Showing results by author "Clifford D. Simak" in All Categories

In Hellhounds of the Cosmos, Clifford D. Simak takes listeners on a thrilling journey through space and time. The story follows a group of explorers who encounter terrifying, mysterious creatures on a distant planet. As they navigate strange landscapes and face deadly threats, they uncover shocking secrets about the universe and their place within it. With Simak's signature blend of science fiction and philosophical musings, this gripping tale explores themes of humanity, survival, and the unknown.

Beginning with the unforgettable title story—a wry and chilling horror tale about cloning and alien invasion that inspired the classic teleplay "The Duplicate Man" from the television series The Outer Limits—Simak propels the listener on a breathtaking journey across the galaxies and into the future. He then enthralls us with the strange chronicle of twin siblings, one tied to the Earth, the other drawn to the stars; imaginings of a volatile reunion of two former enemies who must join forces on Jupiter's moon or face extinction; and the story of a house in the middle of nowhere.

In the collection's title story, Frederick Gray is closing in on seventy and has outlived his usefulness as a professor of law. He has no family; his best friend, fellow faculty member Ben Lovell, has recently died. Before Gray moves into a retirement home, he takes a final canoe trip to a favorite fishing spot he and Lovell had visited many times, only to find that someone has built a house on the remote riverside. When an accident leaves Gray stranded and in pain, he returns to the shelter seeking aid and instead finds a new reason for living.

No science fiction author was more highly regarded than Grand Master Clifford D. Simak, winner of numerous honors. One of the genre's premier literary artists, Simak explores time travel and time engines; examines the rituals and superstitions of galactic travelers who have long forgotten their ultimate purpose; and even takes fascinating detours through World War II and the wild American West in a wondrous anthology that no science fiction fan should be without.

Named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America, Clifford D. Simak was a preeminent voice during the decades that established science fiction as a genre to be reckoned with. Held in the same esteem as fellow luminaries Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, and Ray Bradbury, his novels continue to enthrall today's audiences. And his short fiction is still as gripping and surprising now as when it first entertained an entire generation of fans.

Mr. Jonathan Chambers senses that something is very wrong. The walk he takes every night is suddenly, slightly shorter. All around him things are vanishing. Is it because of the recent war or famine in the world? Does the scandalous theory that cost him his job hold the key? Or is it just the slowly unhinging mind of a recluse?

Narrated by Joseph Tabler, Science Fiction Stories of the Future from the Past consists of the following works: “The Automatic Maid of All Work” by M. L. Campbell; “Ely’s Automatic Housemaid” by Elizabeth W. Bellamy; “Mr. Meek—Musketeer” by Clifford D. Simak; “Mr. Meek Plays Polo” by Clifford D. Simak; “In the Year Ten Thousand” by William Harben; “Service with a Smile” by Charles L. Fontenay; “Family Tree” by Charles L. Fontenay; and “Glow Worm” by Harlan Ellison. All stories are in the public domain.

"Hudson lay in his sleeping bag, staring at the sky. It bothered him a lot. There was not one familiar constellation, not one star that he could name with any certainty. This juggling of the stars, he thought, emphasized more than anything else in this ancient land the vast gulf of years which lay between him and the Earth where he had been-or would be-born." Enjoy a fantastic time travel short story by the master Clifford D. Simak! Published in 1955.

Since the dawn of mankind, immortality has been the ultimate reward. But by the year 2148, it requires no act of faith to believe in an afterlife. Forever Center promises to bring people back to a life beyond death. Now everyone spends their lives in poverty, giving all their money to Forever Center to ensure their happiness and comfort in the next eternal life.

X Minus One premiered in April 1955 on NBC and ran until January 1958. Like its predecessor series, Dimension X, X Minus One featured stories by the greatest names in modern science fiction: Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Robert Bloch, and many more.

What if reality suddenly changed around you, and no one else noticed? In Clifford D. Simak's eerie and thought-provoking short story The Street That Wasn't There, an elderly man steps outside one morning only to discover that a familiar street has vanished—without a trace. As he struggles to make sense of this bizarre occurrence, he begins to question the nature of existence itself. A masterful blend of mystery, psychological tension, and science fiction, this tale challenges perceptions of reality in Simak's signature style.

X Minus One premiered in April 1955 on NBC and ran until January 1958. Like its predecessor series, Dimension X, X Minus One featured stories by the greatest names in modern science fiction: Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Robert Bloch, and many more.

X Minus One premiered in April 1955 on NBC and ran until January 1958. Like its predecessor series, Dimension X, X Minus One featured stories by the greatest names in modern science fiction: Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Robert Bloch, and many more.

X Minus One premiered in April 1955 on NBC and ran until January 1958. Like its predecessor series, Dimension X, X Minus One featured stories by the greatest names in modern science fiction: Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Robert Bloch, and many more.

X Minus One premiered in April 1955 on NBC and ran until January 1958. Like its predecessor series, Dimension X, X Minus One featured stories by the greatest names in modern science fiction: Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Robert Bloch, and many more.

"The World That Couldn't Be" is a science fiction tale about a plantation owner on an alien world, who tracks the strange animal, Cytha, and gets a lesson in xeno-ecology. Excerpt: He plodded back across the field toward the house. Not much of a house as yet. Not a great deal better than a native shack. But someday it would be, he told himself. Let him sell a crop or two and he'd build a house that would really be a house. It would have a bar and swimming pool and a garden filled with flowers, and at last, after years of wandering, he'd have a home and broad acres and everyone, not just one lousy tribe, would call him mister.

"The World That Couldn't Be" is a sci-fi story by Clifford D. Simak, published in 1958. Our hero Duncan is a farm owner on an alien planet, very alien, in fact, since no one, absolutely no living creature or plant has sex, for instance... But that's not the least of Duncan's troubles, as some alien life form is attacking his crops, the hunt is on. And what a hunt!

X Minus One premiered in April 1955 on NBC and ran until January 1958. Like its predecessor series, Dimension X, X Minus One featured stories by the greatest names in modern science fiction: Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Robert Bloch, and many more.

Step into a bizarre world where Duncans new plantation defies all natural laws—its a planet devoid of sex, where every worker, plant, and animal exists as an it. As a diligent farmer, Duncan is determined to protect his precious crops from any threat, and he’s about to embark on a thrilling hunt. Armed with his rifle, he sets out to track down the mysterious creature that’s been feasting on his precious vua plants. Little does he know, this hunt will lead to an unexpected climax that’s sure to leave you chuckling and pondering long after the tale concludes. Join us for ...

In the intriguing world of Layard, a place that defies conventional understanding, sociologists are baffled by the existence of genderless tribes thriving without traditional family structures. But for Gavin Duncan, a determined farmer with dreams of success, the curious customs of the natives are the least of his worries. He’s on a mission to cultivate the highly sought-after vua plants, whose berries are renowned for curing mental illnesses and fetching astronomical prices across the galaxy. However, his plans are jeopardized by the menacing Cytha, a lumbering creature capable of ...