Time Pussy by Isaac Asimov Episode #50

Isaac Asimov | December 27, 2022

Time Pussy by Isaac Asimov Episode #50
Isaac Asimov

TIME PUSSY

Episode #50 · Written by Isaac Asimov · Narrated by Scott Miller

Old Mac swore his pets could stretch into next week — and he wasn’t exaggerating. His “time pussies” were the most remarkable creatures ever found in the Asteroid Belt… until science and greed caught up with them.

Before there were robots, psychohistorians, or galactic empires, there was an old miner named Mac spinning yarns about “time pussies.” Sitting in his shack after the Asteroid Rush of ’37, he tells a wide-eyed listener about the strangest pets ever discovered — small four-dimensional creatures whose bodies stretched through time itself. Stroke their heads today and they wag their tails tomorrow. Hear them yowl at burglars a full day before trouble arrives. And, inevitably, watch greed and misunderstanding doom them to extinction. Time Pussy takes the form of a tall-tale told with frontier charm, comic absurdity, and genuine melancholy.

First published in Astounding Science-Fiction in 1942, this story reveals the young Isaac Asimov in a playful mood rarely seen in his later, more cerebral works. Here, the raw energy of early pulp storytelling meets the precision of scientific imagination. Old Mac’s folksy voice feels closer to Mark Twain than to the mathematicians of Foundation, yet the theme — human fallibility in the face of discovery — is pure Asimov. The story is funny, fast-paced, and irresistibly clever, ending on a note that’s both absurd and strangely touching.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Isaac Asimov was one of the defining intellects of the twentieth century. Born in Petrovichi, Russia, and raised in Brooklyn, he taught biochemistry at Boston University while writing hundreds of works that bridged science and storytelling. His Foundation saga introduced the grand sweep of future history; his Robot stories gave the world the famous Three Laws of Robotics. A passionate educator, essayist, and humanist, Asimov made science accessible and thrilling. Time Pussy, written when he was barely out of his teens, shows the spark that would one day ignite galaxies of imagination — a glimpse of the humor and heart behind the legend.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to Time Pussy by Isaac Asimov — a witty vintage science fiction tale of four-dimensional cats, asteroid prospectors, and the perils of curiosity.

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ISAAC ASIMOV SHORT STORIES

Isaac Asimov did not just contribute to vintage science fiction — he helped build its foundation.

Trained as a biochemist and gifted with a teacher’s clarity, Asimov wrote with clean lines and steady confidence. His prose rarely shouts, yet his ideas carry enormous weight. He trusted logic. He trusted curiosity. And he trusted readers to follow him into laboratories, lunar colonies, crowded cities, distant stars, and the quiet corners of the human mind.

Where some writers chase spectacle, Asimov often begins with a question. What happens when machines think too well? What happens when children grow up with technology their parents barely understand? What happens when one small scientific breakthrough nudges society sideways? He sets the pieces in motion carefully, then watches the consequences unfold with almost mathematical precision.

Yet there is more than cool intellect at work. Beneath the rational surface you’ll find humor, irony, and a quiet affection for human stubbornness. His scientists argue. His bureaucrats bluster. His explorers misjudge what they discover. His aliens rarely behave the way Earth expects. Even at his most playful, there is a steady belief that knowledge matters and that understanding the universe is worth the effort.

Asimov was astonishingly prolific, publishing hundreds of short stories and dozens of novels across science fiction and beyond. In the magazine era that shaped so much classic sci-fi, his name appeared again and again, signaling a story built on a strong central idea and delivered with clarity. He had the rare ability to make complex concepts feel accessible without stripping away their depth.

The stories below show just how wide his range could be. Some lean into robots and hidden identities. Some explore space travel and planetary frontiers. Some turn on a single clever twist that snaps into place in the final paragraphs. Others unfold more gently, revealing how technology reshapes ordinary lives. Each carries that unmistakable Asimov touch — logical, engaging, and quietly confident.

If you want to understand why Isaac Asimov remains one of the central pillars of classic science fiction, these episodes are a perfect place to begin.

ABOUT THE LOST SCI-FI PODCAST

The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast is the most listened-to vintage science fiction podcast in the world. Ranked the #1 Science Fiction Podcast in 43 countries and heard in more than 190 countries, the show has surpassed 4.2 million listens.

Each episode features carefully selected stories from the Golden Age of science fiction, professionally narrated. Timeless storytelling the way it was meant to be heard.

What listeners are saying:

★★★★★ “My favorite podcast. I love this selection of vintage science fiction stories. They are always interesting and entertaining and often edifying. Narrator and curator Scott Miller does a good job of balancing his own taste for obscure works with popular demand for stories from bigger name authors. High quality narration from a former television professional.”
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★★★★★ “Far out! I’m really enjoying your story telling of vintage sci-fi. I have been pleasantly entertained by your back stories and amounts of historical information. So informative, entertaining, and enlightening! Thank you for this gem!”
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Vintage science fiction. Professionally narrated. Carefully curated.