I remember clearly reading this story when it was first published in Omni magazine in 1979, when I was very young. I have just re-read the story for the first time since then and was surprised and pleased to see how well I remembered it. That is the sign of a story that really made… Continue reading Unaccompanied Sonata by Orson Scott Card
Tag: short story
Who Can Replace a Man? by Brian Aldiss
This story imagines an attempt by machines to replace humans who are presumed to be extinct. It reminded me of Orwell’s “Animal Farm”, but with machines instead of animals. In the end, the answer to the question in the story’s title is given as “no machine”. However, until they realise that humans are not actually extinct,… Continue reading Who Can Replace a Man? by Brian Aldiss
Inconstant Moon by Larry Niven
An early 70s last night of the world story that ends up as an apocalyptic story looking forward to the post-apocalypse. Niven rigorously explores the various explanations and possibilities. The suspense (which of the above categories will we finish in?) is very well maintained. By the end, I really wanted the main characters to survive to… Continue reading Inconstant Moon by Larry Niven
Passengers by Robert Silverberg
A great story from the early 70s that still stands up really well today. Earth has been infested for three years by creatures known as The Passengers. They exist on a purely mental plane, so no one has ever seen them or knows what they are. They might be aliens or evil spirits; the story… Continue reading Passengers by Robert Silverberg
S.C. Flynn 