The story of William Porphyry Benham is the story of a man whose idea came to fruition. It was an idea that captured his imagination early in life, grew with him and changed with him, finally intertwining with his being. His story is his story. This was observed in a student; it was clearly present in his mind at the very last moment of his adventurous life. He belonged to a happy minority that was not dependent on the necessities of life, so he could freely walk the world under his leadership. This brought him far. It led him to situations bordering on the fantastic, it made him funny, it...

Here are five stories from the science fiction magazine of the 1930ies, interesting to see what was considered 'astounding' in the 1930s. Some of which are old hat to us in the 21st century, and some of which (including the secret to life) which still amaze us....

There are times when a broken tool is better than a healthy one, or a perverted person is more useful than a whole tool. For example, a whole bottle of beer is not half a weapon, but half a bottle of beer ......

The alien had to choose - and quickly - a living creature in order to act through him. He chose ... but he made one mistake ......

There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ......

Professor Reubens had little suspicion that his fake atom would weaken the world....

Earth spying ring was a headache, so Mars’s security chief offered ten thousand loans to a key agent. But even for that price ......

Basil Wells, who lives in Pennsylvania, writes that he did research on the age of the Kilbot before and after the 1812 war at the "locally-known water rafting site from Waterford to Pittsburgh." into this bleak future....

Commander John Hanson talks about his heartbreaking adventure with the Chosen of Space...

One of the first astronauts turned out to be a frozen space vacuum after a disaster near the moon. A century later, members of the Party of Humanity on a planet where people are not the dominant race are trying to bring it back to life and try to use it for their own purposes....

A large man in a neatly patched ship's uniform, sitting on a rocky ledge, looked thoughtfully down, where at the foot of the mountain the skeletons of two crashed spaceships rested side by side. Next to the man was a massive bow leaning against a rock, and a creature the size of a thrush, with yellow eyes and a lively disposition named Bird was spinning at his feet....

Gun is an interesting weapon; of course, it can be fired, and of course it doesn't matter who fires it. Something the same can be said about weapons....

A novel about collectivist eutopia, located in America about two hundred years in the future....

That year was arid. It had not rained for several days, and Caleb Hunter was hiding from the heat in the shadow of the porch of a huge white house near the river. Caleb's father came to this area, tired of the bloody wars for freedom. And when he had to leave this house, he transferred with him to his son both the habit of being lazy and the love of mint....

The Tale of Johnny Town House is a children's book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. The plot is based on Aesop's fable "The City Mouse and the Village Mouse." He talks about his friends in his homes. After studying the lifestyle of the other, both express a strong preference for their own. The book was critically well received....