Clifford D. Simak — Stories

Коллекция текстов · science fiction

Mr. Meek—Musketeer (1)
Adventure flamed in Mr. Meek's timorous heart, the surge of battle and singing blades. And so, with a rocket-ship for his steed and a ray-g…
Mr. Meek—Musketeer (2)
"Good gravy," he said, "now you want to go out and tangle with the Prowler!" "Not tangle with him," Meek declared. "Just look at him." "Mis…
Mr. Meek—Musketeer (3)
Oliver Meek fought manfully to get back his composure as the Prowler pranced down the main street of Asteroid City. The sidewalks were line…
The World That Couldn't Be
Illustrated by GAUGHAN Like every farmer on every planet, Duncan had to hunt down anything that damaged his crops—even though he was aware…
The World That Couldn't Be — II
uncan got his first shot late in the afternoon of that first day. In the middle of the morning, two hours after they had left the farm, the…
The World That Couldn't Be — III
uncan did not see the arrow coming. He heard the swishing whistle and felt the wind of it on the right side of his throat and then it thunk…
The World That Couldn't Be — IV
ow it was more than just a hunt. It was knife against the throat, kill or be killed. Now there was no stopping, when before there might hav…
The World That Couldn't Be — V (1)
e should go back, he knew. Without the tracker, he didn't have a chance. The odds were now with the Cytha—if, indeed, they had not been wit…
The World That Couldn't Be — V (2)
Amid the scurrying lumps, one thing remained intact, a fragile object that resembled nothing quite so much as the stripped skeleton of a Th…
The World That Couldn't Be — VI
hey halted on a knoll. Below them lay the farm, with the vua rows straight and green in the red soil of the fields. "You can make it from h…
Second Childhood (1)
By CLIFFORD D. SIMAK Illustrated by DON HUNTER Achieving immortality is only half of the problem. The other half is knowing how to live wit…
Second Childhood (2)
Young stood for a long moment, looking at the two of them. Then he said, "I thank you, gentlemen. I thank you for your helpfulness and your…
The Street That Wasn't There (1)
Mr. Jonathon Chambers left his house on Maple Street at exactly seven o'clock in the evening and set out on the daily walk he had taken, at…
The Street That Wasn't There (2)
Perhaps we shall come upon a day, far distant, when our plane, our world will dissolve beneath our feet and before our eyes as some stronge…
Hellhounds of the Cosmos (1)
The paper had gone to press, graphically describing the latest of the many horrible events which had been enacted upon the Earth in the las…
Hellhounds of the Cosmos (2)
The old scientist slowly shoved the lever toward the right, and as he did so a faint hum filled the room, rising to a stupendous roar as he…
Hellhounds of the Cosmos (3)
Mal Shaff had no conception of time. He may have fought seconds or hours. It seemed an eternity. He had attempted to fight scientifically,…
Project Mastodon
The chief of protocol said, "Mr. Hudson of—ah—Mastodonia." The secretary of state held out his hand. "I'm glad to see you, Mr. Hudson. I un…
Project Mastodon — II
President Wesley Adams and Secretary of State John Cooper sat glumly under a tree in the capital of Mastodonia and waited for the ambassado…
Project Mastodon — III
They built the nightly fires circling the camp to keep out the animals. "It'll be the death of me yet," said Adams wearily, "cutting all th…
Project Mastodon — IV
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 c…
Project Mastodon — V
General Leslie Bowers rose from his chair and paced up and down the room. He stopped to bang the conference table with a knotted fist. "You…
Project Mastodon — VI · Project Mastodon — VII · Project Mastodon — VIII
Project Mastodon — VI The helicopter would never fly again, but the time unit was intact. Which didn't mean that it would work. They held a…
Project Mastodon — IX
The chief of Central Intelligence was white-lipped when he finished talking. "You're sure of your information?" asked the President. "Mr. P…
Project Mastodon — X
The two hunters trudged homeward late in the afternoon, with a deer slung from a pole they carried on their shoulders. Their breath hung vi…
Project Mastodon — XI · Project Mastodon — XII · Project Mastodon — XIII
Project Mastodon — XI The crash brought Gen. Leslie Bowers (ret.) up out of bed—about two feet out of bed—old muscles tense, white mustache…
Project Mastodon — XIV
He was. Not he alone, but a thousand others, working desperately, knowing that the time was short, working not alone for two men trapped in…
Chapter One
The Pyramid of Bottles The pyramid was built of bottles, hundreds of bottles that flashed and glinted as if with living fire, picking up an…
Chapter Two
The White Singer West's craft fled like a silvery shadow between the towering mountain peaks shielding the only valley on Pluto that had ev…
Chapter Three
The Painting A robot came in, wheeling a tray with steaming dishes. "Let's sit down," suggested Nevin. "Just one thing," asked West. "How d…
Chapter Four
The Last Man West stood silently at the bottom of the stairs. The room was too dark to see anything, but the voice was coming from somewher…
The Shipshape Miracle
The castaway was a wanted man—but he didn't know how badly he was wanted! If Cheviot Sherwood ever had believed in miracles, he believed in…
Message From Mars (1)
Fifty-five pioneers had died on the "bridge of bones" that spanned the Void to the rusty plains of Mars. Now the fifty-sixth stood on the r…
Message From Mars (2)
And now his brother, Scott, was following the trail that Hugh had blazed, the trail to the Moon and out beyond. Following in a bomb of pote…
Message From Mars (3)
"Maybe," he said, "maybe not. Maybe we couldn't recognize the machines, fathom the tools. Mechanical and technical development here probabl…
Mr. Meek Plays Polo (1)
Mr. Meek was having his troubles. First, the educated bugs worried him; then the welfare worker tried to stop the Ring Rats' feud by enlist…
Mr. Meek Plays Polo (2)
Meek shrugged his shoulders, almost upsetting himself. The bugs had started the game and Meek craned forward cautiously, watching eagerly,…
Mr. Meek Plays Polo (3)
Meek looked at the men before him and the expression on their faces shaped his answer. He gulped ... gulped again. Then slowly nodded. "Sur…