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. Similarly, if the story was published under different names at different times that is note; for example, John W. Campbell's Who Goes There?, which was originally published under the Don A. Stuart pseudonym, but later publications are 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 necessary; 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. Novella.
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. Novella. 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. Novella. 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). Novella
46. Theodore Sturgeon: Thunder and Roses (1947) Theme: apocalyptic
47. Jack Williamson: With Folded Hands (1947) Theme: robot(s). Novella
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. Novella
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. Theodore Sturgeon: Baby is Three (1952) Theme: Mutant or Mutation. Novella.
84. Arthur C. Clarke: The Nine Billion Names of God (1953) Theme: apocalyptic
85. Fritz Leiber, Jr.: A Bad Day for Sales (1953) Theme: robot(s)
86. Jack Lewis: Who's Cribbing? (1953) Theme: time travel
87. Jerome Bixby: It's a Good Life (1953) Theme: mutant or mutation
88. Katherine MacLean: Games (1953) Theme: mindreading
89. Margaret St. Clair: Prott (1953) Theme: alien(s)
90. William Tenn: The Liberation of Earth (1953) Themes: alien(s), apocalyptic, dark humor.
91. Alfred Bester: Fondly Fahrenheit (1954) Theme: robot(s)
92. Ray Bradbury: All Summer in a Day (1954) Theme: Venus
93. Algis Budrys: To Civilize (1954) Themes: aliens(s), join the federation
94. Tom Godwin: The Cold Equations (1954) Theme: space travel
95. Damon Knight: Rule Golden (1954) Theme: alien(s). Novella
96. C. M. Kornbluth: Gomez (1954) Themes: time travel, inventions
97. Chad Oliver: Let Me Live in a House (1954) Themes: alien(s), space travel
98. Edgar Pangborn: The Music Master of Babylon (1954) Theme: post-apocalyptic
99. Clifford D. Simak: Immigrant (1954) Themes: alien(s), mindreading. Novella
100. Margaret St. Clair: Short in the Chest (1954) Themes: robot(s), humor
101. Theodore Sturgeon: The Education of Dursilla Strange (1954) Theme: alien(s)
102. Mari Wolf: The First Day of Spring (1954) Theme: human colony
103. Philip K. Dick: Autofac (1955) Theme: post-apocalyptic
104. Damon Knight: The Country of the Kind (1955) Theme: mutant or mutation
105. Judith Merril: Project Nursemaid (1955) Theme: Moon. Novella
106. James H. Schmitz: Grandpa (1955) Themes: alien(s), human colony
107. Evelyn E. Smith: The Princess and the Physicist (1955) Themes: alien(s), humor
108. Margaret St. Clair: Change the Sky (1955) Themes: space travel, invention(s). Initially published under the pseudonym Idris Seabright
109. Theodore Sturgeon: The [Widget], the [Wadget], and Boff (1955) Theme: alien(s). Novella
110. J. G. Ballard: Prima Belladonna (1956) Themes: strange Earthlife, mutant
111. Algis Budrys: Silent Brother (1956) Themes: alien(s), space travel
112. Zenna Henderson: Anything Box (1956) Theme: virtual reality?
113. Damon Knight: Stranger Station (1956) Theme: alien(s)
114. C. M. Kornbluth: The Cosmic Expense Account (1956) Themes: super genius, humor
115. Robert Nathan: Digging the Weans (1956) Theme: post-apocalyptic
116. Theodore Sturgeon: The Other Man (1956) Themes: future psychology. Novella
117. Theodore Sturgeon: The Skills of Xanadu (1956) Themes: human colony, unusual sentience
118. Julia Verlanger: The Bubbles (1956) Theme: post-apocalyptic
119. Alfred Bester: The Stars My Destination (1956) Themes: space travel, teleportation. Short novel.
120. Leigh Brackett: The Queer Ones (1957) Theme: alien(s)
121. George Langelaan: The Fly (1957) Theme: invention(s)
122. Evelyn E. Smith: Once a Greech (1957) Theme: alien(s)
123. Walter Tevis: The Ifth of Oofth (1957) Themes: different dimensions, apocalyptic
124. James White: Sector General (1957) Themes: vision of the future, alien(s).
125. Brian Aldiss: Poor Little Warrior (1958) Theme: time travel
126. Poul Anderson: The Martian Crown Jewels (1958) Theme: Mars
127. Pauline Ashwell: Unwilling to School (1958) Themes: super genius, humor. Novella
128. Carol Emchwiller: Pelt (1958) Themes: alien(s), we're the aliens
129. Katherine MacLean: Unhuman Sacrifice (1958) Theme: alien(s)
130. Judith Merril: Wish Upon a Star (1958) Theme: generation ship
131. Cliffor D. Simak: The World That Couldn't Be (1958) Theme: alien(s), human colony. Novella
132. Cliffor D. Simak: Final Gentleman (1959) Theme: alien(s). Novella
133. Daniel Keyes: Flowers for Algernon (1959) Theme: super genius
134. Will Worthington: Plenitude (1959) Themes: post-apocalyptic, post-industrial
135. J. G. Ballard: The Voices of Time (1960) Themes: mutant or mutation, vision of the future
136. Jane Rice: The White Pony (1960) Themes: post-apocalyptic, relationship
137. Theordore Sturgeon: Need (1960) Theme: precognition. Novella
138. Rosel George Brown: Of All Possible Worlds (1961) Theme: alien(s)
139. Alice Glaser: The Tunnel Ahead (1961) Theme: overpopulation
140. Stanislaw Lem: Solaris (1961) Theme: alien(s). Short novel
141. Cordwainer Smith: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard (1961) Theme: vision of the future
142. E. C. Tubb: Umbrella in the Sky (1961) Theme: pre-apocalyptic
143. Poul Anderson: Kings Who Die (1962) Themes: space travel, weapons of war
144. Fredric Brown: Puppet Show (1962) Themes: alien(s), join the federation, humor
145. Edmond Hamilton: Requiem (1962) Theme: space travel
146. Theodore Sturgeon: When You Care, When You Love (1962) Theme: relationship
147. Poul Anderson: The Horn of Time the Hunter (1963) Theme: we're the aliens. Also published as Homo Aquaticus
148. Alfred Bester: They Don't Make Life Like They Used To (1963) Theme: post-apocalyptic
149. Otis Kidwell Burger: The Pleaides (1963) Theme: extended life
150. Avram Davidson: What Strange Stars and Skies (1963) Theme: alien(s)
151. Sonya Dorman: The Putnam Tradition (1963) Theme: mutant or mutation
152. P. M. Hubbard: The Golden Brick (1963) Theme: extended life
153. Ursula K. Le Guin: Darkness Box (1963) Theme: time statis
154. Roger Zelazny: A Rose for Ecclesiastes (1963) Theme: Mars
155. Hilary Bailey: The Fall of Frenchy Steiner (1964) Theme: alternate past
156. J. G. Ballard: The Drowned Giant (1964) Theme: strange Earthlife
157. Arthur C. Clarke: Sunjammer (1964) Theme: space travel, future sport
158. M. J. Engh: We Serve the Star of Freedom (1964) Theme: alien(s). Initially published under the pseudonym Jane Beauclerk.
159. John Baxter: The Hands (1965) Themes: we're the aliens, alien(s)
160. Harlan Ellison: "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman (1965) Theme: repressive society
161. Sever Gansovsky: Day of Wrath (1965) Themes: unusual sentience, mutant or mutation
162. Colin Kapp: The Subways of Tazoo (1965) Themes: alien(s), inventions
163. Roger Zelazny: The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth (1965) Theme: Venus
164. Roger Zelazny: He Who Shapes (1965) Themes: future psychology. Novella
165. Samuel R. Delany: Babel-17 (1966) Theme: space travel, mindreading. Short novel
166. Samuel R. Delany: Empire Star (1966) Theme: space travel, time travel. Novella
167. Sonya Dorman: When I Was Miss Dow (1966) Theme: alien(s)
168. Bob Shaw: Light of Other Days (1966) Theme: inventions
169. Kate Wilhelm: Staras Flonderans (1966) Themes: alien(s), space travel
170. Poul Anderson: Eutopia (1967) Theme: different dimensions
171. Samuel R. Delany: Aye, and Gomorrah... (1967) Theme: space travel, pantropy
172. Philip K. Dick: Faith of Our Fathers (1967) Theme: alien(s)
173. Philip Jose Farmer: Riders of the Purple Wage (or The Great Gavage) (1967) Theme: vision of the future. Novella
174. Fritz Leiber, Jr.: Gonna Foll the Bones (1967) Theme: entertainment gone bad
175. Howard Rodman: The Man Who Went to the Moon - Twice (1967) Theme: space travel
176. Samuel R. Delany: High Weir (1968) Theme: Mars
177. Ursula K. Le Guin: Nine Lives (1969) Theme: clones, extraterrestrial mining
178. Ursula K. Le Guin: Winter's King (1969) Theme: power struggle
179. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Snows Are Melted, The Snows Are Gone (1970) Themes: post-apocalyptic, post-industrial, mutant or mutation
180. Gordon R. Dickson: Jean Dupres (1970) Theme: alien(s). Novella
181. Robin Scott: The Big Connection (1970) Themes: inventions, humor
182. Ursula K. Le Guin: Vaster Than Empires and More Slow (1971) Themes: alien(s), unusual sentience
183. Joanna Russ: Gleepsite (1971) Theme: post-apocalyptic
184. Terry Carr: Ozymandias (1972) Theme: post-apocalyptic
185. Thomas M. Disch: Things Lost (1972) Themes: extended life, space travel
186. Harlan Ellison: On the Downhill Side (1972) Theme: ghost story
187. Pamela Sargent: Fears (1972) Theme: repressive society
188. Boris Strugatsky and Arkady Strugatsky: Roadside Picnic (1972) Theme: alien(s). Short novel
189. James Tiptree, Jr.: And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill's Side (1972): Theme: alien(s)
190. Gene Wolfe: The Fifth Head of Cerberus (1972) Themes: clones, robot(s). Novella.
191. Leonard Tushnet: In re Glover (1972) Themes: extended life, humor
192. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.: The Big Space Fuck (1972) Themes: overpopulation, humor
193. Kate Wilhelm: The Funeral (1972) Theme: repressive society
194. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Women Men Don't See (1973) Theme: alien(s)
195. Gordon Eklund and Gregory Benford: If the Stars Are Gods (1974) Theme: alien(s)
196. Ursula K. Le Guin: The Day Before the Revolution (1974) Theme: power struggle
197. Yasutaka Tsutsui: Standing Woman (1974) Theme: repressive society
198. Philip Jose Farmer: Venus on the Half-Shell (1975) Themes: extended life, humor. Short novel. Originally published under the pseudonym Kilgore Trout.
199. Barry N. Malzberg: A Galaxy Called Rome (1975) Themes: space travel, story about writing a story
200. Kathleen M. Sidney: The Anthropologist (1975) Theme: alien(s)
201. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Screwfly Solution (1977) Theme: apocalyptic. Initially published under the pseudonym Raccoona Sheldon.
202. M. Lucie Chin: The Best is Yet to Be (1978) Theme: extended life
203. Joanna Russ: The Extraordinary Voyages of Amelie Bertrand (1979) Theme: time travel
204. Octavia E. Butler: Speech Sounds (1983) Theme: post-apocalyptic
205. Octavia E. Butler: Bloodchild (1984) Theme: alien(s)
206. S. N. Dyer: Passing as a Flower in the City of the Dead (1984) Theme: relationship, extended life
207. C. J. Cherryh: The Scapegoat (1985) Theme: alien(s). Novella
208. Michael Moorcock: The Frozen Cardinal (1987) Theme: human colony (survey team)
209. Tanith Lee: Crying in the Rain (1989) Theme: post-apocalyptic
210. Brian Aldiss: FOAM (1991) Theme: vision of the future, inventions
211. Jacqueline Harpman: I Who Have Never Known Men (1995) Theme: post-apocalyptic. Short novel
212. Ted Chiang: Story of Your Life (1998) Theme: alien(s)
213. Cory Doctorow: Craphound (1998) Theme: alien(s)
214. Vandana Singh: The Tetrahedron (2005) Theme: different dimensions
215. N. K. Jemisin: One the Banks of the River Lex (2010) Theme: post-apocalyptic
216. George Saunders: The Semplica Girl Diaries (2012) Themes: vision of the future
217. N. K. Jemisin: Valedictorian (2014) Themes: post-apocalyptic, virtual reality
218. N. K. Jemisin: The Evaluators (2016) Themes: human colony, alien(s)
219. James S. A. Corey: Judas Iscariot Didn't Kill Himself: A Story in Fragments (2024) Themes: inventions, cyborg