The Scapegoat (1985) Theme: alien(s)
201. Michael Moorcock: The Frozen Cardinal (1987) Theme: human colony (survey team)
202. Tanith Lee: Crying in the Rain (1989) Theme: post-apocalyptic
203. Brian Aldiss: FOAM (1991) Theme: vision of the future, inventions
204. Jacqueline Harpman: I Who Have Never Known Men (1995) Theme: post-apocalyptic. Short novel
205. Ted Chiang: Story of Your Life (1998) Theme: alien(s)
206. Cory Doctorow: Craphound (1998) Theme: alien(s)
207. Vandana Singh: The Tetrahedron (2005) Theme: different dimensions
208. N. K. Jemisin: One the Banks of the River Lex (2010) Theme: post-apocalyptic
209. N. K. Jemisin: Valedictorian (2014) Themes: post-apocalyptic, virtual reality
210. N. K. Jemisin: The Evaluators (2016) Themes: human colony, alien(s)
211. James S. A. Corey: Judas Iscariot Didn't Kill Himself: A Story in Fragments (2024) Themes: inventions, cyborg