THE UNFINISHED CITY

Episode #223 · Written by Donald A. Wollheim · Narrated by Scott Miller

There are cities built for trade. Cities built for war. And then there is Oo — a river city where nothing is ever finished.

Towers rise only to stop short. Carvings gleam with care yet lack the final stroke. Furniture stands sturdy but forever incomplete. The citizens laugh easily and speak warmly, and they insist that only their god may create something perfect. Everything else must remain unfinished by design.

When a stranger enters through the jungle gate, he sees not devotion but opportunity. He prides himself on precision and silent skill. In a city that refuses to complete its work, he believes he alone can execute something flawless. And when he stands before the temple of Noom, where perfection finally exists in stone and jewel, he decides to test the limits of divine ownership.

What follows is not a frantic escape but a measured return through steaming forest and unbroken darkness. Smiling figures appear where no one should be. Polite conversation replaces accusation. The pursuit never feels rushed. The city, after all, does not hurry to finish anything. It does not need to.

The Unfinished City blends planetary fantasy with quiet menace. Its setting feels vivid and strange, yet its tension builds through simple, human choice. One man believes he can outwit a culture, a creed, and a god. The question is not whether he can run — it is whether perfection requires pursuit at all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Donald A. Wollheim (1914–1990) was one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century science fiction. As a young writer in the 1930s, he sold stories to magazines such as Wonder Stories and Stirring Science Stories, participating directly in the early pulp era. He was also deeply involved in fandom, helping organize some of the first science fiction fan groups and conventions in New York.

Wollheim later became a major editorial force at Ace Books before founding DAW Books in 1971, the first publishing house devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy. Through DAW, he introduced and supported numerous authors who would go on to define modern speculative fiction. The Unfinished City comes from his early period as a writer, showcasing his interest in constructed worlds, ironic reversals, and moral outcomes that arrive with unsettling inevitability.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to The Unfinished City by Donald A. Wollheim — a vintage science fiction short story of a city where nothing is complete and perfection carries a price.

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The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast is the most listened-to vintage science fiction podcast in the world. Ranked the #1 Science Fiction Podcast in 35 countries and heard in more than 190 countries, the show has surpassed 3.9 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.

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