Some Gutenberg SciFi Suggestions
‘Suggestions’ because all the reading has been fun and instructive, but these stories stuck with me. Maybe they work for you? The list has a few rules. First, I’m only suggesting stories I have read. Makes this a little limited, as my reading is not canonical or comprehensive, but I dislike reviewing by author‐as‐brandname. Second, SciFi was a stew of different content and styles, so it depends to some extent on what engages you‐as‐reader. Third, short stories only, no novel‐length entries,
Interplanetary travel
All different, all worth a read,
Other world
All different,
Flight Through Tomorrow, Stanton Coblenz (dystopic SocFi)
Jewels of Aptor, Samuel Delaney (fantasy Empire with sorcery)
‘A Diamond As Big As The Ritz’ in Tales of the Jazz Age, Scott Fitzgerald (financial SocFi)
Cute
Angels Egg, Edgar Pangbourne
The Game of Rat and Dragon, Cordwainer Smith
Spooky
As opposed to horror stories,
The Hanging Stranger, Phillip K Dick
WolfBane, Cyril Kornbluth and Frederick Pohl
Thoughtful
Riya’s Foundling, Algis Budrys (psychological fantasy)
The 64‐Square Madhouse, Fritz Lieber (the truth about technological progress)
RUR, Karel Čapek (cosmic destiny)
It happened!
The Elroom, Jerry Sohl
Watchbird, Robert Sheckley
Zap ’em
The Blue Behemoth, Leigh Brackett
Muscle and magic
Lorelei of the Red Mist, Leigh Brackett and Raymond Bradbury