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Beyond the Center
New Episode available April 12, 2026!
Episode #31 is entitled "Sequel", by Ben Smith.
Join me, as we will explore beyond our perceived reality, into the short stories of some of the best authors of classic science fiction and dark fantasy.
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Episodes
32 episodes
"Sequel" by Ben Smith
As Jubil Marken floats in space, he reflects upon his past choices, their consequences, and the fate that awaits him. "Sequel", by Ben Smith, was first published in the July 1953 issue of Rocket Stories.Thank you to Beyond ...
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"Underground Movement" by Allen K. Lang
A stalled trip in "The Tube", an underground transportation system, reveals to those aboard the lengths that their government is willing to go to silence even the most celebrated of State heroes."Underground Movement", by Allen K. Lang,...
"The Eyes Have It" by Philip K. Dick
One's perception of seemingly ordinary observations leads to an alternate reality of extraordinary implications. "The Eyes Have It", by Philip K. Dick, was first published in 1953 in issue #1 of Science Fiction Stories.Thank...
"To Serve Man" by Damon Knight
Earth is visited by a race of beings known as the Kanamit. "To Serve Man", by Damon Knight, was first published in the November 1950 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction and was later adapted by Rod Serling for the 24th episode of seaso...
"The Festival" by H.P. Lovecraft
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!"The Festival", by H.P. Lovecraft, was written in October 1923 and first published in the January 1925 issue of Weird Tales. Thank you to Beyond the Center's Stellar Supp...
"Star Chamber" by H.B. Fyfe
A fugitive who has run from justice finds himself confronted by a sole law enforcement officer on an uncharted planet. The fugitive has no intentions of being taken in by the officer, while the officer has another plan in mind. "St...
"The Big Engine" by Fritz Leiber
Are we all just cogs in the wheel of life? The first short story of Season 2 of Beyond the Center comes to us from author, Fritz Leiber, and is entitled "The Big Engine". It was first published in the February 1962 issue of Galaxy ...
"Keep Out" by Fredric Brown
Earth hatches a plan, with the aid of a new miracle drug, to colonize Mars. A new generation of humans are born from parents who were carefully selected for the experiment and then inoculated with the miracle drug. This short story...
"The Machine Stops" (Part 3) by E. M. Forster
A prophetic short story involving mankind's subordination to, reliance upon, and worship of, modern technology. This longer short story is being split up into three parts, with today's part three titled "The Homeless", from "The Ma...
"The Machine Stops" (Part 2) by E. M. Forster
A prophetic short story involving mankind's subordination to, reliance upon, and worship of, modern technology. This longer short story is being split up into three parts, with today's part two titled "The Mending Apparatus", from ...
"The Machine Stops" (Part 1) by E. M. Forster
A prophetic short story involving mankind's subordination to, reliance upon, and worship of, modern technology. This longer short story will be split up into three parts over today and the following two Sundays. Today's part one of...
"Time Fuze" by Randall Garrett
A ship with an experimental faster-than-light drive, the first ever to voyage outside of our solar system, arrives some distance from their destination of Alpha Centauri A. Upon arriving, the crew witnesses an unexpected event which has an astr...
"Saknarth" by Millard Verne Gordon (AKA Donald A. Wolheim)
Saknarth, the Master Astrologer, yearned for the day when mankind would no longer be enslaved; when they would conquer their fears and miseries through learning and enlightenment. The short story for this episode is titled "...
"Ancient Lights" by Algernon Blackwood
Mr. Thomas, a surveyor's clerk from Croydon, travels to the Sussex Weald to meet with a client about having a copse removed. Upon arriving near his destination, he spots the line of Downs with Chanctonbury Ring at its crest. As he comes upon th...
"Radio Mates" by Benjamin Witwer
Bromley Cranston, a scientist, devotes himself to achieving a scientific discovery after his beloved has been swept away by another man. Cranston finds himself involved with the other man and his beloved as he makes progress on his invention wh...
"Beside Still Waters" by Robert Sheckley
Mark, a space faring prospector, decides to settle himself on a slab of rock in the asteroid belt after making a decent enough strike. He and his companion, Charles, become close friends, taking care of one another whilst enjoying each other's ...
"Never Trust A Thief!" by Robert Silverberg
Kiley, a thief who now finds himself locked up in a jail cell for the fourth time, is visited telepathically by a powerful alien being from another world. Kiley agrees to a deal with the alien being, who offers to bestow upon Kiley an ability w...
"Later Than You Think" by Fritz Leiber
An Archeologist and Space Explorer in the far distant future discuss a discovery which has shed some light on the past history of intelligent life on Earth. Is this archeological find of past Earthlings what the scholars expected to discover? &...
"A Hitch In Time" by Frederik Pohl
Thom Ra is assigned the task of traveling back in time to the War of Annihilation, where he is supposed to make a "real and complete contribution to human knowledge". Under no circumstances is he allowed to interfere in the course of events.
"Crossroads of Destiny" by H. Beam Piper
Join six men in the club car of a train as they discuss an idea for a television program based on altering aspects of known historic events; a conversation which leads the men to discussing the possibility of alternate realities. T...
"2 B R 0 2 B" by Kurt Vonnegut
Set in a futuristic world, there exists an agency called the Federal Bureau of Termination. An agency with the purpose of balancing the scales of a society which has conquered most societal issues, including old age. ...
"Hall of Mirrors" by Fredric Brown
You suddenly find yourself in an unknown place, somewhere completely different than the moment before. If this shock were not enough, you soon come to the realization that you must make a decision that carries with it life altering implications...
"Messenger" by William Morrison
A being from another world finds himself off course in his search for one planet in the vast universe. He then has to face the challenges of locating this planet and remembering what he was sent there to do. The short story for thi...
"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
Most people would love to be granted three wishes, but even the most modest of wishes could come at a hefty price. The short story for this episode will be "The Monkey's Paw", by W.W. Jacobs. This story was first published in the p...
"The Oval Portrait" & "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe
This episode will include two short stories by one of my favorite authors, Edgar Allan Poe. Tune in to find out which two stories I will be narrating."The Oval Portrait" was originally published in April 1842 and "The Cask of Amontillad...