SAKNARTH

Episode #249 · Written by Donald A. Wollheim · Narrated by Scott Miller

In a city where prophecy is currency and telescopes are treated as dangerous relics, Saknarth serves as Master Astrologer to an emperor who trusts the heavens more than his own people. He knows the rituals are performance. He knows the predictions are crafted. Yet one memory refuses to fade: a condemned scholar whispering about strange lights on the Morning Star.

When Saknarth finally risks his life to peer through the outlawed instrument hidden in the Hall of Evil Things, he expects confirmation or disappointment. Instead, he finds a pattern blazing across the darkened face of a neighboring world—a pattern tied to an ancient declaration that once promised mankind would never rise beyond its fear. What he sees cannot be explained away. It cannot be unseen.

The tension in “Saknarth” unfolds in silence—through guarded museum halls, wind-swept rooftops, and the lonely glow of pre-dawn skies. The story narrows to one urgent question: will forbidden knowledge vanish with the man who discovered it, or can it reach a mind ready to carry it forward? The climax is not a spectacle. It is a choice made under the shadow of execution.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Donald A. Wollheim began publishing science fiction in the early 1930s, placing stories in magazines such as Wonder Stories and Science Fiction Quarterly. He was a founding member of the Futurians, the influential New York fan and writer group that included Frederik Pohl and Isaac Asimov. In addition to his fiction, Wollheim became a pivotal editor, first at Ace Books and later as the founder of DAW Books in 1971, the first publishing house devoted entirely to science fiction and fantasy. His early stories, including “Saknarth,” reflect the planetary imagination and reformist energy that defined his formative years in the genre.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to Saknarth by Donald A. Wollheim — a gripping vintage science fiction story of forbidden discovery and defiance beneath alien skies.

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 3.8 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 for a great show. I love good, real sci-fi, and it’s so hard to find. Many a dinner has been cooked while you sent me into outer space!!! Time flys and pasta boils when you’re having fun! Thanks Scott the coffee’s on me!”
— Carolyn Guthleben

★★★★★ “Great stories and superb narration. This podcast is now the one I check first when I want something to relax to each night. The top quality narration really brings the stories to life.. please keep them coming!”
— PrometheusUK

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.