STRANGE EXODUS

Episode #506 · Written by Robert Abernathy · Narrated by Scott Miller

The Earth has already been harvested.

Across the continents crawl titanic organisms that descended from deep space, devouring forests, fields, and cities with steady, mindless appetite. Humanity’s weapons proved nearly useless against creatures so vast that local wounds mean nothing. What remains of civilization clings to ice, sea, or rumor, while the monsters finish their work and prepare to depart.

Westover, a scientist cut off from any organized refuge, finds himself stranded atop one of these living mountains. Hunger drives him to a discovery both horrifying and liberating: the invader itself can sustain human life. From that realization grows a question more radical than any plan of extermination. If Earth is no longer habitable, must mankind shift its allegiance from planet to predator?

Strange Exodus follows the psychological and biological reckoning that comes with that answer. Survival is no longer a matter of defeating the enemy. It demands restraint, discipline, and a redefinition of what it means to inhabit a world. As the monster beneath Westover begins preparing for departure into space, he must choose whether to cling to humanity’s old supremacy—or embrace a future lived inside the very force that destroyed it.

The tension in this story is not about who wins a battle. It lies in whether adaptation can outrun extinction, and whether a species built on dominance can accept life as something smaller, hidden, and patient.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert Abernathy published a steady stream of science fiction in the 1940s and early 1950s in magazines including Astounding Science Fiction, Planet Stories, and Thrilling Wonder Stories. His fiction frequently centers on technically trained protagonists confronting large-scale biological or extraterrestrial threats, with an emphasis on speculative science rather than spectacle alone. Strange Exodus reflects that pattern directly: it builds from invasion tropes common to the era but pivots toward evolutionary biology, parasitism, and long-term adaptation as the true drivers of the narrative. Abernathy’s ability to fuse hard scientific conjecture with existential pressure makes this one of his most provocative contributions to postwar magazine science fiction.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to Strange Exodus by Robert Abernathy — a vintage science fiction short story where humanity must adapt to survive after Earth is devoured by alien giants.

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 34 countries and heard in more than 190 countries, the show has surpassed 3.7 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:

★★★★★ “Thank you so much for these fabulous stories! I have a solitary job as a night custodian. I thoroughly enjoy these stories and the wonderful voice, who narrates them, as I work the graveyard shift. Thank you so much!”
— Bob in Oregon

★★★★★ “What a treat! I’m enjoying every minute!”
— Nurse JudyAnn

Vintage science fiction. Professionally narrated. Carefully curated.

📬 JOIN LOST SCI-FI WEEKLY

35,000+ Listeners Can’t Be Wrong

Get vintage sci-fi stories, podcast episodes, and surprises every Monday.

FREE SCI-FI EVERY WEEK

✅ Check your email and confirm — that unlocks your free sci-fi downloads.

No spam in this galaxy. You can eject anytime.