Showing results by author "H Beam Piper" in All Categories

FNH Audio presents an unabridged reading of H. Beam Piper's classic and much-loved science fiction novel Little Fuzzy. Jack Holloway lives a solitary life in a wilderness of the planet Zarathustra. But then a strange intelligent animal walks into his life from out of the forest. The animal that he names 'Little Fuzzy' seems sapient and that threatens the charter of the company that owns the planet. With the company profits threatened, Jack realises that both his life and that of Little Fuzzy are in danger.

The chartered Zarathustra Company had it all their way. Their charter was for a Class III uninhabited planet, which Zarathustra was, and it meant they owned the planet lock stock and barrel. They exploited it, developed it and reaped the huge profits from it without interference from the Colonial Government. Then Jack Holloway, a sunstone prospector, appeared on the scene with his family of Fuzzies and the passionate conviction that they were not cute animals but little people.

Conn Maxwell returns from Terra to his poverty-stricken home planet of Poictesme, “The Junkyard Planet”, with news of the possible location of Merlin, a military super-computer rumored to have been abandoned there after the last war. The inhabitants hope to find Merlin, which they think will be their ticket to wealth and prosperity. But is Merlin real or just an old rumor? And if they find it, will it save them - or tear them apart?

In the far future, The Company has taken up the franchise for planet Uller and are employing the saurian natives. However, some native Ulleran leaders don't like how life is changing and seek to destroy the human company agents. There are desperate times ahead for the humans on Uller, with no one coming to help, they're surrounded and cut off.

When Pennsylvania state trooper Calvin Morrison is swept into a parallel universe by a freak accident, he finds himself in a world where gunpowder is the key to power—and its production is tightly controlled by a ruthless theocracy known as Styphon’s House. While stranded in the Princedom of Hostigos, a small territory on the brink of obliteration, Calvin must use his understanding of modern chemistry and warfare to help the people of this new world fight for their freedom.

Sci Fi Shorts is a collection of classic science fiction stories from the golden age of space stories. This group of five unabridged short stories by various authors covers such adventures as space-going disasters, culture-shocked Martians, minds being stolen, alien flying cities and ancient artefacts being discovered in the far future.

So the Ulleran challenge begins, with the rantings of a prophet and a seemingly incidental street riot. Only when a dose of poison lands in the governer-general's whiskey does it become clear that the "geeks" have had it up their double-lidded eyeballs with the imperialist Terran Federation's Chartered Uller Company. Then, overnight, war is everywhere.

Uller Uprising delves into the gripping tale of a human overlord facing a rebellion from alien servants, culminating in an ironic twist that will leave you pondering its implications. Drawing inspiration from one of historys pivotal moments—the Sepoy Mutiny in British-held India—this narrative goes beyond a simple retelling. Instead, it offers a profound analysis of a historical event reframed in a distant future. As with much of Pipers acclaimed work, this story masterfully intertwines fiction with real-world themes that resonate across time. (Summary from John F. Carrs ...

Did you know that our little planet exists not just on a singular timeline but alongside countless others—thousands, even millions of parallel realities? Some timelines are primitive, while others are astonishingly advanced, yet they remain blissfully unaware of each others existence. But what happens when one of these timelines discovers the others and finds a way to traverse between them? Thats when chaos ensues. Enter the ParaPolice, who are tasked with untangling the mess that unfolds when these worlds collide. Join us as we explore the intricacies and challenges of this thrilling ...

In the far future the ruler of the world is losing as the rebels fight their way into his palace. He retreats upwards to the room where his newly developed time machine sits waiting. His plan is to jump back in time to recruit an unstoppable army which he’ll use to take back the entire world. Of course, plans don’t always come off without a hitch.

X Minus One premiered in April 1955 on NBC and ran until January 1958. Like its predecessor series, Dimension X, X Minus One featured stories by the greatest names in modern science fiction: Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Robert Bloch, and many more.

A wounded soldier is transported back in time to the days of his childhood. Based on a story by H. Beam Piper, this episode of Dimension X originally aired on July 12, 1951.

Fenris isn't a hell planet, but it's nobody's bargain. With 2,000-hour days and an 8,000-hour year, it alternates blazing heat with killing cold. A planet like that tends to breed a special kind of person: tough enough to stay alive and smart enough to make the best of it. And when that kind of person discovers he's being cheated out of wealth he's risked his life for, that kind of planet is ripe for revolution.

H. Beam Piper (1904‚Aì1964) was a pioneering American science fiction author renowned for his imaginative storytelling. He crafted a multitude of short stories and several captivating novels, with his most celebrated works being the extensive Terro-Human Future History series and a fascinating collection of Paratime alternate history tales. (Summary from Wikipedia)

In todays world, theres a growing sentiment that places blame on scientists for the chaos of war. But let‚As explore this idea further What if the responsibility extends to book-learnin itself? Dive into this thought-provoking discussion inspired by a quote from Astounding Science Fiction, February 1953.

Join an extraordinary expedition to Mars as a team of explorers uncovers the remnants of a once-advanced civilization that vanished thousands of years ago. Among the ruins, they find ancient books and documents filled with mysteries. Will they be able to discover the elusive Rosetta Stone that unlocks the Martian language and reveals the secrets of this long-lost race? (Summary by Mark Nelson)

What does Naudsonce really mean? To uncover this mystery, dive into a fascinating tale where Pipers imaginative storytelling examines the essence of communication and its complexities. A joint expedition from the Space Navy and the Colonial Office has been on a quest for new worlds suitable for colonization for four long years. Having explored eleven systems and landed on eight planets, they faced disheartening setbacks‚Aîthree promising candidates were eliminated due to hostile wildlife or aggressive inhabitants. Now, theyve discovered what appears to be the perfect world; their last shot ...

In a world ravaged by World War IV for over a decade, exhaustion and despair grip humanity as the relentless killing continues. Enter a high school chemistry teacher from St. Louis, thrust into the chaos as part of the UN forces. In a surreal twist of fate, he dies‚Aîor does he? What if he suddenly wielded the power to forge peace across the globe? This gripping tale delves into the unsettling journey through the darkest corners of human ambition and desire, revealing how they can lead us to unexpected and terrifying places.

Dive into the witty world of science fiction at its finest in this classic tale published in Astounding Science Fiction in December 1958. Piper masterfully delivers a sardonic critique of human nature as we explore a stagnant Empire scattered across countless planets around Earth. Despite Emperor Pauls awareness of the dire need for change, he finds himself powerless against the relentless grip of an age-old bureaucratic system. As whispers of a potential coup surface, the tension mounts in a story that promises an exhilarating climax. Experience Pipers unparalleled talent and imaginative ...

Step into the intriguing world of the Terro-Human Future History, where the next 6,000 years of human evolution unfold. Beginning in 1942 with the construction of the first fission reactor, this era marks the dawn of the Atomic Era (1 A.E.). A nuclear war in 1973 reshapes the planet, setting the stage for the rise of a Terran Federation as humanity ventures into space and unlocks the secrets of antigravity technology. The Edge of the Knife, a gripping story collected in Empire, takes place just before this catastrophic war, following a man gifted with visions of the future. This narrative ...