Looking for a quick sf fix? Here's ten marvelous sf or fantasy short stories available on-line.
There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury. Perfect language in a story where the main protagonist is a robotic house on Mars. Fabulously controlled prose by one of the best science fiction writers of our time.
Little Faces by Vonda N. McIntyre. Wonderful, terrific, unexpected story that begins with savage impact in a far future world.
We Have Always Spoken Panglish by Suzette Haden Elgin. Elgin plays with issues of language and how they shape our reality, producing a tremendous, thought-provoking story.
Gliders Though They Be by Carol Emshwiller. Lovely and surreal in a way I can't even begin to describe. Go read it; you won't be sorry.
The Pope of the Chimps by Robert Silverberg. Can only humans exhibit conscience? The question of animal intelligence continues to be a rich area of exploration for sf writers in this century as well.
The Sliced Crosswise Only-on-Tuesday World by Philip Jose Farmer. It's not quite time-travel - or is it?
The Women Men Don't See by James Tiptree, Jr. A tremendous story by one of the most interesting writers around. Karen Joy Fowler's "What I Didn't See" plays off this story as well as the author's lift.
The Faery Handbag by Kelly Link. Contemporary fantasy that has won numerous awards, this tells the story of a girl and her grandmother's mysterious furry handbag.
Space-time for Springers by Fritz Leiber. Also one of the best cat stories ever. Leiber's best known for his fantasy series, Fahfrd and the Gray Mouser, but here his deft characterization works to beautiful effect.
Sergeant Chip by Bradley Denton. Timely and moving, this one's a dog story as well as a political piece chosen as one of the year's 10 best by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer.
