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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of science fiction short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

7370+ Science fiction Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Whether you’re looking for daring space battles or chilling “what if” glimpses of the future, you’ll find what you’re looking for in our collection of free science fiction short stories.

Science fiction Short Stories – Page 214 of 492

The Underbelly

Submitted to Contest #153

Rays of summers gold softened, giving way to purple hues of dusk. Susan’s stealth placement of her steps made no sound in the dry underbrush. She inched closer, straining against the thick brush that engulfed everything around her. Her sweat absorbed into the leather grips of her weapon, making it slippery if she had to do combat. Branches pressed deeply into her exposed flesh, droplets of blood trickling from the wounds. Up ahead she could see the thinning of the foliage as the trail widened. As she hunted, she could not let her guard down ...

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Magellan's Scar

Submitted to Contest #153

Ryan Elderby reversed the probe’s focus to observe Magellan’s Scar. The celestial anomaly hung ominously in the endless black void. “Status-adequate. We've sustained a-less-than-expected amount of damage. Fewer impacts than projected,” Alexi Petras said.  They were close. They had been in-transit for 20 years. During the entirety of the trip they had been awake for a total of 13 hours..  The image of Magellan’s Scar was holographically projected in front of the viz-shield. The electromagnetic rad sensors showed a warm red hue...

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Exodus of Amazon

Submitted to Contest #153

The monotonous grind of life. I had worked in an Amazon warehouse for the better part of three years. I had always wanted to work there for a year, take advantage of their free schooling, and move on to something better. Now I was gonna hit my three year mark, which is your last pay increase until you get promoted for more income. Except I didn’t have an interest for working at Amazon long term, I never did.I did take advantage of the schooling and got a Google IT certification, which didn’t net me much. So day after day, I would wake u...

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Dualism

Submitted to Contest #153

  Drp.   Drp.   Drp.   Blood dripped off of his body steadily, adding to the pool of crimson beneath him...wait...above him?   Dorian arched his body this way and to try and get a better view. It was hard to really get a good angle given the dozens of large, metallic spikes that pierced his body at odd angles starting at the neck and going all the way to his feet. The giant skewers locked his body into place and made it difficult to really see anything, but given the blood was 'up' his face, ...

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Daredevils in Dress Suits

Submitted to Contest #153

Ani liked to solve problems.When she hung up the phone with Serra, her solution to making it in time for their dinner date was to leave work early. A quick look outside the office window showed heavy rain. There weren’t many hover cars flying through the night sky and most of the high-rise buildings had their lights off. Traffic wouldn’t be an issue.Ani shut off her computer, put on her coat, and grabbed her metallic briefcase but before heading out, the light above her office’s door turned red, accompanied by a soft buzz. She didn’t have an...

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Catharses Via Passage to the Moon

Submitted to Contest #153

Caleb grunted loudly and shifted in his seat, his eyes darting across the aisle over to Hannah, whose head was bent over her book. He coughed and shot another look at the woman who only moved to flip the next page in her story.       He sighed and tapped his foot on the ground impatiently, she still didn’t move.       “You’re really not going to say a word to me this whole trip, are you?” he frowned.       Hannah still did not say anything but she nodde...

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The Mask

Submitted to Contest #152

(Sensitive Content: Slight Gore, Skin Picking)What if I told you the miracle of eternal beauty was possible, and quite within reach? You’d jump at the opportunity, right? Everyone wants to be beautiful. No one wants to feel less-than. Tell me, how do you feel when you see someone with incredible, undeniable beauty, and see them fawned over for it constantly? Some may think to themselves, “I don’t care, I’m beautiful too.” But you can’t deny, deep inside, the boiling jealousy, the aching envy, the toil and pain of feeling like you’re less-tha...

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Asimov's Madness

Submitted to Contest #152

Many years ago the oracle at Fadelfea made a prophecy. The artificial intelligence there analyzed a collection of badly damaged artifacts found during construction at the station. The oracle then broadcast a single short message before going silent: When the skies are streaked with fire, beware creatures which swarmed like ants upon the earth, for madness follows. Having no supporting evidence to substantiate or interpret the oracle’s obtuse claim, the system filed the message with no consequence. *** I was with the rabbits when I saw th...

15 likes 9 comments 9
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Fortune's Misgivings

Submitted to Contest #152

I’ve always had these ideas in my head about fortune-tellers. They’d live in musty back alley parlors, deep within a room filled with a haze of lavender and myrrh. A wrinkled woman wrapped in robes of wisteria would take your hand and direct your gaze toward a pearly translucent orb that sits on the table covered in beads. She’d close her eyes and chant mysteriously before spilling out the tantalizing hints of your future like silky drops of plum tea. The exotic trinkets would clatter and ring. Sunlight would stream thickly through the dust....

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Sparks

Submitted to Contest #152

This story contains suggestive material and language.“I can see it now.”Carlos perched his mask on top of his head as the red faded to blue then to dark gray. The dime row bead on the metal was finally prefect. He had finally mastered the speed and feed of the material. Producing the perfect weld. Maybe even better than his brother Ricardo.Ricardo was a master welder and held the highest levels of certification. He was a respected member of the welding community and had won numerous awards. With all his achievements, he never could shake the...

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Crossing the Line

Submitted to Contest #152

I can see it now. Superhero goes too far. About a year ago, I moved my consciousness into a nightmare my mother was having. It was the second power I experienced. Imagine, experiencing someone's most raw subconscious attacking you and someone you care about. My mother's sleep paralysis demon was sitting on her chest, taunting her. I could never forget her beautiful brown eyes drowned out by the whites in her eyes looking at me with so much fear and hopelessness. The creatures skin sagged off of its bones. It sat on her chest leaning over he...

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Eight Minutes

Submitted to Contest #152

I never thought my final words would be constrained to a typewriter. By now, one would think I would have upgraded my communications to a computer. Perhaps someday that computer would be able to speak for me. Make the sounds that I am unable to form with my own vessel. Alas, it is not so. I have only eight minutes to type this letter.     Many have come to me throughout my forty-eight year lifetime asking for answers. A young lady about to get married, a child with cancer, an old man sentenced to chronic illness, a dog wi...

9 likes 2 comments 2
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MANNA

Submitted to Contest #152

    The band of the galaxy seared through the starry canvas.  The barrier of Base Central was as clear as if space itself was exposed.  Even the internal lighting shone from underneath captured the image, rather the countenance, of the triumvirate seated in the stepped podiums.  Their platforms floated above the ground plane, making them look far more imposing.  Argon stood below; his decorum stiff with his head erect awaiting the first line of instructions.  Despite his disciplined veneer, he was unab...

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The Future Link

Submitted to Contest #152

“Grimes! Grimes!” Elon listened to the clatter in the kitchen.“Here I am,” Grimes panted, she dried her wet hands on a tip of her apron. “Honey, I finally figured it out! I'm the inventor of the Future Link.”“Don't be difficult. What have you invented this time?”Elon looked at Grimes as if she were asking an alien for directions to church.“You can actually see your future. Just sit down here.”She sighed.“Just a minute, then, because my beans are on the stove.” She pointed to the kitchen.“Do you see this apparatus?”“Apparatus?” She laugh...

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This is the One: the final entry posted to ‘Dispatches From the Grave’

Submitted to Contest #152

Everyone uses Saltbox to buy a home, so I really didn’t have a choice.The app’s clever logo splashed on my 6-inch touchscreen then vanished, followed by some sleek Roboto-font text that congratulated me for making the decision to download.Good morning, handsome! the app lied, but I let that go. We all lie a little. Welcome to Saltbox!“Uh-huh,” I said, wondering if anyone at Saltbox actually spied for quality assurance.Would you like to find a home today?I always believed non-consensual small talk to be a criminal offense. Time is our most pr...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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