Showing results for "Fritz Leiber" in Hard Science Fiction

"A Pail of Air” by Fritz Leiber is a haunting and poetic science fiction short story set in a frozen, post-apocalyptic Earth where the sun has gone dark. Written in the early 1950s, this atmospheric tale follows a resilient family struggling to survive in a world turned to eternal night, where even breathable air must be collected by hand. Told through the eyes of a young boy, the story captures the stark beauty of isolation, the desperation of survival, and the enduring hope that flickers in humanity’s darkest hours.

An errant encounter with a passing star has flung Earth away from its old Solar System into the dark and cold of deep space. With the entire atmosphere frozen as chemical snow dozens of feet deep, one last family struggles to survive. But what are they to think when they see figures moving in the city ruins? Are Earth's dead coming back to life?

Say hello to Lavina Simes, a wholesome appearing midwestern girl, always dressed in black. Lavina has a gift, or curse, that allows her to see into the future. Tragedy has befallen every suitor who pursued her charms. She travels the world with her father, a lifetime Foreign Service officer, and misfortune seems to follow them.