M.G. Herron's Blog, page 3

“World of the Mad” by Poul Anderson

This story is reprinted courtesy of Project Gutenberg. View the source text.

Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy, February, 1951

Langdon had found immortality on the planet Tanith. Naturally he wanted his wife to share it—if he could prevent her from going insane first….

Welcome to MGHerron.com! I’m your host, and you’re reading a classic sci-fi short story in the public domain.

I’ve curated this set of stories personally, reprinting them here for my own enjoyment, and s...

What’s the most terrifying time travel side effect?

Science fiction author Michael LaVoice answers the call! He joins us today to discuss time travel paradoxes and the many horrifying side effects and unintended consequences the genre is known for. Buckle up—it’s a wild ride through the time machine.

One of the staples of science fiction has been the time travel story. Just about everyone who has read the genre has run across one or two, and most who discuss time travel have at least heard of the argument for killing baby Hitler in his cri...

Wanted: Guest posts on SF books, topics and themes

Do you love reading sci-fi/fantasy books? Do you have a deep knowledge of the SF genre or history?

Good news! The blog at mgherron.com is open to submissions from guest authors.

The mission

Entertain, educate and inspire the next generation of science fiction and fantasy readers.

Which is a fancy way of saying I write these posts to amuse myself—I am that book lover! If you’re reading this, you probably are, too. That said, while writing for myself serves its own purpose, nothing get...

Four influential portal fantasy novels of the 20th century

Portal fantasy is escapism in the purest sense. The ability to walk through a doorway and disappear into another world captivates the imagination.

Cultures around the globe have long been enchanted by portals. You can find them in great literature dating back thousands of years. One early and well-known example is written in the Old Testament, Psalm 78, where it says, “Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; He rained down manna for the people to eat, He ...

4 Influential Portal Fantasy Novels of the 20th Century

Portal fantasy is escapism in the purest sense. The ability to walk through a doorway and disappear into another world captivates the imagination.

Cultures around the globe have long been enchanted by portals. You can find them in great literature dating back thousands of years. One early and well-known example is written in the Old Testament, Psalm 78, where it says, “Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; He rained down manna for the people to eat, He ...

4 Most Influential Portal Fantasy Novels of the 20th Century

Portal fantasy is escapism in the purest sense. The ability to walk through a doorway and disappear into another world captivates the imagination.

Cultures around the globe have long been enchanted by portals. You can find them in great literature dating back thousands of years. One early and well-known example is written in the Old Testament, Psalm 78, where it says, “Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; He rained down manna for the people to eat, He ...

“A Spaceship Named McGuire” by Randall Garrett

This story is reprinted courtesy of Project Gutenberg. View the source text.

Analog, July, 1961

Illustrated by Douglas

The basic trouble with McGuire was that, though “he” was a robot spaceship, nevertheless “he” had a definite weakness that a man might understand….

Welcome to MGHerron.com! I’m your host, and you’re reading a classic sci-fi short story in the public domain.

I’ve curated this set of stories personally, reprinting them here for my own enjoyment, and so others ...

“The Incredible Aliens” by William Bender

This story is reprinted courtesy of Project Gutenberg. View the source text.

Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy, July, 1954

Narant’s personal problem seemed of more importance than his mission as an interstellar investigator. But they combined when he met—

Welcome to MGHerron.com! I’m your host, and you’re reading a classic sci-fi short story in the public domain.

I’ve curated this set of stories personally, reprinting them here for my own enjoyment, and so others can r...

“No-Risk Planet” by Milton Lesser

This story is reprinted courtesy of Project Gutenberg. View the source text.

Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy, March, 1955

Sam had sold life insurance to every race
in the galaxy. But on Halcyon he found a people
who not only didn’t want it—but didn’t need it!

Welcome to MGHerron.com! I’m your host, and you’re reading a classic sci-fi short story in the public domain.

I’ve curated this set of stories personally, reprinting them here for my own enjoyment, and so others c...

“Mystery at Mesa Flat” by Ivar Jorgensen

This story is reprinted courtesy of Project Gutenberg. View the source text.

Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy, June, 1956

A small desert town didn’t seem a likely
place to encounter murder—especially one that
had been planned on a world light years away!

Welcome to MGHerron.com! I’m your host, and you’re reading a classic sci-fi short story in the public domain.

I’ve curated this set of stories personally, reprinting them here for my own enjoyment, and so others can rea...