Funny Science Fiction

Your move, Doctor Mind. Invited to represent the United States in an international superhero chess tournament in the obscure country of Cheskia, Doctor Mind soon discovers there's more to the event than just chess. As he navigates the tournament, Doctor Mind uncovers a web of intrigue involving the Chess King, the monarch of Cheskia, and a cast of hilarious and bizarre characters, including his Cheskian counterpart, Checkmate. To save the day, Doctor Mind must use all his wit and charm to outsmart his opponents and uncover the truth behind the Chess King's plans. Will Doctor Mind be able to...

"...will definitely bring a smile to your face." - Amazon UK reviewer "Accountants CAN be fun" - PJ Lea Could this be the worst job interview in the entire history of the universe? Possibly. So when Elton D Philpotts lands his dream Space Corps accountancy job he can’t help wondering how it happened. And why. Somebody in the Space Corps must need him, and they need him bad. But the work is dull; nothing like the glamour job he expected. Until he sees things he should not have seen: A hidden ledger, dodgy accounting transactions, bogus gate receipts. And when a whole starship disappears, ...

Born into a world with only seven days to live, Sim faces the same choice everyone does: How will he spend them? Is there something greater to hope for? A short story from Guys Read: Other Worlds, edited by Jon Scieszka.

Bingo Grabbins is a soddit who enjoys a comfortable life (apart from his feet, of course). But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandef, and a company of bizarrely Welsh dwarves drag him away on an adventure. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard (or so they say) guarded by Smug, a large and very tedious dragon. Bingo is reluctant to take part in this insane venture, but a dwarven dagger held to his throat soon surprises even himself and off the companions go on a quest that seems truly epic.

A refrigerator repairman whose tools could accidentally destroy the planet. The best pot of chili ever, in the history of this or any other universe. Pizza so bad it’s been weaponized by aliens. Intergalactic Refrigerator Repairmen Seldom Carry Cash is a wild smorgasbord of dozens of delightful comic science fiction tales, with a healthy side of fantasy mixed in. Learn the delicious secrets of the universe through stories such as Amazingland, A Taste of Damsel, and Why I Bring a Bag Lunch Now. Thrill to the end of all things in Apocalyptic Nostrils of the Moon and Trailer Trash Savior. ...

Percy Jackson fans will embrace this humorous time travel adventure, the first in a series, about an iPhone malfunction that sends three kids back to 1776 in time to rescue George Washington. On Christmas Day, Mel finds General George Washington lying dead as a doornail in a stable. But Mel knows that George Washington must cross the Delaware River, or the course of American history will be changed forever. Could Mel’s iPhone have sent him back in time to 1776? And can Mel and his schoolmates, know-it-all Bev and laid-back Brandon, come to the rescue?

The Unidentified Funny Objects series delivers an annual dose of funny, zany, and unusual science fiction and fantasy stories. All-new fiction from the genre's top voices!

Life as an asteroid wildcatter ain't easy! Hello, friends. The name's Christopher Columbus Jackson. When I set out to make my fortune as an asteroid wildcatter, I had no idea that I'd soon cross paths with a down-and-out warrior priestess of the Church of Jesus Christ of Post-Millennial Saints, Orthodox. If I'd known better, I'd have steered clear of her distress beacon altogether. But there are two kinds of people in this galaxy: those who believe in something bigger than themselves, and those who don't believe in anything else. I would soon find out what kind of a man I was.

Remember the time we went to the Land of Lost Things to look for my lucky rabbit's foot and then we got lost too? That was one of our most exciting, surprising and knuckle-headed adventures ever. What? You don't remember? Well, have I got a story for you! It all started like this . . .

Odo and Eleanor are now officially knights, helped (and sometimes hindered) by their magical but rather difficult to control magical swords. But if they thought life as a knight was going to be easy, they were wrong! Before they know it, their first task is to tackle some ferocious bile wolves!

Ornery octogenarian Richard, his associate Stanley, and his granddaughter Burke are world-class hunters of all things supernatural. They’ve faced monsters of every ilk, even overcome The Devil Herself, but now they face the most frightening challenge of all—spending the holidays with family.

T-Bin has been traveling through space for years to deposit its passengers on a new planet, to give them a new life. But now, mere days from arrival, Tanner can’t shake the feeling that there’s a more sinister plot at work.

Drusinella is a fairy with attitude. Banished from Fairy Land, because she has the nasty habit of turning princes into frogs with no way to change them back, she now has to live without wings as a punishment. A stupid princess, Camria, saves Drusinella from fairy hunters, which by fairy law means she must grant her deepest wish. It is, of course, the one thing Drusinella hates more than princes: true love. Now the two go on an adventure to find the prince of Camria’s dreams (who, in all likelihood, has been turned into a frog by Drusinella).

Felix hates Mondays. Dad's yelling at him to get up. His little brother, Olly, is being super annoying. So when Felix shuts the bathroom door, he wishes he could get away. He turns on the shower and...REEEEKKKKKK! Felix finds himself standing in the middle of a field...naked...with an army of soldiers charging at him.

A heist story with a difference: Guardians of the Galaxy meets The Hobbit in this rollicking fantasy adventure. The dragons who once ruled over the land are dead. The motley crew that stole the dragons' gold and stumbled through a revolution are rich and praised as saviours. Everyone gets to live happily ever after, right? Well, it might have worked out that way if the dragons in Kondorra had been the only ones. If they hadn't been just the tip of the spear about to fall upon the whole world....

Ian Harebungler, our hapless hero, just can't catch a break. First, the deli ran out of his favorite cucumber sandwiches. Then he left the gas on at home. But the lowlight was being abducted from his front yard by a particularly ill-mannered alien, one who apparently doesn't believe in anesthetic, no less. Fortunately, Ian is saved by an unlikely ally: the Twiller, whose bravery is somewhat overshadowed by its uncanny resemblance to a floating yellow marshmallow with big eyes. The Twiller follows the adventures of Ian and his newfound companion as they are whisked around the Universe, and ...

★ A Launch Pad 2024 Prose Competition Top 50 Finalist! But That Doesn't Really Mean Anything! ★ Brilliant. Ambitious. A great detective. Matilda Garrigan is none of these in The Matildas, a quirky, hilarious mystery with duplicates, duplicity, and an amateur sleuth in way over her head. Tiny book publisher Mitotic Press takes novels from one Earth and publishes them on a parallel Earth, thanks to a portal in a basement conference room. They're a team of book thieves with a pretty sweet (and very secret) business--until someone anonymously threatens to reveal Mitotic's portal to both ...

Nathan has been locked in his room ever since "it" started growing back. They’re going to come for him soon, so he’s got precious little time to tell us what is happening.

Evelyn Witch has everything a witch needs. Messy hair, bubbling potions, and perfectly carved pumpkins. But there’s something missing… A pet! Perhaps she’ll get a bat or a griffin, or—Oh. She can only afford the mystery pet: a plain white egg. She watches and waits for it to hatch. Sniveling snails, something has to be done! Evelyn rolls up her sleeves and heads to the library, where they keep all the best spells. It’s time to get serious.

Odo (seventh child of the village miller) and Eleanor (always looking for adventure) stumble upon a sword in a dried-up river outside their village. Eleanor (strong and able) tries to extract the sword but is unable to, and it is Odo who is surprisingly successful. It is even more surprising that the sword, once pulled out, starts to talk. And rather annoying when the talking sword turns out to be rather grumpy, stubborn and, at times, catastrophically wrong....