Classic Science Fiction Stories · Sol Good Media

Small World - William F Nolan

·25 min·2 clips

Lewis discovers the aliens' plan: they destroyed every human above age six, leaving Earth's survivors to revert to savagery.

This episode features William F. Nolan's classic science fiction story "Small World," a tale of survival in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. The narrative follows the last surviving adult, Lewis Stillman, as he navigates a city now dominated by a feral new population. The story is presented through a single-voice narration, immersing the listener in a tense and lonely atmosphere. Lewis Stillman scavenges for basic food in a ravaged city, narrowly avoiding encounters with small, hostile figures. He survives by living in the city's 700 miles of storm drains, where he has searched for three years for another adult. Stillman recalls that alien ships attacked Earth six years prior, eliminating every human above the age of six. His own survival is attributed to him working alone in the drains during the attack. He possesses a small arsenal, including a Thompson submachine gun and a Savage rifle, which he rarely takes on supply runs. A powerful desire to reclaim his medical textbooks, specifically Erickson's three-volume set, drives him on a dangerous mission to Pickwick's bookstore in Hollywood. At the bookstore, he successfully retrieves the books but finds the lower floor swarmed upon his return. A frantic chase ensues as Stillman fights his way back toward the safety of the drains, using his weapons against the pursuing hordes. The story reveals that the alien strategy was to destroy all humans old enough to advance technology, thereby breaking Earth's civilization. Stillman's nightmares manifest his psychological strain, including one where his own legs detach and abandon him. His past is fleshed out through memories of his father and his abandoned medical studies, adding depth to his character. The most chilling insight is that the savage creatures hunting him are the now-grown children of the apocalypse. The story builds to a climax where Stillman, surrounded and out of ammunition, tries to reason with the beings, claiming he is like them. The tone is suspenseful and bleak, painting a vivid picture of urban decay and profound isolation. The style is narrative-driven and descriptive, focusing on one man's internal and external struggles. Fans of classic, contemplative sci-fi and post-apocalyptic survival narratives will appreciate this episode's atmospheric tension. Listeners seeking fast-paced action or optimistic stories might find its grim, solitary focus less engaging.

As heard by us

A stark invasion tale that turns survival into a cruel final reversal.

A ruined Los Angeles and a lone survivor give this story its immediate pull: Lewis Stillman is living under the city after alien ships have turned the surface into a graveyard.

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Why you'd press play

For a tense ride through ruined streets and a final twist that snaps hard.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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