Compelling Science Fiction Short Stories

By Ramsey Campbell, Michael Penncavage, Douglas Smith, and more

2022

First Published

4.33

Average Rating

432

Number of Pages

13H12M

Audio Length

A mix of new and classic stories, a must for fans of plausible science fiction in the style of HG Wells and Robert Heinlein. With tales from the more plausible end of the SF spectrum, where Time can be stretched, other worlds discovered, aliens encountered and quantum realms explored, everything has a strong spine of real-world science. Celebrating the enduring spirit of hard science fiction this new anthology is a tribute to Compelling Science Fiction magazine whose publisher Joe Stech is the foreword writer and consulting editor of the stunning new collection of stories from contemporary and classic authors, including Otis Kline, Adrian Tchaikovsky and H.G. Wells. Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure. - Limiting Magnitude by Pauline Barmby - Slow by Ramsey Campbell - Decorative by P.A. Cornell - Cupid’s Compass by Leah Cypess - To Dangle by a Thread by Deborah L. Davitt - The Memory You Are Trying to Access by Jonathan Ficke - Sarah .exe by Voss Foster - Altered Chemistry by Ana Gardner - Season of Change by Adam Godfrey - Rationalized by Larry Hodges - The Instantiation of Ciara with a C by K. Kitts - A Walk in the Sun by Geoffrey A. Landis - Where Would You Like to Go? by Elaine Midcoh - Exorphin by Marshall J. Moore - Always and Forever by Mike Morgan - The Transfiguration of Sarah Webb by Michael Penncavage - Seven Permutations of My Daughter by Lina Rather - The Pearls That Were His Eyes by Jude Reid - Seen, Not Heard by C.M. Shevlin - The Volunteer by H.G. Silvia - Jigsaw by Douglas Smith - Across the Terminator by David Tallerman - Lost to Their Own Devices by Adrian Tchaikovsky - I, Arachnobot by Brian Trent - The Time Mechanic by Marie Vibbert These modern authors will appear alongside work by the following classic writers: Dr. Miles J. Breuer, Ray Cummings, George Allan England, Austin Hall, Rudyard Kipling, Otis Adelbert Kline, Lucian of Samosata, Fitz-James O'Brien, Edgar Allan Poe, Garrett P. Serviss, H.G. Wells, G. McLeod Winsor.

Avg Rating

4.33

Number of Ratings

5 STARS

56%

4 STARS

22%

3 STARS

22%

2 STARS

1 STARS

goodreads

Authors

Ramsey Campbell

Author · 116 books

Ramsey Campbell is a British writer considered by a number of critics to be one of the great masters of horror fiction. T. E. D. Klein has written that "Campbell reigns supreme in the field today," while S. T. Joshi has said that "future generations will regard him as the leading horror writer of our generation, every bit the equal of Lovecraft or Blackwood."

Michael Penncavage

Author · 1 book

Michael Penncavage’s story, “The Cost of Doing Business” originally appeared in Thuglit, Issue 24 and won a 2008 Derringer Award for best mystery. He has been an Associate Editor for Space and Time Magazine as well as the Editor of the horror/suspense anthology, Tales From a Darker State. One of his stories has recently been filmed as a short movie. Fiction of his can be found in approximately 60 magazines and anthologies from 3 different countries such as Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine in the USA, Here and Now in England, Crime Factory in Australia.

I wrote my first story in first grade. The narrator was an ice-cream cone in the process of being eaten. In fourth grade, I wrote my first book, about a girl who gets shipwrecked on a desert island with her faithful and heroic dog (a rip-off of both The Black Stallion and all the Lassie movies, very impressive). However, I took a few detours along the way to becoming a full-time writer. After selling my first story (Temple of Stone) while in high school, I gave in to my mother's importuning to be practical and majored in biology at Brooklyn College. I then went to Columbia Law School and practiced law for almost two years at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, a large law firm in New York City. I kept writing and submitting in my spare time, and finally, a mere 15 years after my first short story acceptance, I am going to be a published novelist. I am very excited about this! I currently (as of the time of my writing this) have four published YA fantasy novels: Mistwood, Nightspell, Death Sworn, and Death Marked. I live in the DC area with my husband Aaron, and our children.

ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY was born in Lincolnshire and studied zoology and psychology at Reading, before practising law in Leeds. He is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and is trained in stage-fighting. His literary influences include Gene Wolfe, Mervyn Peake, China Miéville, Mary Gently, Steven Erikson, Naomi Novak, Scott Lynch and Alan Campbell.

P.A. Cornell is a Chilean-Canadian speculative fiction writer. A graduate of the Odyssey workshop, her stories have been published in over fifty magazines and anthologies, including Lightspeed, Apex, and three “Best of” anthologies. In addition to becoming the first Chilean Nebula finalist in 2024, Cornell has been a finalist for the Aurora and World Fantasy Awards, was longlisted for the BSFA Awards, and won Canada’s Short Works Prize. When not writing, she can be found assembling intricate Lego builds or drinking ridiculous quantities of tea. Sometimes both. For more on the author and her work, visit her website pacornell.com.

Lina Rather is a speculative fiction author from Michigan, now living in Washington, D.C. Her short fiction has appeared in venues including Lightspeed, Daily Science Fiction, and Shimmer. Her debut novella, Sisters of the Vast Black, is about nuns living in a giant slug in outer space and was published by Tor.Com Publishing in October 2019. When she isn’t writing, she likes to cook, go hiking, and collect terrible 90s comic books. Find out more about her and her writing at linarather.com or on Twitter @LinaRather.