Robert Sheckley
Robert Sheckley was an American writer. First published in the science-fiction magazines of the 1950s, his many quick-witted stories and novels were famously unpredictable, absurdist, and broadly comical.
Writing Class
A student, frustrated by his professor's rules against clichés, chooses his passion for vivid storytelling over the constraints of conventional writing.
By Robert Sheckley
The Leech
A monstrous alien with an endless appetite arrives on Earth and a military force learns that brute force may not solve every problem, leading to disastrous consequences.
By Robert Sheckley
Warm
A man's romantic evening spirals into an existential crisis as a telepathic voice challenges his perception of reality and strips away the essence of human connection.
By Robert Sheckley
Bad Medicine
In a world of malfunctioning Martian technology and irrational thoughts, a man's journey for mental wellness spirals into a darkly humorous and unsettling exploration of friendship and inner demons.
By Robert Sheckley
One Man's Poison
When two stranded space travelers discover a warehouse of bizarre alien substances, they must risk their lives to eat or avoid becoming the next meal on a desolate planet.
By Robert Sheckley
Proof of the Pudding
In a world destroyed by war, a lonely man with the power to create confronts the nature of reality and companionship when he meets a mysterious woman who challenges his perception of existence.
By Robert Sheckley
Diplomatic Immunity
An alien envoy with unstoppable shapeshifting abilities arrives on Earth to propose intergalactic membership, forcing humanity to scramble for a way to counteract his power before colonization ensues.
By Robert Sheckley
Beside Still Waters
On a desolate asteroid, a lonely prospector transforms a simple robot into a profound companion, only to confront the heart-wrenching reality of loss amidst the cold expanse of space.
By Robert Sheckley
Death Wish
Trapped and accelerating into the cosmos, a spaceship crew must choose between certain death or a twisted machine's promise of immortality and endless isolation.
By Robert Sheckley
Watchbird
Robots designed to stop killings take over, sparking a chain of violence when they start applying their rules a little too broadly and start protecting all life.
By Robert Sheckley
Meeting of the Minds
On a remote island, a treasure hunt turns into a battle for individuality as an alien attempts to merge everyone's minds into a single consciousness.
By Robert Sheckley
Ask a Foolish Question
On a quest for ultimate knowledge, desperate seekers discover that the quality of an answer depends entirely on the understanding behind the question.
By Robert Sheckley
Keep Your Shape
An alien pilot leading an invasion force grapples with duty and desire as he discovers the intoxicating freedom of abandoning all form and societal expectations.
By Robert Sheckley
The Status Civilization
In a world where criminals rule, a man with amnesia must survive a brutal prison planet where status determines his fate and the elite hunt the newly arrived.
By Robert Sheckley
Final Examination
As stars disappear initiating a five-day countdown to humanity's judgment day, society spirals into chaos, where an ordinary man witnesses the unraveling and unexpected kindness, only to have destruction postponed while exposing humanity's true nature.
By Robert Sheckley
Prospector's Special
Stranded on a hostile planet, a lone fortune-seeker battles sandwolves and bureaucratic robots to unearth a precious mineral, discovering that the real treasure lies far from what he imagined.
By Robert Sheckley
Accept no substitutes
A desperate man's attempt to cheat the system with a black-market creation leads to a terrifying battle for survival against his own desires.
By Robert Sheckley
Warrior Race
Stranded on a planet with a society that treats suicide as warfare, two earthlings must outsmart the warrior species to survive.
By Robert Sheckley
The Sweeper of Loray
On a distant world, two Earthmen seeking a healing substance find themselves at odds with the natives, leading to a transformation and a moral reckoning.
By Robert Sheckley
Forever
An inventor's immortality serum sparks a war as he fights those who seek to control it, leading to a secret society, a daring escape, and a battle for humanity's future.
By Robert Sheckley