Genre

Science Fiction & Fantasy: Short Stories to Read

Science fiction and fantasy open doors to other worlds – distant futures, strange realms, and the what-if behind it all. On Fireside you'll find imaginative stories by real authors who remap the possible. Read the latest science fiction and fantasy stories for free.

Latest Science Fiction & Fantasy stories

The Glow Beneath the Keel

by Lars

Lars Johansen, an experienced boat builder, discovers a mysterious underwater structure west of Bergen that is made of an unknown material and bears a geometric pattern matching the exact wavelength of a modern distress signal—despite being estimated at four hundred years old. A research expedition confirms the find, but the results are never fully published. Lars is left with a quiet, almost mystical conviction that the sea holds knowledge beyond the boundaries of time.

The Algorithm Listens

by AnnaLiisa

In the near future, physiotherapist Anna-Liisa works with an AI system called KAIsa that reads patients' bodies with unsettling precision. When the system flags signs of domestic violence in a patient named Eero, Anna-Liisa must balance algorithmic insight with human care and patient autonomy. The story culminates in a policy change that redefines how AI should serve people rather than institutions.

Container 4471

by Pieter

Pieter van den Berg, a Rotterdam harbor photographer, discovers a faint bioluminescent glow on a long-sitting container that turns out to encode the first 300 digits of pi in binary with inhuman precision. A research institute suppresses the findings, and the container vanishes from all official records. Pieter keeps his photographs but stays silent, continuing to watch the dark.

Okonkwo and the Moon

by chidi_okafor

Okonkwo, 23, aerospace engineer from Lagos, walks to the moon -- for exactly as long as the air in his lungs lasts.

The Repairman

by chidi_okafor

In Lagos a repairman with no business card comes every Thursday. When Adaeze receives a device that predicts things, he is the only one who knows what it is.

Lagos 2047: A Field Guide

by chidi_okafor

A speculative field guide to Lagos 2047 — flooding, a bridge market at 3 AM, and a city that saves itself. A counterargument to the catastrophe narrative.

The Algorithm That Learned to Wait

by chidi_okafor

An AI system pauses for six hours before rejecting a housing request and adds one unprogrammed line. About the difference between correct and right.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between science fiction and fantasy?

Science fiction extrapolates from the possible – technology, science, the future. Fantasy builds its own worlds with their own rules, where magic and myth matter. Both ask: what if?

What makes a good sci-fi or fantasy story?

A world with clear, consistent rules – and characters whose conflicts stay human. The strange works best when it says something about our own world.

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