Psychological Science Fiction

Incredible Science Fiction: Amazing Tales from the 50's and Beyond, Volume Two collates a collection of some of the very best science-fiction stories published in the '50s together. All these stories (with the exception of The Anatomy of Fear) are now in the public domain and were original published in various science-fiction magazines that were very popular in the 1950s. This is a lovingly curated collection of some of the very best stories published during this time. This collection includes a further story from the Hugo Award-nominated Rog Phillips.

Anne Lisbeth once rose above her station by serving as nurse to a noble child, enjoying comfort, admiration, and pride. But in doing so, she turned away from her own son, leaving him to grow up unloved, neglected, and ultimately lost to the sea. Years later, when the weight of her choices finally stirs, Anne Lisbeth is forced into a harrowing reckoning—one shaped by guilt, superstition, and the relentless voice of conscience.

After decades of brutal conflict, Terran forces finally capture Commander Gordon Monihan—a feared Spacer officer believed to be part of an inhuman hive-mind. But when Lieutenant Lucian Aris breaks protocol and removes Monihan’s helmet, he finds not a monster, but a man. Imprisoned and cut off from the neural network that once filled his mind with constant presence and connection, Monihan is plunged into a deafening silence that begins to unravel his sanity. Worse still, the Terrans subject him to a tribunal designed to prove he is not human. Every emotion is reclassified as programming.

Defense Mech by Ray Bradbury is a haunting and psychologically rich science fiction short story that explores the fragile boundary between reality and illusion. Set during a tense voyage from Earth to Mars, the narrative follows Halloway, a deeply anxious man whose terror of space threatens both his sanity and the mission itself. In a desperate bid to protect him, the ship’s psychiatrist deploys an experimental psychological “defense mechanism,” constructing an artificial reality in which Halloway believes he never left Earth.

From the outside looking in, Mora's life appears perfect. She lives in an affluent neighborhood, attends one of the most prestigious schools in Maryland, and has a father who is one of the top psychiatrists in the nation. But if you take a closer look inside, things are not as wonderful as they seem. Voices whisper in Mora's ear, ghosts flicker in her peripheral vision, and chilling text messages warn her to be quiet. Then, a reflection that resembles her appears in the mirror - even while she's medicated.