Favorite Science Fiction Short Stories

Eight Short Science-Fiction Stories

“Is the moon getting bigger and bigger?” my three-year-old asked, surveying the horizon.

“No, honey,” I chuckled. “That’s an optical illusion caused by how close it is to the horizon.”

But then I turned and looked.

“Please,” the robot begged.

“Please kill me.” The robot began to weep.

“Please kill me,” it pleaded. “And use my parts to make yourself a proper reading lamp. It just tears me up inside to see you trying to read by the insufficient light of that dim lamp next to the toilet.”

I tried to ignore its pleas, but in my heart I knew it was right.

“Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?” the holographic re-creation of Mae West said, as she uncrossed her legs and flashed us her bare beaver.

My mother looked away, troubled. “Is this really the proper use of the technology?” she said.

“Come on, lady—nobody would have loved this more than Mae herself,” the hologram of Mahatma Gandhi said. “And don’t forget: the Bacon Club Chalupa is at Taco Bell for a limited time only.”

“For five hundred credits, I’ll tell you his whereabouts,” the bounty hunter hissed. “For a thousand credits, I’ll kill him myself.”

The offer hung in the air, and Kurdt LaRock pondered it, savoring the possibilities. When he finally spoke, both men knew that the decision had already been made.

“A thousand credits, huh?” LaRock drawled. “How much is that in dollars?”

The bounty hunter took out his calculator, and they got down to business.

The gene-splicers had tinkered with the DNA, producing a race of warriors who craved just two things: the thrill of battle and the taste of their own feet. They hungered for battle. They literally ate their own feet. None survived to reproduce, and within a few short years they were all gone.

The Gene-Splicers chalked it up to experience, and decided to try harder the next time.

The president whammed his fist on the table. The Cabinet Room went silent.

“This isn’t some goddam B movie, gentlemen,” he said. “This is real life.”

The scientist looked at the floor.

“We have the smartest minds in the world working on this,” the President continued. “The top biologists and astronomers and geneticists. And you’re telling me that the closest anyone can come to identifying this . . . thing is . . .”

“I’m afraid so, Mr. President,” the scientist said. “What we’re dealing with here is the Flying Penis from Venus.”

The Treasury Secretary giggled, and the chief of staff did his best to not join in. But a look from the President silenced them.

“This . . . thing,” the President said. “This creature, this—”

“Flying Penis from Venus,” the scientist said.

The President burst out laughing, and the rest of the room joined him, relieved to release their pent-up mirth.

“I suppose it is kind of funny,” the President said, “in that it’s so improbable. But come on, guys—it’s already killed forty thousand people, so we really have to focus here.”

The galactic federation had rejected the Treaty of Agreement. The Outliers had withdrawn their negotiating squadron, despite the best efforts of the Trade Council. And in the Unoccupied Sector a call arose for punishing tariffs on intersystem trade.

Engineer Wilson didn’t know what any of this meant, but he knew that it probably wasn’t good. After two more commercial breaks, the news ticker began to repeat itself, so he turned off his TV and went back to sleep.

He’d had a real name at one time, but even he’d forgotten it. On the Net, he was known as Captain Fantastic, the Brown Dirt Cowboy—or CFTBDC69, in Net-handle speak.

He plugged the jack into the shiny port in the back of his neck and pressed Enter.

Twenty-six hundred baud of digital packetry surged through his system, and once the nausea—and the euphoria—wore off, he came to and ordered three polo shirts from without even touching his keyboard.

“If this is the future,” he said to himself, “me likey.” ♦

Anthologies & Short Stories Audiobooks in Science Fiction

Reward System

By: Jem Calder

Narrated by: Olivia Dowd, Freddie Gaminara

Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins

Unabridged

Overall 0 out of 5 stars 0

Performance 0 out of 5 stars 0

Story 0 out of 5 stars 0

Julia has landed a fresh start at an up-and-coming city restaurant. "Imagine that," says her mother. "I’m imagining." Her ex-boyfriend Nick is flirting with sobriety and nobody else. Did you know that adults his age are more likely to live with their parents than with a romantic partner? Life should have started to take shape by now—but instead we’re trying on new versions of ourselves, swiping left and right, searching for a good answer to the question "What do you do?"

Favorite Science Fiction Short Stories

Welcome to the second post in my series on Science Fiction! In my previous post, I talked all about this engaging genre, and some tips and tricks for introducing it with your learners. Today I am here to share 5 of my favorite Science Fiction Short Stories that you can use with your middle school students.

Favorite Science Fiction Short STories

Those of you who have been following along with the blog for a while know how passionate I am about teaching short stories. Great short stories can be used to teach literary elements and critical thinking skills in a multitude of ways. They can also lay the groundwork for engaging classroom discussions and writing assignments. Science Fiction is one of my favorite genres, as it brings with it almost instant engagement. I have found that my middle school students really get into reading about things like space travel, future societies, and extraterrestrials. Below I share 5 of my all time favorite science fiction short stories. It was REALLY hard to choose though – so I have included some extras as well.

Don’t have an anthology that includes these short stories? No problem! Full text versions of all of the stories can be found online with a simple google search!

All Summer in a Day – Ray Bradbury

In this engaging short story, young Margot is bullied by other children when she moves from Earth to the rainy planet of Venus. The children are jealous of her for seeing the sun. As the first sunny day the planet has seen in many years approaches, the bullying intensifies, leading up to a heartbreaking finale. This is a great story to use when discussing bullying, as students tend to feel quite strongly for Margot, and can often make connections to their own lives. Also, as it is set on a distant planet, it is a great story to use when discussing setting. There is a great movie version of this story that can be found on YouTube here. The movie is less than 30 minutes long, making it perfect for classroom viewing.

I have a full lesson to go along with this short story that you can check out in my TPT shop by clicking here or on the image below.

Of Missing Persons – Jack FinnEy

This riveting short story was written by American writer Jack Finney in 1955. In the story, a burned-out bank teller named Charley receives a once in a lifetime chance to leave Earth and travel to Verna, a lush, earthlike planet light-years away.

This is a bit of a longer story, as far as short stories go. However, it is well worth the read. The powerful ending makes space for some really great discussion about human nature.

You can find a full text version of the story online here.

Rain, Rain, Go Away – Isaac Asimov

When the Sakkaro family moves next door, the Wright family tries hard to get to know their neighbors. The Sakkaro family is definitely quirky, and go to great lengths to avoid any contact with water. The story ends with a shocking twist when a sudden rainstorm brings an outing to a grisly end.

While this short story is on the shorter side, it definitely draws the reader in right from the beginning. I lends itself to some great before/after and compare/contrast activities.

I have a full unit to go along with this short story available in my TPT shop. You check it out by clicking here or on the image below.

Examination Day – Henry SLESAR

Legend has it that this story was originally published in Playboy (!??!), but don’t let that stop you from using it in your classroom! In the story, bright young Dickie is sent to write an exam that all children of the future must take. It has a great twist ending that lends itself to some interesting classroom discussion and writing activities about the nature of intelligence.

You can check out the complete unit that I have to go along with this short story in my TPT shop by clicking here or on the image below.

A Sound of Thunder – Ray Bradbury

This haunting short story is set in the future. In the story, time travelers on a hunting expedition visit prehistoric times to shoot and kill a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The story explores the concept of the “Butterfly Effect”, where one small action in the past can have massive consequences in the future. Students who have seen the movie “Groundhog Day” (or other similar themed movies) will be familiar with the concept. However, I think they will find this story to be much darker.

The story pairs well with “Of Missing Persons” by Jack Finney, as both stories discuss the effects of time travel.

You can check out the complete unit I have to go along with this short story in my TPT shop. Simply click here or on the image below.

Looking FOR MORE SCIENCE FICTION SHORT STORIES?

Check out more of my favorites below!

-“A Sound of Thunder” –Ray Bradbury

-“There Will Come Soft Rains” –Ray Bradbury

-“Flowers for Algernon” – Daniel Keyes (Just don’t make the mistake, like I did, and show the movie in class. There is a very questionable scene…)

-“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

-“Harrison Bergeron” – Kurt Vonnegut

-“The Lottery” –Shirley Jackson

-“The Fun they Had” – Issac Asimov

-“Dark they were and Golden Eyed” – Ray Bradbury