Astounding Stories #40

Moon Magic explores the ancient and enduring terror that the full moon has sparked in human imagination—from primitive times when predators stalked under its silver glow, through the witchcraft and chaos of the Middle Ages, to the strange effects it seems to have on the mentally vulnerable today. Through historical snapshots and modern unease, the story probes whether the moon's influence is purely superstition or something stranger that affects us all. What does that shining orb truly mean to you?

The crew of U.N. Space Patrol Ship 83 finds their routine patrol duty interrupted when their vessel is suddenly seized by a mysterious, enormous object in space. As a rescue ship arrives to investigate, they make an astonishing discovery: the patrol ship has been trapped inside the pocket of a giant humanoid being, and there are more of these colossal creatures nearby. With danger closing in and strange pod-like objects converging on their position, the patrol crews must fight to escape and unravel the mystery of these incredible giants.

A newspaper photographer named Eddie captures a stunning infra-red shot of a captured foreign agent—but the film reveals something far more unsettling lurking in the background: two humanoid figures whose true forms only the infra-red can expose. When Eddie tries to share his discovery with the F.B.I., he finds himself caught in a web of evasion and disappearing evidence that suggests someone very powerful has a vested interest in keeping the truth buried.

Roland Penfield laughs off a gypsy fortune teller's warning that he'll meet his demise before his 35th birthday ends—but as midnight approaches on the fateful day, her ominous prediction preys on his mind, driving him to lock himself away from the world. Alone in his house, Roland's fear mounts with each passing hour as he waits for the clock to strike twelve and prove the curse unfounded.

When the Grand Canyon mysteriously vanishes overnight, replaced by an impenetrable alien material that resists every scientific test Earth's best minds can devise, an international team of researchers is forced to set aside their rivalries and work together to unravel the puzzle. This 3-page science fiction tale explores what happens when nations unite in the face of the unknown, and asks whether humanity might be ready for something far more momentous than solving the mystery itself.

Roy Curtis discovers he possesses genuine telepathic powers during a college card game, and soon catches the attention of government intelligence officials eager to develop his abilities for espionage work. As he undergoes intensive training over the summer with Professor Hadley, his mental reception grows stronger—until one fateful day when he's suddenly bombarded by the unfiltered thoughts of everyone around him at once, overwhelming his mind completely. What begins as a promising gift spirals into something far more dangerous than anyone anticipated.

In "Saucer-itis," a man’s strange behavior—rambling about flying saucers to anyone who’ll listen—has everyone convinced he’s lost his mind. But his outlandish claims might be the very thing keeping the truth hidden, as he plays the part of a madman to protect a secret that could change everything.

In "The Strange One," a lone man stumbles ashore on an isolated island, only to discover the ruins of a once-great city frozen in time. As he explores the silent, overgrown streets, he hears whispers and voices that seem to come from nowhere—fleeing in terror, he doesn’t realize the city’s inhabitants are there all along, unseen and unheard.

When Martin Malone's unemployed laziness pushes his hardworking wife Marge to her limit, she finds an abandoned handbag that grants their every wish—manifesting money, clothes, furniture, and opportunities with uncanny precision. As the couple grows drunk on their newfound easy life, the handbag's mysterious generosity seems too good to last, and fate has other plans. A clever twist on the wishing-well fantasy that asks whether we really want everything handed to us.

When tenor John Mortaro accepts the role of Ramakos II in an opera, he expects to study the character through museum records and rehearsal—until the actual pharaoh appears on stage one night and insists on showing him the truth about ancient Egypt firsthand. Whisked back centuries to the court of the real Ramakos II, Mortaro witnesses a plot of assassination and treachery, and discovers that the "weakling" described in history books is far more formidable than anyone realized. By the time Mortaro returns to his own era, he's armed with far more than just knowledge—and opening night becomes something truly unforgettable.

Bruce Caswell, a harried science fiction writer, finally gets some peace when his restless young son Tommy wanders off to play—only for the boy to encounter a small green extraterrestrial visitor desperately in need of water to survive. As Tommy befriends the mysterious alien and his visiting spacecraft causes chaos around the house, Caswell remains too absorbed in his work to notice the extraordinary encounter unfolding right under his roof.

A skeptical Gerard scoffs when a hypnotist named Valjar claims to send people back through time, but when his friend accepts the challenge as a joke, he finds himself transported to the days of King Arthur—where he duels a Black Knight to save a damsel in distress. Back in the present, Gerard's smug disbelief crumbles when he discovers a very real sword wound on his arm, proof that something far stranger than mere dreaming has taken place.

A young man dreams of becoming a soldier to save his country in its darkest hour, but a terrible accident on the eve of his enlistment leaves him crippled and branded a coward by his entire village. When enemy forces invade years later, fate and circumstance place him in a position to become the very hero he always wanted to be—though the world may never know his name.

A confident older man named Henry takes his wife Sarah on a scenic mountain drive in a state-of-the-art 1987 automobile, confident that its advanced features—including an automatic steering lock and, according to the salesman, even flight capability—make any road perfectly safe. As they approach the final curve where the road ends, Sarah's mounting dread contrasts sharply with Henry's unwavering faith in the machine's promises. A tense fantasy tale about blind faith in technology and what waits beyond the pavement.

Determined mountaineer Williard Merrit leads an expedition to conquer the legendary Mount Sugarina, despite warnings from his skeptical companion Frank Delaney about the Yodler—a mysterious figure whose horn-blowing supposedly triggers deadly landslides. When disaster strikes the first attempt, Delaney investigates the phenomenon with a tape recorder and teams up with big-game hunter Mark Duane to uncover the truth behind the mountain's deadly guardian.