Best Short Science Fiction
Explore the best short science fiction books with our curated list of top picks. Discover thrilling, thought-provoking stories from acclaimed authors in compact, powerful reads.
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The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein
by Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein, the dean of American SF writers, also wrote fantasy fiction throughout his long career, but especially in the early 1940s. The Golden …
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To Outlive Eternity
by Poul Anderson
From the aftermath of World War III to a world inherited by robots, where humans are unwelcome . . . from a handful of human …
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Selected Stories of Theodore Sturgeon
by Theodore Sturgeon
Theodore Sturgeon was a genuine American master. Praised, revered, and even envied by the likes of Bradbury, Vonnegut, and King, his short stories contain some …
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Bradbury Stories
by Ray Bradbury
For more than sixty years, the imagination of Ray Bradbury has opened doors into remarkable places, ushering us across unexplored territories of the heart and …
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The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke
by Arthur C. Clarke
Introduces readers to the author's shorter works, spanning his entire writing career, including "The Nine Billion Names of God," "Nemesis," "The Sentinel," and "The Songs …
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The Essential Ellison
by Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison is probably best known as a script writer for sci-fi and fantasy movies and TV series such as the original Outer Limits, The …
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Nine Hundred Grandmothers
by R. A. Lafferty
"Here at last are the finest of Lafferty's shorter works, stories about: a man who found one day that he knew absolutely everyone in the …
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Her Smoke Rose Up Forever
by James Tiptree
These 18 darkly complex short stories and novellas touch upon human nature and perception, metaphysics and epistemology, and gender and sexuality, foreshadowing a world in …
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The Masque of Manana
by Robert Sheckley
The 45 pieces in this stellar collection, though they include some soberer entries (e.g., "A Wind Is Rising"), make it clear that Sheckley is one …
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Platinum Pohl
by Frederik Pohl
A new compilation of short fiction includes a never-before-published Heechee story and other science fiction tales.
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Virtual Unrealities
by Alfred Bester
"Dazzlement and enchantment are Bester's methods. His stories never stand still a moment." —Damon Knight, author of Why Do Birds Alfred Bester took science fiction …
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The Philip K. Dick Reader
by Philip K. Dick
Includes the stories that inspired the movies Total Recall, Screamers, Minority Report, Paycheck, and Next "More than anyone else in the field, Mr. Dick really …
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The Best of Gene Wolfe
by Gene Wolfe
The best stories of a long and influential career by “quite simply a superb writer” (The Washington Post Book World)
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The Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg: To be continued
by Robert Silverberg
Subterranean Press's definitive collection of Silverberg's short fiction, with stories produced during the years 1953 to 2009. The volumes include commentary by the author.
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Burning Chrome
by William Gibson
Best-known for his seminal sf novel Neuromancer, William Gibson is actually best when writing short fiction. Tautly-written and suspenseful, Burning Chrome collects 10 of his …
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Gravity's Angels
by Michael Swanwick
These thirteen stories established Michael Swanwick as one of the brightest stars in the science-fiction firmament. Alongside its companion volume, Tales of Old Earth, Gravity's …