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Somehow, Strange New Words has returned! - May 2026

Somehow, Strange New Words has returned! | Last month's vote results | This Month's Short Story is...

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May 15, 2026

Space.com's Sci-Fi Reader's Club

Somehow, Strange New Words has returned!

I'm back! Well, we're back. Apologies for the two-month hiatus, folks; we were a little busy covering the historic Artemis 2 launch, and that meant no time for reading (I know, for shame).

Thanks to your votes back in February, though, we do have a short story lined up for May, and this time we're going to be "getting our ass to Mars" as we check out "We can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K Dick. This short story was the inspiration behind the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi classic "Total Recall".

Our protagonist, Douglas Quail, seeks to escape the monotony of his everyday life by visiting Rekal, a company that can implant fake memories to let you experience something you never could: a trip to Mars. The procedure goes wrong, though, accidentally uncovering real memories of his time on Mars. What follows is a dangerous web of secrets and false memories that leave our hero questioning his reality. Who really is Douglas Quail? Which memories are real, and which are fake?

As always, we'll be meeting up at the end of the month to discuss our thoughts on the story. We'd love to hear your thoughts and questions, too — drop us an email at community@space.com or leave a comment on this month's Strange New Words article, and we'll try to answer them in our video discussion at the end of the month.

We'll see you at the party

Ian Stokes,

Entertainment Editor

Last month's vote results

"We can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K Dick (inspo for "Total Recall") - 37%

"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin - 31%

"I have no mouth and I must scream" by Harlan Ellison - 32%

This Month's Short Story is...

"We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K Dick, which narrowly won the vote we put up back in February. We're pushing Ian's definition of short story to the limits here, as this one is a whopping 19 pages (He'll survive).

Arnold Schwarzenegger movie connoisseurs might know this one better as "Total Recall", as this is the book that the movie was loosely based upon. It's a thrilling tale about the power of memories — both real and fake. How can you discern truth from fiction when you can't trust your own memories? Your memories and experiences are what make you, you. They're the cornerstone of your identity, so what happens when you can't trust them? As Arnie said, you are not you.

The short story is a little more thoughtful and a little less littered with one-liners, but it's a fascinating read, and we can't wait to hear what you think about it.