World’s End by Henry Kuttner Episode #492

Henry Kuttner | February 15, 2026

World’s End by Henry Kuttner Episode #492
Henry Kuttner

WORLD’S END

Episode #492 · Written by Henry Kuttner · Narrated by Scott Miller

World’s End opens with confidence and ambition, but it does not reward them in the expected way. When a working time machine finally delivers results, it offers no celebration—only a future stripped down to its last defenses, where humanity survives by retreat and exhaustion rather than progress.

The story’s power comes from restraint. Instead of rushing toward action, it forces its protagonist to absorb what the future has already lost. The danger is not distant or abstract. It advances steadily, consuming ground, resources, and time itself, leaving behind a civilization that understands exactly what went wrong and far too late.

What follows is not a puzzle about paradoxes, but a narrowing corridor of choice. Knowledge becomes a burden. Memory becomes unreliable. The question is no longer whether the future can be changed, but whether the cost of trying can even be carried back intact.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Henry Kuttner published widely across the most influential science fiction and fantasy magazines of the mid-twentieth century, including Astounding Science-Fiction, Thrilling Wonder Stories, and Weird Tales. His work ranged from speculative science to unsettling stories of transformation and loss, often blending cosmic scale with intimate human consequences.

World’s End reflects Kuttner’s talent for compressing vast ideas into focused narratives. Rather than lingering on technology, the story turns its attention to what remains when technology succeeds too well. It stands alongside his best serious science fiction, where invention opens doors that cannot be quietly closed again.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to World’s End by Henry Kuttner — a classic science fiction short story where time travel reveals a future that may demand intervention.

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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.

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