50 authors, 50 science fiction stories shorter than novels
My first introduction to sci-fi, I think, at the tender age of maybe eight, was Ray Bradbury’s All Summer In A Day.  It uses the fantastical setting of human colonies on Venus to starkly illustrate both the thoughtless cruelty of children and their ability to later understand what they’ve done.  I don’t think of it often, but it was formative.  So thanks OP for the reminder.  At that age, with my experience then, it had the same effect that The Lottery had on a lot of older people, I think.<p>An engaging novella by a now-dead luminary is The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe, 1972.  It’s a book of three short stories, written in three different styles, all interrelated and containing a central mystery.<p>Wolfe is well-known for hiding puzzles in his books that deepen your understanding and appreciation of his stories without detracting at all from a more casual reading.  He’s my favorite author, and I’ll freely admit that he’s hit-or-miss sometimes.  His best works, this one included, are in worlds (usually some iteration of our own) where long-established systems are in a state of decay.  More like an ill-maintained shed that’s still used while being slowly pulled apart by a beautiful trumpet vine than some catastrophic dystopia, and not without hope.  He also has a knack for making sci-fi look like fantasy until you pay closer attention that I really like.<p>If you’re someone who likes to re-read your books, check him out.  I’m still holding out for Book of the Long Sun to be made into a miniseries; it’s one of the reasons I bring him up so often.  Someday, the right set of eyes may read this =)