Paperback Dives

A barroom brag session turns into an interplanetary, inter-species challenge over technology.

Read from The Fifth Galaxy Reader, published in 1961 by Galaxy Publishing, edited by HL Gold. The book is collection of stories from Galaxy, a science fiction magazine published from 1950 to 1980. This story originally appeared in the June 1956 issue.

On a scouting mission in deep space, two explorers find a race of humanoids who have access to an enormously powerful tool. But do the creatures wield it, or does it wield them?

Read from The Fifth Galaxy Reader, published in 1961 by Galaxy Publishing, edited by HL Gold. The book is collection of stories from Galaxy, a science fiction magazine published from 1950 to 1980. This story originally appeared in the June 1958 issue.

Find the back catalog of Galaxy Magazine on The Internet Archive, at https://archive.org/details/galaxymagazine

In the future, sending mail could be dangerous.

Read from The Fifth Galaxy Reader, published in 1961 by Galaxy Publishing, edited by HL Gold. The book is collection of stories from Galaxy, a science fiction magazine published from 1950 to 1980. This story originally appeared in the June 1958 issue.

You can read the back catalog of Galaxy Magazine on The Internet Archive, at https://archive.org/details/galaxymagazine

A man gets infected with a colony.

Read from The Fifth Galaxy Reader, published in 1961 by Galaxy Publishing, edited by HL Gold. The book is collection of stories from Galaxy, a science fiction magazine published from 1950 to 1980. This story originally appeared in the June 1960 issue.

You can read the back catalog of Galaxy Magazine on The Internet Archive, at https://archive.org/details/galaxymagazine

A story of spacefarers, removed from planetary time by interstellar travel, encountering a civilization on a watery planet.

This story comes from Poul Anderson's short story collection, The Horn of Time, first printing by Signet in January 1968, copyright Poul Anderson. The story was originally published in Amazing Stories (Ziff-Davis Publishing, September 1963) under the title, "Homo Aquaticus."

"The Pork Chop Tree" is a glimpse into James H. Schmitz's universe of The Hub, apparently with recurring characters featured in other stories. In this short, Trigger and Prof. Mantelish discover the dangers of a relationship between a plant and the humans it loves.

This is, perhaps coincidentally, an alternate take on Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree." Both were first published in 1965.

I'm reading this from Schmitz's short story collection, "A Pride of Monsters," published in paperback by Collier Books in 1973. Check out the cover art; it's bonkers. (Hardcover by MacMillan, 1970; both versions copyright 1970 by James H. Schmitz).

"Greenface" is a monster story that takes place on a rustic resort camp.

I'm reading this from a 1973 paperback, "A Pride of Monsters," published by Collier Books (Hardcover by MacMillan, 1970; both versions copyright 1970 by James H. Schmitz).

The book compiles five monster stories written by James H. Schmitz. If you can't see the cover art on your podcast app, look it up on Google Images. It's bonkers.

According to Wikipedia, Greenface was originally published in 1943 in an unknown publication. It was Schmitz's first published work.

In this final chapter, Doctor Hudson states his decision before the court.

This is a reading of The Stars Will Judge, by Irving A. Greenfield. Copyright 1974. Originally published by Dell Publishing.

After the grand jury reaches its verdict, Doctor Hudson considers his options.

This is a reading of The Stars Will Judge, by Irving A. Greenfield. Copyright 1974. Originally published by Dell Publishing.

On the final day of the trial, Doctor Hudson's most damning actions come to light.

This is a reading of The Stars Will Judge, by Irving A. Greenfield. Copyright 1974. Originally published by Dell Publishing.