The Golden Age Of Science Fiction Novel Chapters
List of most recent chapters published for the The Golden Age Of Science Fiction novel. A total of 1755 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024
Latest Release: Chapter 1 : The Golden Age of Science Fiction.An Anthology of 50 Short Stories.by Various.VOL I.A ST
The Golden Age of Science Fiction.An Anthology of 50 Short Stories.by Various.VOL I.A STRANGE Ma.n.u.sCRIPT FOUND IN A COPPER CYLINDER.
By James De Mille CHAPTER I.THE FINDING OF THE COPPER CYLINDER.It occurred as far back as February 15, 1850. It happene
- 1001 Contents THE DARK DOOR.By Alan E. Nourse 1.It was almost dark when he awoke, and lay on the bed, motionless and trembling, his heart sinking in the knowledge that he should never have slept. For almost half a minute, eyes wide with fear, he lay in the sil
- 1002 He screamed out in horror, and followed the echoes of his own scream as he ran down the stone corridor, blindly, slipping on the wet stone floor, falling on his knees into inches of brackish water, sc.r.a.ping back to his feet with an uncontrollable convu
- 1003 He got off the moving strip as soon as the lights of the center of the city were clear below, and stepped into the self-operated lift that sped down to ground level. From the elevator, he moved on to one of the long, honeycombed concourses, filled with pa
- 1004 Gofredo called to the Marines to stand fast. Then they were advancing to meet the natives, and when they were twenty feet apart, both groups halted. The horn stopped blowing. The one in the yellow robe lifted his staff and said something that sounded like
- 1005 "Give them the Shooting of Dan McJabberwock again," he told Meillard. "This is where we came in yesterday."Something Meillard had noticed was exciting him. "Wait a moment. They're going to do something."They were indeed.
- 1006 "Well, if I hear the two sounds alike, why doesn't the a.n.a.lyzer hear them alike?" Karl Dorver demanded."It has better ears than you do, Karl. Look how many different frequencies there are in that word, all crowding up behind each ot
- 1007 Then the pump started again. The Lord Mayor's hands tightened on the staff; he was struggling tormentedly with himself, in vain. His face relaxed into the heartbroken expression of joy; he turned and shuffled over, dropping onto his haunches with the
- 1008 There could be a faintly critical overtone to that. As she replied, Martha realized that she was being defensive."It will, some day. Look how long it took to read Egyptian hieroglyphics, even after they had the Rosetta Stone."Sachiko smiled. &qu
- 1009 She glanced across the room, to where Tony Lattimer was sitting with Gloria Standish, talking earnestly, while Gloria sipped one of the counterfeit martinis and listened. Gloria was the leading contender for the t.i.tle of Miss Mars, 1996, if you liked bi
- 1010 "You didn't notice that it happened when the power was on, did you," one of the engineers asked, nettled at Lattimer's tone. "Well, it was. Everything's burned out or shorted or fused together; I saw one busbar eight inches a
- 1011 "Is there anything I can do--?" she began. "What's happened? Something important?""Important?" Sid Chamberlain exploded. "Look at that, Sachi! We're reading it! Martha's found out how to read Martian!"
- 1012 Sam was known as The Genius of the s.p.a.ce Age, an apt t.i.tle because there might not have been any s.p.a.ce without him. He had been extremely versatile during his long career, having been responsible for the so-called eternal metals--metal against whi
- 1013 Umluana turned back to Ras.h.i.+d a second too soon. He saw the sergeant's upraised hand before it collided with his neck."Help! Kidnap."Ras.h.i.+d judo chopped him and swung the inert body over his shoulders. Read pulled a flat grenade fro
- 1014 He started crawling toward an easy-chair that looked like good cover. A bullet cracked above his head, so close he felt the shock wave. He got up, ran panicky, crouched, and dove behind the chair.An inspector cracked the valve on a smoke grenade. A white
- 1015 Through the barred windows of the workshop, rolling green hills were seen, their tree-studded flanks making a pleasant setting for the mental inst.i.tution. The crafts building was a good mile away from the main buildings of the hospital and the hills blo
- 1016 Contents MEDAL OF HONOR.By Mack Reynolds According to tradition, the man who held the Galactic Medal of Honor could do no wrong. In a strange way, Captain Don Mathers was to learn that this was true.Don Mathers snapped to attention, snapped a crisp salute
- 1017 The transportation magnate wiggled a disgustingly fat finger at him, "I'll arrange for that part of it."Don Mathers goggled him. He blurted finally, "Like h.e.l.l you will. There's not enough money in the system to fiddle with the
- 1018 "So much so that Earth's industry is switching back to petroleum and coal. Every ounce of radioactives is needed by the Fleet. Even so, it's just a matter of time."Don Mathers pursed his lips. "I didn't know it was that bad.&
- 1019 Don Mathers said slowly, "Well, if we're not married, let me decide when I want another bottle of the grape, eh?"Dian flushed. "Sorry, Don."The headwaiter approached bearing another magnum of vintage wine. He beamed at Don Mathers
- 1020 Don Mathers said wearily, "I don't know how you go about this. I don't have an appointment, but I want to see the President.""We can turn you over to one of the a.s.sistant secretaries, Captain Mathers," the sergeant said. &q
- 1021 But the Baron wasn't blind to reality any more than he was a coward. He dismissed Balt Haer's defeatism from his mind and came back to Joe Mauser. "As I say, you're the only officer recruit today. Why?"Joe said evenly, "I wou
- 1022 Joe finished his highball and came to his feet to get another one. He said, "On two occasions I've had an orderly save my life. I'm not taking any chances but that there might be a third opportunity.""Well, yessir. Does the captai
- 1023 Joe shrugged. "Largely mountains, hills, woods. Good reconnaissance is going to make the difference in this one. And in the fracas itself cavalry is going to be more important than either artillery or infantry. A Nathan Forrest fracas, sir. A matter
- 1024 "Then why," Joe had asked her, "haven't we achieved what your brother called it? Why isn't this Utopia? Isn't it what man has been yearning for, down through the ages? Where did the wheel come off? What happened to the dream?
- 1025 A major grumbled, "It doesn't make much sense, sir. You know the marshal. It's probably a fake. If we have any superiority at all, it's our artillery.""And the old fox wouldn't want to join the issue on the plains, down
- 1026 "How long can the things stay up?"Warren took in the surrounding mountainous countryside. "Indefinitely, sir. A single pilot, as long as he is physically able to operate. If there are two pilots up there to relieve each other, they could st
- 1027 Darkness came swiftly. I was shooting into the eye of the sun at three hundred miles an hour. I swallowed a few pellets of concentrated food, then curled up in my bunk. There was no knowing how many hours would pa.s.s till I slept again.I fell asleep at o
- 1028 "They'd better not. You know what happened to him.""Yeah. Chucked into the ray. Well, he didn't give the burial squad any work." And the two laughed, a laugh that had more than a hint of s.a.d.i.s.tic cruelty in it. "If
- 1029 We tramped across the plain. My eyes kept roving about: there wasn't much hope for me, but miracles have happened. Most of the scattered structures were hastily thrown together sheds of sheet iron. Barracks, they looked like. But, every so often I sp
- 1030 "Uh-huh.""It really doesn't cost you anything?" Beulah asked doubtfully."Not a cent.""Hm-m-m. Been meaning to ask you. What made you set up that ... Colonial Labor Union?"Phil nodded. "That's the offi
- 1031 "I understand," Thayer said. He was silent for some seconds, and perhaps he, too, was gazing during that time at a Fort Roye of the future--a Cla.s.s A military base under his command, with Earth's great war vessels lined up along the lengt
- 1032 The s.p.a.ce freighter Queen Dierdre was a great, squat, pockmarked vessel of the Earth-Mars run and she never gave anyone a bit of trouble. That should have been sufficient warning to Mr. Watkins, her engineer. Watkins was fond of saying that there are t
- 1033 [Ill.u.s.tration]The voice was gone. And then even the static was gone."That does it," Rajcik said. "The calculator? Did he mean the Fahrensen Computer in our hold?""I see what he meant," said Captain Somers. "The Fahren
- 1034 Coming out of transformer drive with at least a drop of fuel left, they switched to atomics. Fannia rode the beam right across the planet, locating the slender metal spire of the Galactic Survey cache. The plain was no longer unoccupied, however. The Casc
- 1035 "That's the deal," Fannia said. "Guilty conscience is making sinners of us all, or something like that. They expect us to give in before the carnage gets out of hand." He considered for a moment. "It's not so crazy, actu
- 1036 Mr. Tanter kept smiling and rocked back and forth on his feet as Krayton had done. Before nightfall The Computer would be a useless and overheated ma.s.s of plastic and metal!He took a printed folder from his pocket and casually dropped it on the floor wh
- 1037 "And do you know why? Because sometimes I see a thing like this--" the boss's hand reached into the desk and came out with a thick bundle of pink cards--"and I wonder if there's an honest man left in the world."He put the car
- 1038 "Don't act so innocent, Colihan. Your report isn't complete. It should have been ready by now.""Yes, sir!""You're not ACTING, Colihan. You're stalling!""No, sir.""Then where's your Pers
- 1039 With the growing development of trade and cultural relations between the two planets, the Fizbians on Earth were an ever-increasing number. But they were not the only readers of "Helpfully Yours." Reprinted in the parent paper, it was read with
- 1040 "Catch her!" Miss Snow exclaimed in Terran.Everything had gone maroon for Tarb again. As she fell, she could hear a sudden thump. It was, she later discovered, Drosmig falling off his perch again--the result of insecure grip, she was given to un
- 1041 "Longing for the old scripto, eh?" one of the cameramen smiled as he lounged in the open doorway of her office. Although she was fond of fresh air, Tarb realized that she would have to keep the door shut from now on. Too many of the younger memb
- 1042 "Nearly thought I wouldn't make it," she observed, shaking herself in a flurry of wet pink feathers. The rest of the staff ducked, most of them too late. "Umbrella didn't do much good," she continued, closing it. It left a li
- 1043 Those crazy, sloppy, frog-like Narakans ... all thumbs and six-inch skulls ... relics of the Suzi swamps. Until four-fisted Lt. Terrence O'Mara moved among them--lethal, dangerous, with a steady purpose flaming in his volcanic eyes.Terrence O'Ma
- 1044 "Then for the sake of your two headed frog-faced G.o.ds, shut up and listen to me.""Yes, sir.""Look. In a minute our Banning will be in action," his voice was drowned out by the scream of tortured air as the Banning cut loose
- 1045 Terrence looked him up and down, "If you foul up just once more ... I'm going to ... I'll split your gizzard, stuff it with To-To leaves and send you to the Rumi for their breakfast with my compliments!"O'Shaughnessy s.h.i.+vered
- 1046 Someone behind me in the dark was toting a needle-ray. The impression came through so strong that I could almost read the filed-off serial number of the thing, but the guy himself I couldn't dig at all. I stopped to look back but the only sign of lif
- 1047 No, in these days of mental telepathy and extra sensory perception, crumbs do not erase other crumbs. They just grab some citizen and put him in a box until he is ready to do their dirty work for them.Guilt? That would be mine. A crime is a crime and the
- 1048 "What are you talking about, honey? Magnolia and I--we're just friends.""Purely a platonic relations.h.i.+p, I a.s.sure you," the tree herself agreed. It would have been silly for her to pretend not to have overheard, since the tw
- 1049 "I certainly hope so. I so admire your English literature. It's so deeply cognizant of the really meaningful things in life. And if your coming to this planet has served only to add poetry to our cultural heritage, it would be reason enough to w
- 1050 "The coffee's already on and the canapes made," Phyllis smiled. "And I've baked cookies, too, and whipped up a batch of penuche. What kind of a Christmas party do you think it would be without refreshments?""Very efficie
- 1051 Contents THE HOUSE FROM NOWHERE.by Arthur G. Stangland New neighbors are always exciting. But the anachronistic MacDonalds offered a bit too much.The morning paper lay unread before Philon Miller on the breakfast table and even the prospects of steaming c
- 1052 Bill MacDonald looked across the table at Jean and said, "All right, Jean."Jean and all the MacDonalds bent their heads and the girl began, "We thank Thee for our daily bread as by Thy hands...."As the girl spoke Phil's gaze drift
- 1053 Brant's brows lifted in amazement. "A hundred thousand! What's the catch, Phil?"Philon's voice dropped to a confidential tone. "You always were a clever man with electronics, Al, and I've got something here that's j
- 1054 So I had to--that compulsion--go close the door. Then I sat down to think.Anyway I thought I sat down to think. But, suddenly, my thoughts were not my own.I wasn't producing them; I was receiving them."Barth! Oh, Land of Barth. Do you read us, o
- 1055 I was truly shocked. I felt guilty. "No!" I said. "Oh, no! What a thing to do. You can't!""Now, now. Gently," they said. "What, after all, oh Fatherland, might be the perfectly natural consequences of your own act?&
- 1056 Was this joy--or a cold coming on? I s.h.i.+fted uneasily on the hospital bed and scratched at an itch on my left hip. Ouch! It was a pimple. My head ached. My throat hurt. I itched. Julia was dead. The police were coming. I was alone. What should I do?&q
- 1057 "The thing could have gobbled up the city if there hadn't been a second slagger!" said a lone pa.s.serby."Nonsense," Burnett muttered under his breath. "You know that, Hart. Any self-regulating mechanism reaches a check limit
- 1058 "Whatever the cause, it's the perfect result," Johnson conceded. "We'll spread it through the net.""Along with this, I hope." Wendell dumped the contacts on a table top. "It's the smallest size possible. A
- 1059 HIGH DRAGON b.u.mP.By Don Thompson If it took reduction or torch hair, the Cirissins wanted a b.u.mp. Hok.u.m, thistle, gluck.A young and very beautiful girl with golden blond hair and smooth skin the color of creamed sweet potatoes floated in the middle
- 1060 Wayne considered the situation.Two hours to get to earth. No radio. The big Cirissin s.h.i.+p was circling earth at an unknown distance, unknown speed and unknown direction. And although the s.h.i.+p was enormous, it would be impossible to spot it from ea
- 1061 "Sure.""Okay then. They happened to be close to earth, so they went into an orbit around it and studied it for a while on radio and TV bands, and realized they might be able to get help without using their emergency fuel--uranium, incidenta
- 1062 The thought of being sued softened Mr. Cruthers' att.i.tude. "Well, I'm very sorry, pal, but every contingent in this parade is listed on my clipboard and you're not. I know this list by heart. What did you say the name of your group w
- 1063 Frank was a careful driver, and three hours were required to make the sixty-mile journey. Consequently, it was late in the afternoon when they arrived at the old DeBost estate. It had stopped snowing, but the drifts were deep in spots, and Frank soon foun
- 1064 "You think we are in friendly hands?""These quarters do not look much like prison cells, Tommy, but I must admit that we are locked in. Anyhow, I'm not worrying, and we will soon learn our fate and have to be ready to meet it. The peop
- 1065 "Good. The sooner the better. And you just forget about this queen as soon as you are able. She's a peach, of course, but not for you. There's lots more back in little old New York." But Frank had no reply to this sally.There came a kn
- 1066 He nodded."Not seeing your--shadow--!""Yes.""And the full moon. A fear of the full moon, too?""But how did you know?" "And you're allergic to certain metals, too. For instance--silver?"He could only n
- 1067 "Why?""Well, the pattern it's set for is the shape of an automobile. See here." He picked up a card from his desk, and cut in the outlines of a streamlined car like those of that year. "Since only one eye is used," he co
- 1068 "Then for Heaven's sake, marry the girl! I don't care what chorus she kicks in, marry her and act like a human being again.""I--can't.""Oh. She's already married, eh?"Well, I couldn't tell him she did
- 1069 "I've heard of it," I said truthfully. "That's about all."He nodded. "Most of the policies are sold off-planet, of course. It's a form of insurance for non-insurables. s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p crews, asteroid prospectors, p
- 1070 "That's it," I answered frankly.He shook his head. "I wouldn't get too excited about that, if I were you," he said. "It wouldn't be the first time it's happened. A man makes the big strike after all, and he get
- 1071 Ten hours between McCann's death and Karpin's departure for Chemisant City. He'd admitted that already. And I was willing to bet he'd spent at least part of that time carrying McCann's body to some other asteroid, one he was sure
- 1072 In the course of my experience as an occasional lecturer during the past twelve years, I have been much impressed by the keen interest evinced, even by the most unlettered persons, when astronomical subjects are dealt with in plain untechnical language wh
- 1073 I accordingly gave M'Allister the order to switch on the power gradually, up to our full speed, and it was not long before we were rus.h.i.+ng through s.p.a.ce at the rate of over eighty-three thousand miles an hour. At this rate, as I told them, we
- 1074 "You will notice a very large number of peaks in this and the other neighbouring ranges--in fact, several thousands have been marked on our large maps."Cutting diagonally in a north-westerly direction, completely through the Alps, you will notic
- 1075 "Do you think the moon is inhabited?" he then asked."No, I do not think it is; no sign of life has ever been discovered, and we have seen nothing to indicate its existence here. The prevailing conditions seem to preclude the possibility. Th
- 1076 Things were really becoming very serious indeed, and I saw that something must be done at once to put an end to this disturbance. So, going over to M'Allister, I took him gently by the shoulders and pushed him out of the room, saying quietly, "G
- 1077 In all these maps the south is at the top. The dark shaded portions are vegetation, mostly on old sea-beds. The fine lines are the ca.n.a.ls, and the round dots the oases. The light areas are deserts. Longitude "0" is seen on the Equator between
- 1078 "I was therefore much amused in reading an effusion by one critic who, in discussing the question of the ca.n.a.l lines, remarked that he could not accept 'these one-man discoveries,' oblivious of the fact that they are the discoveries of m
- 1079 "It is too long a story to narrate now," he replied, "for we have a duty to perform, and must not stay here. We must now show ourselves to the people outside, who have long waited to greet you! You shall hear more to-night; but, in the mean
- 1080 "Oh yes, sir," replied he, again smiling; "you are anxious to know whether we really possess an elaborate system of ca.n.a.lisation upon Mars, and I can soon set your mind at rest upon that point. Indeed, it was in order to make arrangement
- 1081 WE ATTEND A MARTIAN BANQUET.On our arrival at the banqueting-hall we were most cordially received by Soranho, as Chief of the Council, who introduced us to a number of persons, several of whom were high officers of state; but, as only two or three of them
- 1082 These locks and weirs are all within the area enclosed by the embankments forming the carets, which accounts for the long and extensive s.p.a.ce the latter cover, as the locks are necessarily a considerable distance apart from each other to allow for a le
- 1083 "Yes, certainly I should," replied M'Allister."Now," I continued, "suppose that the other vessel, instead of being at rest, was moving away from you at the rate of six miles an hour; after you had steamed one hour it would st
- 1084 CHAPTER XXV.MANY THINGS SEEN UPON MARS--I RECEIVE SOME NEWS.During the remainder of our stay upon Mars we visited almost every important place upon the planet, either by means of air-s.h.i.+ps, motors, or by travelling along the main ca.n.a.ls in splendid
- 1085 We were fully aware that this was the case, for we were received with kindness and welcome wherever we went.Merna's affection for me seemed unbounded, and his love was shown in every action. Yet, like all the other Martians, he was never obtrusively
- 1086 ADDENDUM.(Written by John Yiewsley Claxton, Esq., of Norbury, in the County Borough of Croydon, Surrey) In accordance with the desire of my old friend, Wilfrid Poynders, I am now about to publish the book which was handed to me by Merna on the morning of
- 1087 Observers at Flagstaff have, therefore, practically seen the completion of a work which is the creation of intelligent beings on Mars; and in the remarkable photographs shown we were, so to speak, able to look upon the results of that work--fertility in a
- 1088 It was George's day off and he was going fis.h.i.+ng. Humming to himself, he got out his reel and flies and other paraphernalia and contentedly arranged them in the back of his car. Visions of the fine, quiet time he was going to have went through Ge
- 1089 "Look down," the visitor commanded Mersey. "Shut your eyes. Don't let him see me."But Mersey continued to be held by the doctor's eyes. The visitor cowered back into the crazed mental tangle.Gradually, then, his fear ebbed. T
- 1090 Riuku listened to her half of the conversation. Stupid Earthman. If only she'd start thinking about the job. Or if only his contact with her were better. If he could use her sense perceptions, see through her eyes, hear through her ears, feel through
- 1091 Nothing.Except where else could you get twelve-fifty an hour soldering?She was stretched out on the couch in the restroom lobby taking a short nap--on company time, old Liverlips being tied up with the new girls down at the other end of the line--when Riu
- 1092 "A field of meteorites sweeping into our path, sir." Kincaide's voice was tense. "I have altered our course as much as I dared and am reducing speed at emergency rate, but this is the largest swarm of meteorites I have ever seen. I am
- 1093 It was Kincaide. He was peering over what had been the top of the doorway, and he was probably the most disreputable-looking officer who had ever worn the blue-and-silver uniform of the Service. His nose was b.l.o.o.d.y and swollen to twice its normal siz
- 1094 However, I must have made myself partially understood, at least, for the chief of the nine uttered a whispered command to one of the beings who had borne us to the large cavern, and motioned with a writhing gesture of one tentacle that I was to place the
- 1095 "I don't allow emergencies on the Euclid Queen," said Fromer with growing anger. "Now, if you don't--"Hansen spared himself the indignity of being cut off. He broke contact himself. He sighed, reached for a book ent.i.tled Em
- 1096 CMD GENERAL.CMD GENERAL.FROMER ADVISES TELL YOU s.h.i.+PS PHYSICIAN HAS PUT R'THAGNA BAR IN REFRIGERATOR.QUEMOS.SEC HDQ QUEMOS. COM. RLY. 43.4SC. TAKE OUT OF REFRIGERATOR! THIS AN ORDER! WHY UNDRESSED?.CMD GENERAL.CMD GENERAL.BULLARD MAKING MODEL OF
- 1097 "Fascinating! d.a.m.nedest thing I've ever seen," Candle said."What's so fascinating?" Fromer asked suspiciously, moving closer."His belly. Never saw anything like it. Those black squares keep appearing and disappearing.
- 1098 They looked. For a long time they stared, none of them speaking, and then they turned to Hugh, many of them accusingly, as if he himself had rearranged the stars."How long have we been gone?" Carhill's voice broke.Hugh shook his head. The s
- 1099 "I heard what you said, Hugh. You convinced them."He nodded. "I wonder why it took me so long to think of it."The voices died away behind them. They were all alone. They rounded a corner where a viewscreen picked up the image of the mo
- 1100 Golden Age of Science Fiction.Vol X.by Various.THE RECORD OF CURRUPIRA.By Robert Abernathy From ancient Martian records came the grim song of a creature whose very existence was long forgotten.James Dalton strode briskly through the main exhibit room of