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 chronologically.

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.

Alphabetically by Author List

1. Brian Aldiss: Poor Little Warrior (1958) Theme: time travel
2. Brian Aldiss: FOAM (1991) Theme: vision of the future, inventions
3. Poul Anderson: Genius (1948) Theme: super-genius
4. Poul Anderson: The Martian Crown Jewels (1958) Theme: Mars
5. Poul Anderson: Kings Who Die (1962) Themes: space travel, weapons of war
6. Poul Anderson: The Horn of Time the Hunter (1963) Theme: we're the aliens. Also published as Homo Aquaticus
7. Poul Anderson: Eutopia (1967) Theme: different dimensions
8. Pauline Ashwell: Unwilling to School (1958) Themes: super genius, humor. Novella
9. Isaac Asimov: Robbie (1940) Theme: robot(s)
10. Isaac Asimov: Liar! (1941) Theme: robot(s)
11. Isaac Asimov: Nightfall (1941) Theme: apocalyptic, alien world
12. Isaac Asimov: Runaround (1942) Theme: robot(s)
13. Isaac Asimov: Catch the Rabbit (1944) Theme: robot(s)
14. Isaac Asimov: Blind Alley (1945) Theme: alien(s)
15. Isaac Asimov: Escape! (1945) Themes: space travel, robot(s)
16. Isaac Asimov: Evidence (1946) Theme: robot(s)
17. Isaac Asimov: Little Lost Robot (1947) Theme: robot(s)
18. Hilary Bailey: The Fall of Frenchy Steiner (1964) Theme: alternate past
19. J. G. Ballard: Prima Belladonna (1956) Themes: strange Earthlife, mutant
20. J. G. Ballard: The Voices of Time (1960) Themes: mutant or mutation, vision of the future
21. J. G. Ballard: The Drowned Giant (1964) Theme: strange Earthlife
22. John Baxter: The Hands (1965) Themes: we're the aliens, alien(s)
23. Alfred Bester: Hobson's Choice (1952) Theme: time travel
24. Alfred Bester: Fondly Fahrenheit (1954) Theme: robot(s)
25. Alfred Bester: The Stars My Destination (1956) Themes: space travel, teleportation. Short novel.
26. Alfred Bester: They Don't Make Life Like They Used To (1963) Theme: post-apocalyptic
27. Jerome Bixby: It's a Good Life (1953) Theme: mutant or mutation
28. Jorge Luis Borges: Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius (1940) Theme: fictitious alien world
29. Jorge Luis Borges: The Aleph (1945) Theme: different dimensions
30. Anthony Boucher: Q. U. R. (1943) Theme: robot(s)
31. Anthony Boucher: The Quest for Saint Aquin (1951) Theme: robot(s), oppressive society
32. Leigh Brackett: The Halfling (1943) Theme: alien(s)
33. Leigh Brackett: The Queer Ones (1957) Theme: alien(s)
34. Ray Bradbury: The Million-Year Picnic (1946) Theme: Mars.
35. Ray Bradbury: The Earth Men (1948) Theme: Mars
36. Ray Bradbury: Mars is Heaven! (1948) Theme: Mars. In the Martian Chronicles, this story is called The Third Expedition
37. Ray Bradbury: And the Moon Be Still as Bright (1948) Theme: Mars
38. Ray Bradbury: Kaleidoscope (1949) Theme: space travel
39. Ray Bradbury: Forever and the Earth (1950) Themes: time travel, story about writing a story
40. Ray Bradbury: The Martian (1950) Theme: Mars
41. Ray Bradbury: Night Meeting (1950) Theme: Mars
42. Ray Bradbury: Way in the Middle of the Air (1950) Theme: Mars
43. Ray Bradbury: There Will Comes Soft Rains (1950) Theme: post-apocalyptic
44. Ray Bradbury: A Sound of Thunder (1952) Theme: time travel
45. Ray Bradbury: All Summer in a Day (1954) Theme: Venus
46. Fredric Brown: Arena (1944) Theme: alien(s)
47. Fredric Brown: Puppet Show (1962) Themes: alien(s), join the federation, humor
48. Rosel George Brown: Of All Possible Worlds (1961) Theme: alien(s)
49. Algis Budrys: To Civilize (1954) Themes: aliens(s), join the federation
50. Algis Budrys: Silent Brother (1956) Themes: alien(s), space travel
51. Otis Kidwell Burger: The Pleaides (1963) Theme: extended life
52. Octavia E. Butler: Speech Sounds (1983) Theme: post-apocalyptic
53. Octavia E. Butler: Bloodchild (1984) Theme: alien(s)
54. John W. Campbell, Jr.: Who Goes There? (1938) Themes: alien(s), possession. Originally published under the pseudonym as Don A. Stuart. Novella.
55. Terry Carr: Ozymandias (1972) Theme: post-apocalyptic
56. C. J. Cherryh: The Scapegoat (1985) Theme: alien(s). Novella
57. Ted Chiang: Story of Your Life (1998) Theme: alien(s)
58. M. Lucie Chin: The Best is Yet to Be (1978) Theme: extended life
59. Arthur C. Clarke: The Nine Billion Names of God (1953) Theme: apocalyptic
60. Arthur C. Clarke: Sunjammer (1964) Theme: space travel, future sport
61. James S. A. Corey: Judas Iscariot Didn't Kill Himself: A Story in Fragments (2024) Themes: inventions, cyborg
62. Roald Dahl: The Sound Machine (1949) Theme: inventions
63. Avram Davidson: What Strange Stars and Skies (1963) Theme: alien(s)
64. Samuel R. Delany: Babel-17 (1966) Theme: space travel, mindreading. Short novel
65. Samuel R. Delany: Empire Star (1966) Theme: space travel, time travel. Novella
66. Samuel R. Delany: Aye, and Gomorrah... (1967) Theme: space travel, pantropy
67. Samuel R. Delany: High Weir (1968) Theme: Mars
68. Philip K. Dick: Autofac (1955) Theme: post-apocalyptic
69. Philip K. Dick: Faith of Our Fathers (1967) Theme: alien(s)
70. Gordon R. Dickson: Jean Dupres (1970) Theme: alien(s). Novella
71. Thomas M. Disch: Things Lost (1972) Themes: extended life, space travel
72. Cory Doctorow: Craphound (1998) Theme: alien(s)
73. Sonya Dorman: The Putnam Tradition (1963) Theme: mutant or mutation
74. Sonya Dorman: When I Was Miss Dow (1966) Theme: alien(s)
75. S. N. Dyer: Passing as a Flower in the City of the Dead (1984) Theme: relationship, extended life
76. Gordon Eklund and Gregory Benford: If the Stars Are Gods (1974) Theme: alien(s)
77. Harlan Ellison: "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman (1965) Theme: repressive society
78. Harlan Ellison: On the Downhill Side (1972) Theme: ghost story
79. Carol Emchwiller: Pelt (1958) Themes: alien(s), we're the aliens
80. M. J. Engh: We Serve the Star of Freedom (1964) Theme: alien(s). Initially published under the pseudonym Jane Beauclerk.
81. Philip Jose Farmer: Riders of the Purple Wage (or The Great Gavage) (1967) Theme: vision of the future. Novella
82. Philip Jose Farmer: Venus on the Half-Shell (1975) Themes: extended life, humor. Short novel. Originally published under the pseudonym Kilgore Trout.
83. Jack Finney: The Third Level (1950) Theme: time travel
84. Sever Gansovsky: Day of Wrath (1965) Themes: unusual sentience, mutant or mutation
85. Alice Glaser: The Tunnel Ahead (1961) Theme: overpopulation
86. Tom Godwin: The Cold Equations (1954) Theme: space travel
87. Edmond Hamilton: Exile (1943) Theme: different dimensions
88. Edmond Hamilton: What's It Like Out There? (1952) Theme: space travel, Mars
89. Edmond Hamilton: Requiem (1962) Theme: space travel
90. Jacqueline Harpman: I Who Have Never Known Men (1995) Theme: post-apocalyptic. Short novel
91. Robert A. Heinlein: Goldfish Bowl (1942) Theme: alien(s). Originally published under the pseudonym as Anson Macdonald.
92. Robert A. Heinlein: The Green Hills of Earth (1947) Theme: space travel
93. Robert A. Heinlein: In Our Fair City (1949) Themes: unusual sentience, humor
94. Zenna Henderson: Ararat (1952) Themes: alien(s), relationship
95. Zenna Henderson: Anything Box (1956) Theme: virtual reality?
96. P. M. Hubbard: The Golden Brick (1963) Theme: extended life
97. N. K. Jemisin: One the Banks of the River Lex (2010) Theme: post-apocalyptic
98. N. K. Jemisin: Valedictorian (2014) Themes: post-apocalyptic, virtual reality
99. N. K. Jemisin: The Evaluators (2016) Themes: human colony, alien(s)
100. Colin Kapp: The Subways of Tazoo (1965) Themes: alien(s), inventions
101. Daniel Keyes: Flowers for Algernon (1959) Theme: super genius
102. Damon Knight: Rule Golden (1954) Theme: alien(s). Novella
103. Damon Knight: The Country of the Kind (1955) Theme: mutant or mutation
104. Damon Knight: Stranger Station (1956) Theme: alien(s)
105. C. M. Kornbluth: The Little Black Bag (1950) Theme: time travel
106. C. M. Kornbluth: Gomez (1954) Themes: time travel, inventions
107. C. M. Kornbluth: The Cosmic Expense Account (1956) Themes: super genius, humor
108. Henry Kuttner: Call Him Demon (1946) Theme: alien(s)
109. Henry Kuttner: Happy Ending (1948) Themes: time travel, robot(s)
110. Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore: Vintage Season Theme: time travel. Novella. Published under the pseudonym Lawrence O'Donnell
111. George Langelaan: The Fly (1957) Theme: invention(s)
112. Tanith Lee: Crying in the Rain (1989) Theme: post-apocalyptic
113. Ursula K. Le Guin: Darkness Box (1963) Theme: time statis
114. Ursula K. Le Guin: Nine Lives (1969) Theme: clones, extraterrestrial mining
115. Ursula K. Le Guin: Winter's King (1969) Theme: power struggle
116. Ursula K. Le Guin: Vaster Than Empires and More Slow (1971) Themes: alien(s), unusual sentience
117. Ursula K. Le Guin: The Day Before the Revolution (1974) Theme: power struggle
118. Fritz Leiber, Jr.: The Man Who Never Grew Young (1947) Theme: extended life
119. Fritz Leiber, Jr.: Coming Attraction (1950) Theme: vision of the future
120. Fritz Leiber, Jr.: A Bad Day for Sales (1953) Theme: robot(s)
121. Fritz Leiber, Jr.: Gonna Foll the Bones (1967) Theme: entertainment gone bad
122. Murray Leinster: Sidewise in Time (1934) Theme: time travel. Novella
123. Murray Leinster: First Contact (1945) Theme: alien(s)
124. Murray Leinster: A Logic Named Joe (1946) Themes: robot(s), humor.
125. Stanislaw Lem: Solaris (1961) Theme: alien(s). Short novel
126. Jack Lewis: Who's Cribbing? (1953) Theme: time travel
127. H. P. Lovecraft: The Color Out of Space (1927) Theme: alien(s)
128. Katherine MacLean: Contagion (1950) Themes: human colony, relationship
129. Katherine MacLean: Incommunicado (1950) Theme: space travel
130. Katherine MacLean: Games (1953) Theme: mindreading
131. Katherine MacLean: Unhuman Sacrifice (1958) Theme: alien(s)
132. Barry N. Malzberg: A Galaxy Called Rome (1975) Themes: space travel, story about writing a story
133. Judith Merril: That Only a Mother (1948) Theme: mutant or mutation
134. Judith Merril: Project Nursemaid (1955) Theme: Moon. Novella
135. Judith Merril: Wish Upon a Star (1958) Theme: generation ship
136. Michael Moorcock: The Frozen Cardinal (1987) Theme: human colony (survey team)
137. C. L. Moore: No Woman Born (1944) Theme: cyborg. Novella.
138. Robert Nathan: Digging the Weans (1956) Theme: post-apocalyptic
139. Chad Oliver: Let Me Live in a House (1954) Themes: alien(s), space travel
140. Robertson Osborne: Contact, Incorporated (1949) Theme: alien(s). Also published as Action on Azura.
141. Lewis Padgett: Line to Tomorrow (1941) Theme: time travel, precognition
142. Lewis Padgett: Mimsy Were the Borogoves (1943) Theme: different dimensions
143. Lewis Padgett: The Proud Robot (1943) Theme: robot(s), humor
144. Lewis Padgett: When the Bough Breaks (1944) Theme: super genius
145. Lewis Padgett: What You Need (1945) Theme: precognition, invention(s)
146. Lewis Padgett: Ex Machina (1948) Themes: robot(s), humor
147. Edgar Pangborn: Angel's Egg (1951) Theme: alien(s)
148. Edgar Pangborn: The Music Master of Babylon (1954) Theme: post-apocalyptic
149. Peter Phillips: Manna (1949) Themes: time travel, ghost story
150. Jane Rice: The White Pony (1960) Themes: post-apocalyptic, relationship
151. Howard Rodman: The Man Who Went to the Moon - Twice (1967) Theme: space travel
152. Joanna Russ: Gleepsite (1971) Theme: post-apocalyptic
153. Joanna Russ: The Extraordinary Voyages of Amelie Bertrand (1979) Theme: time travel
154. Margaret St. Clair: Prott (1953) Theme: alien(s)
155. Margaret St. Clair: Short in the Chest (1954) Themes: robot(s), humor
156. Margaret St. Clair: Change the Sky (1955) Themes: space travel, invention(s). Initially published under the pseudonym Idris Seabright
157. George Saunders: The Semplica Girl Diaries (2012) Themes: vision of the future
158. James H. Schmitz: Grandpa (1955) Themes: alien(s), human colony
159. Robin Scott: The Big Connection (1970) Themes: inventions, humor
160. Michael Shaara: All the Way Back (1952) Theme: we're the aliens
161. Pamela Sargent: Fears (1972) Theme: repressive society
162. Bob Shaw: Light of Other Days (1966) Theme: inventions
163. T. L. Sherred: E if for Effort (1947) Theme: invention(s). Novella
164. Kathleen M. Sidney: The Anthropologist (1975) Theme: alien(s)
165. Clifford D. Simak: Huddling Place (1944) Theme: Mars, vision of the future
166. Clifford D. Simak: Desertion (1944) Theme: unusual sentience, pantropy
167. Clifford D. Simak: Immigrant (1954) Themes: alien(s), mindreading. Novella
168. Cliffor D. Simak: The World That Couldn't Be (1958) Theme: alien(s), human colony. Novella
169. Cliffor D. Simak: Final Gentleman (1959) Theme: alien(s). Novella
170. Vandana Singh: The Tetrahedron (2005) Theme: different dimensions
171. Cordwainer Smith: Scanners Live in Vain (1948) Themes: space travel, pantropy
172. Cordwainer Smith: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard (1961) Theme: vision of the future
173. Evelyn E. Smith: The Princess and the Physicist (1955) Themes: alien(s), humor
174. Evelyn E. Smith: Once a Greech (1957) Theme: alien(s)
175. Boris Strugatsky and Arkady Strugatsky: Roadside Picnic (1972) Theme: alien(s). Short novel
176. Theodore Sturgeon: Cargo (1940) Theme: ghost story
177. Theodore Sturgeon: Microcosmic God (1941) Theme: super genius, invention(s)
178. Theodore Sturgeon: Yesterday Was Monday (1941) Theme: time travel.
179. Theodore Sturgeon: Thunder and Roses (1947) Theme: apocalyptic
180. Theodore Sturgeon: There is No Defense (1949) Themes: alien(s), weapons of war. Novella
181. Theodore Sturgeon: The Hurkle is a Happy Beast (1949) Theme: alien(s), humor
182. Theodore Sturgeon: The Dreaming Jewels (1950) Theme: unusual sentience. Short novel.
183. Theodore Sturgeon: Baby is Three (1952) Theme: Mutant or Mutation. Novella.
184. Theodore Sturgeon: The Education of Dursilla Strange (1954) Theme: alien(s)
185. Theodore Sturgeon: The [Widget], the [Wadget], and Boff (1955) Theme: alien(s). Novella
186. Theodore Sturgeon: The Other Man (1956) Themes: future psychology. Novella
187. Theodore Sturgeon: The Skills of Xanadu (1956) Themes: human colony, unusual sentience
188. Theordore Sturgeon: Need (1960) Theme: precognition. Novella
189. Theodore Sturgeon: When You Care, When You Love (1962) Theme: relationship
190. William Tenn: The Liberation of Earth (1953) Themes: alien(s), apocalyptic, dark humor.
191. Walter Tevis: The Ifth of Oofth (1957) Themes: different dimensions, apocalyptic
192. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Snows Are Melted, The Snows Are Gone (1970) Themes: post-apocalyptic, post-industrial, mutant or mutation
193. James Tiptree, Jr.: And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill's Side (1972): Theme: alien(s)
194. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Women Men Don't See (1973) Theme: alien(s)
195. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Screwfly Solution (1977) Theme: apocalyptic. Initially published under the pseudonym Raccoona Sheldon.
196. Yasutaka Tsutsui: Standing Woman (1974) Theme: repressive society
197. E. C. Tubb: Umbrella in the Sky (1961) Theme: pre-apocalyptic
198. Leonard Tushnet: In re Glover (1972) Themes: extended life, humor
199. Mark Twain: From the London Times of 1904 (1898) Themes: mental powers, humor
200. Jack Vance: Winner Lose All (1951) Theme: alien(s)
201. Julia Verlanger: The Bubbles (1956) Theme: post-apocalyptic
202. A. E. van Vogt: The Weapon Shop (1942) Theme: power struggle. Novella. There is also a longer version titled The Weapon Shops of Isher
203. A. E. van Vogt: The Search (1943) Theme: time travel
204. A. E. van Vogt: The Enchanted Village (1950) Theme: Mars
205. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.: The Big Space Fuck (1972) Themes: overpopulation, humor
206. Stanley G. Weinbaum: A Martian Odyssey (1934) Theme: Mars
207. H. G. Wells: The Time Machine (1895) Theme: time travel. Novella
208. H. G. Wells: The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes (1895) Theme: unusual sentience
209. H. G. Wells: The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1895) Themes: invention, humor
210. James White: Sector General (1957) Themes: vision of the future, alien(s).
211. Kate Wilhelm: Staras Flonderans (1966) Themes: alien(s), space travel
212. Kate Wilhelm: The Funeral (1972) Theme: repressive society
213. Jack Williamson: With Folded Hands (1947) Theme: robot(s). Novella
214. Mari Wolf: The First Day of Spring (1954) Theme: human colony
215. Gene Wolfe: The Fifth Head of Cerberus (1972) Themes: clones, robot(s). Novella.
216. Will Worthington: Plenitude (1959) Themes: post-apocalyptic, post-industrial
217. Roger Zelazny: A Rose for Ecclesiastes (1963) Theme: Mars
218. Roger Zelazny: The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth (1965) Theme: Venus
219. Roger Zelazny: He Who Shapes (1965) Themes: future psychology. Novella