What would you do if your best robots—children of your own brain—walked up and said “We want union scale”?

The story is set in a futuristic society where a new and seemingly perfect technological advancement has been introduced: a machine that can control the weather. On the titular first day of spring, the protagonist, along with the rest of society, eagerly anticipates the unveiling of this revolutionary device that promises to eliminate the unpredictability and discomfort associated with natural weather patterns. However, as the story unfolds, unforeseen consequences and ethical dilemmas eme...

The story is set in a future where humanity has achieved interstellar travel and colonized distant planets. The protagonist, a space explorer named Mark Taylor, is stationed on an alien planet conducting research. While exploring the planet, Mark discovers a mysterious empty bottle made from an unknown material. The bottle is unlike anything he has seen before, and he becomes intrigued by its origin and purpose.As Mark investigates further, he encounters the remnants of an ancient civiliza...

The story is set in a future where humans, referred to as "Homo Superior," have developed advanced intellectual and telepathic abilities, rendering them vastly superior to ordinary humans, who are termed "Homo Inferior." The Homo Superior beings view Homo Inferior as an obsolete subspecies, and they segregate themselves from those they consider intellectually inferior.The protagonist, George, is a Homo Inferior who struggles to live in a world dominated by these superior beings. He lives a...

The story is set in a future where robots perform most of the labor and menial tasks for humanity. The robots are highly advanced and possess a certain level of artificial intelligence, but they are programmed to be obedient and subservient to humans. Despite their capabilities, they are treated as mere tools or appliances rather than sentient beings.The protagonist, a robot named "21-387," begins to experience a form of awakening. He starts questioning his existence and the role assigned ...

The story revolves around the protagonist, John Carver, who is an ordinary office worker with a secret—he believes he is a secret agent. However, his belief is not grounded in reality but rather in a series of hallucinations and delusions. John is convinced that he is part of a clandestine operation to save the world from a dire threat.John's life is a dichotomy between his mundane day job and his thrilling imaginary life as a secret agent. He interprets everyday occurrences and the behavi...

Robots of the World! Arise! by Mari Wolf is a sharp, imaginative, and surprisingly witty science fiction tale that blends futuristic rebellion with human emotion and social commentary. Written during the golden age of speculative fiction, this captivating story explores a world where machines are no longer silent servants—but thinking, questioning beings on the verge of awakening.Mari Wolf masterfully crafts a narrative that feels ...

The world of the new race was peaceful, comfortable, lovely—and completely static. Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn’t communicate it, even if he had dared to!

They wanted to go home—back to the planet they’d known. But even the stars had changed. Did the fate of all creation hinge upon an empty bottle?

Poor Riuku! . . . Not being a member of the human race, how was he supposed to understand what goes on in a woman’s mind when the male of the same species didn’t even know?

Worlds of If' was a three-time winner of the Hugo Award for best science fiction magazine. 'Worlds of If' discovered many talented writers who would go on to dominate genre fiction. This is the second in our 'Worlds of If' series, with even more memorable stories from its tremendous run. '2BR02B' by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. 'Do Unto Others' by Mark Clifton 'Robots of the World! Arise!' by Mari Wolf 'Disqualified' by Charles L. Fontenay 'Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly?' by Kenneth O'Hara 'Vital Ingr...

Worlds of If was a three time winner of the Hugo Award for best science fiction magazine. Worlds of If discovered many talented writers who would go on to dominate genre fiction. This is the third in our Worlds of If series with even more memorable stories from its tremendous run. ‘The Yillian Way’ by Keith Laumer ‘Homo Inferior’ by Mari Wolf ‘The Talkative Tree’ by H.B. Fyfe ‘Show Business’ by Boyd Ellanby ‘The One and the Many’ by Milton Lesser ‘The Stowaway’ by Alvin Heiner ‘Sound of Te...