Con-Fen by James R. Adams Episode #373
James R. Adams | May 14, 2025-
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Con-Fen by James R. Adams Episode #373
James R. Adams
CON-FEN
Episode #373 · Written by James R. Adams · Narrated by Scott Miller
Two off-world officials arrive on Earth expecting leisure, abundance, and complete anonymity. Their confidence is rooted in experience: humans rarely notice what they refuse to believe exists. As long as disbelief holds, the visitors are free to indulge without consequence.
That illusion of safety begins to fracture when belief enters the room. The shift is immediate and uncontrollable, transforming invisibility into exposure. Streets once ignored become dangerous, and escape depends on whether the old rules can be restored before attention turns permanent.
“Con-Fen” uses humor and restraint to build tension through arrogance rather than aggression. The story never rushes its turn. Instead, it lets certainty collapse under pressure, replacing entitlement with fear as recognition spreads faster than reason.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James R. Adams was a contributor to Planet Stories, a magazine known for fast-moving, high-concept science fiction. “Con-Fen” remains his best-known work, remembered for its satirical inversion of alien invasion tropes and its willingness to end without comfort or rescue. Adams’ approach favors sharp observation over spectacle, using a single speculative idea to expose how easily assumed advantages can fail.
LISTEN TO THE STORY
Listen to Con-Fen by James R. Adams – a sharp piece of classic science fiction where alien visitors misjudge belief, safety, and escape on Earth.
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Not every science fiction writer built a long career in the field or became a widely recognized name. Some published only a handful of stories before disappearing from the magazines, leaving behind little biographical record and few surviving details. Others may be remembered for work in different genres, while their contribution to science fiction was brief.
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