And Miles To Go Before I Sleep by William F. Nolan Episode #399

William F. Nolan | August 4, 2025

And Miles To Go Before I Sleep by William F. Nolan Episode #399
William F. Nolan

AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP

Episode #399 · Written by William F. Nolan · Narrated by Scott Miller

Robert Murdock has only minutes to live, yet he refuses to break the promise he made twenty years ago to the parents waiting for him on Earth. As the ship hurtles home, his final choice reveals the extraordinary lengths a son will go to keep hope alive.

And Miles To Go Before I Sleep is one of William F. Nolan’s most heartfelt and resonant short stories. After twenty years among alien worlds and uncharted stars, rocket pilot Robert Murdock is finally heading home. But an incurable off-world disease has sealed his fate, and he knows he’ll never live long enough to stand on Earth again. Yet he has made a promise—one his aging parents have waited half a lifetime to see fulfilled—and Murdock refuses to break it. What follows is a profound emotional journey that weaves memory, sacrifice, and the quiet courage of a man determined to come home, even if he cannot arrive alive.

Nolan blends classic spacefaring adventure with deeply human themes as Murdock carries out a plan that is both ingenious and heartbreaking. Through spare prose and striking imagery, the story explores identity, legacy, and the comfort we seek in those we love. It’s a moving entry in the tradition of vintage sci-fi that puts emotion first, using futuristic technology to illuminate timeless truths about family and duty.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

William F. Nolan (1928–2021) left an indelible mark on twentieth-century speculative fiction. Though best known for co-authoring Logan’s Run, his career spanned more than sixty years and included more than 180 short stories, dozens of novels, biographies of writers like Dashiell Hammett and Max Brand, and screenplays for Hollywood productions. He was part of the legendary “Group” of West Coast writers that included Ray Bradbury, Charles Beaumont, and George Clayton Johnson—creative minds who helped shape the direction of mid-century science fiction and fantasy.

Nolan’s fiction often explores the intersection of technology and humanity: identity, artificial life, the price of progress, and the fragile emotional bonds that anchor us. His stories range from dark futurism to character-driven drama, always with a craftsman’s attention to structure and mood. Over the course of his career, he earned the Bram Stoker Award, the World Horror Convention Grand Master Award, and several lifetime achievement honors. And Miles To Go Before I Sleep showcases his ability to blend emotional depth with speculative invention, reminding us why Nolan remains a master of the short-form story.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to And Miles To Go Before I Sleep by William F. Nolan — a moving vintage science fiction tale of duty, sacrifice, and a son’s final mission to keep his promise.