Here are some free short science-fiction stories that I enjoyed reading:
- Maneki Neko by Bruce Sterling is an interesting story about a networked gift economy, I’d like to join such a network!
- The Exterminator’s Want Ad by Bruce Sterling is another good story about the gift economy, not as positive as Maneki Neki though.
- Barge Over Black Water – strange
- The Death Trap of Dr Nefario – amusing
- Anda’s Game by Cory Doctorow
- Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now by Cory Doctorow – in comic book form, download the CBZ file as the CBR file seems corrupt.
- I Robot by Cory Doctorow
- Appeals Court by Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross – unusual Christian sexual references
- The Things that Make Me Weak and Strange Get Engineered Away by Cory Doctorow – I didn’t like the ending but it has some good concepts
- The Jammie Dodgers and the Adventure of the Leicester Square Screening by Cory Doctorow, an amusing story of art in a dystopia
- Failed Utopia 42 from OvercomingBias.com
- Understand by Ted Chiang – interesting concept about brain improvement.
- True Names by Benjamin Rosenbaum and Cory Doctorow, about two galactic-scale hive organisms.
- Down on the Farm by Charles Stross – one of his “Laundry” sci-fi-fantasy stories set in a Lovecroftian universe
- Manna by Marshall Brain is an interesting short story about the increasing use of robotics in manufacturing and how it can change the economic environment. Someone who is based on ESR is used as a historical figure in the story.
- The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K LeGuin us an interesting story about a city where everyone is happy
Robert Reed has released enough great free sci-fi stories that he deserves his own section:
- Hexagons – interesting ideas about simulating social development, if someone was developing such a program I would contribute some code
- Man for the Job – bit of a surprise ending
- Hidden Paradise
- The Dragons of Summer Gulch
- Like, Need, Deserve – interesting ideas about soul creation
- Melodies Played upon Cold, Dark Worlds
- The Children’s Crusade – that might be a viable concept, maybe children could pay for scientific research
- Birdy Girl