Cydonia’s Last Breath
Cydonia’s Last Breath is an atmospheric science fiction short story by Barry Redhead about the exploration of Mars, extraterrestrial life and the question of whether the Red Planet can truly be a second home for humankind. An international crew of astronauts lands in south-eastern Acidalia Planitia, not far from the mysterious Cydonia region. Whilst setting up their makeshift research station, the scientists uncover mineralised bones beneath the red dust. These are the remains of an unknown species that must have lived on Mars long before humankind.
Cydonia’s Last Breath is an atmospheric science fiction short story by Barry Redhead about the exploration of Mars, extra Terrestrial life and the question of whether the Red Planet could ever become a second home for humanity. An international astronaut crew lands in southeastern Acidalia Planitia, close to the mysterious Cydonia region. While establishing a provisional research station, the scientists discover mineralised bones beneath the red dust. They are the remains of an unknown species that appears to have lived on Mars long before humanity arrived.
The discovery changes the crew’s understanding of the supposedly dead planet. What was meant to mark the beginning of a new future becomes an encounter with the destruction of an entire world. Mars no longer appears to be an empty canvas. It becomes a memorial to the fragility of every habitable planet. The story combines scientifically grounded Mars exploration with cinematic science fiction, cosmic atmosphere and a question of urgent relevance: what happens if humanity loses its own home?
Readers who enjoy Mars science fiction, alien life, space exploration and stories about the future of humanity will discover a visually powerful journey into the Redhead Future Fiction universe.
SF Shorts: Science fiction short stories that play out like a film in your mind
Welcome to REDHEAD FUTURE FICTION – the new website for cinematic science fiction short stories, books, reading samples and selected film clips by Barry Redhead. Here, the future meets the present, dystopia meets satire, and great science fiction grapples with perhaps the genre’s most important question: What if?
Welcome to a future that began long ago
Science fiction isn’t just about distant planets, alien life forms or technological marvels. Above all, it’s about us: our hopes, our overconfidence, our fears and the decisions whose consequences we often only realise when it’s too late. On my new SF short stories website, I’m opening the doors to a growing universe of cinematic science fiction short stories. The focus is on artificial intelligence, consciousness, political power, social upheavals, alien worlds and the question of how much of our humanity will remain in a future increasingly shaped by machines, algorithms and economic interests.
Some stories take us far out into space. Others remain alarmingly close to our present. Yet each one begins with an idea that may seem harmless – until its consequences unfold.
Science fiction with a cinematic eye
My stories take shape not only in sentences, but first and foremost in images. I visualise spaces, light, movements, faces and camera angles before a scene is fully written. My Hollywood experience in directing, cinematography and editing therefore also shapes my work as an author. For me, suspense arises not solely from the plot, but equally from rhythm, atmosphere, perspective and the right moment of silence.
In this way, short stories become little films on paper: with distinct scenes, visual drama and characters who do not merely talk about the future, but must act, fail, hope and survive within it. My science fiction is not meant to read like a technical manual for tomorrow. It is meant to conjure up images – like a night at the cinema in your mind.
Dystopia can also be bitterly funny
The future is serious enough. That’s why not every story has to feature expressionless faces marching through grey corridors. Humour and satire are just as much a part of REDHEAD FUTURE FICTION as dystopia, suspense and philosophical questions. It is precisely the absurdities of our present day that can sometimes be described more precisely with a wry smile than with a wagging finger. When bureaucracies manage the end of the world, politicians leave their decisions to algorithms, or an artificial intelligence acts more sensibly than its inventors, the comic quickly becomes unsettling.
Humour does not detract from the significance of these themes; rather, it is what makes their contradictions visible in the first place.
My stories explore developments that are already transforming our societies today: the growing power of major technology corporations, political theatrics, social division, climate crises, digital dependency and the desire to hand over responsibility to systems that supposedly make more objective decisions than humans. Dystopia rarely begins with a big bang. Often it starts with an update, a complacent nod of agreement or a sentence such as: ‘Surely nobody will abuse that.’
The crucial question: What if? Many of my sci-fi short stories begin with a simple question:
- What if an artificial intelligence no longer wanted to work for humans, but to negotiate with them?
- What if alien beings were not here to conquer Earth, but merely to observe it?
- What if machines developed a conscience – and we realised that theirs was more pronounced than our own?
- What if a well-intentioned technology did not fail because of a fault, but did exactly what it was created to do?
For me, the ‘What if?’ question is not merely a thought experiment. It is a narrative laboratory. Within it, developments can be taken to extremes, perspectives shifted and familiar certainties tested. Good science fiction does not reliably predict what will happen. It shows what could happen – and asks whether we would be prepared for it. ‘Yesterday, everything was already different tomorrow’
A central part of this universe is my multi-volume series ‘Yesterday, Tomorrow Was Already Different’. It brings together science fiction short stories spanning vision, dystopia, satire, contact with aliens, artificial intelligence and philosophical speculative fiction. Each story opens a different window onto the future. Some are bleak and oppressive, others poetic, surprising or bitterly funny. Together, they shine a light on the cracks in our present: on progress without responsibility, power without control, and people who suddenly no longer understand their own inventions.
The individual volumes can be read independently of one another, whilst at the same time forming a growing panorama of possible futures. Anyone who sees science fiction not merely as an escape to distant worlds, but also as a mirror of our times, will find stories here that entertain, unsettle and continue to resonate long after the final sentence.
Read stories, discover books, glimpse the future
On this website, you will gradually find:
- Selected science fiction short stories and SF shorts,
- excerpts from current and forthcoming books,
- information on the series ‘Yesterday, Tomorrow Was Already Different’,
- background on characters, worlds and ideas,
- selected film clips, trailers and visual concepts,
- insights into new projects from the REDHEAD FUTURE FICTION universe.
This site is not a static archive. It continues to grow with every new story, every book and every film project. Some visions of the future will entertain you. Others might annoy you or provoke you to disagree. That’s exactly what science fiction is allowed to do.
Welcome to REDHEAD FUTURE FICTION
If you like stories that combine artificial intelligence, alien worlds, political satire, social dystopias and human destinies, you’ve come to the right place.
Choose a story. Open an extract. Watch a film clip. And step into a future that may be closer than we think.
Frequently asked questions about my science fiction short stories
What are Barry Redhead’s SF Shorts? The SF Shorts are cinematic science fiction short stories about artificial intelligence, consciousness, politics, alien worlds and societal change. They combine suspense and atmosphere with dystopia, satire and philosophical questions about the future.
What sets these science fiction short stories apart from classic SF? My experience in directing, cinematography and editing shapes the visual narrative style. Many scenes are structured like film sequences and combine ‘cinema in the mind’ with current social issues and the question: ‘What if?’
Where can I find the books and excerpts? Information on published books, selected excerpts and news about upcoming projects can be found directly on this website as well as in the section dedicated to the book series ‘Yesterday, tomorrow was already different’.
Latest teaser
What happens when artificial intelligence makes its own decisions, aliens do not arrive as conquerors, and the future has long since begun before humanity even realises it? The science fiction short stories from Barry Redhead’s series ‘Yesterday, Tomorrow Was Already Different’ take us into possible worlds of tomorrow – and sometimes just a few years ahead. The focus is on artificial intelligence, consciousness, political power, alien life forms, social upheavals and the question of how much humanity we will retain amidst technological change.
Sometimes the change begins with a seemingly harmless household appliance; at other times, with a mysterious signal from space, an encounter with an alien species or a machine that no longer wishes to be regarded as a mere tool. Each story opens its own window onto the future: exciting, surprising, occasionally bleak, sometimes ironic and always told in a cinematic style.
On the following pages, you’ll find information on past and forthcoming volumes in the SF-Short series, selected excerpts, background details on individual stories, as well as film clips and visual insights into the Redhead Future Fiction universe. Discover visions of the future that entertain, raise questions and show that tomorrow may well look very different from what we expect today.
Why ‘Redhead Future Fiction’?
Redhead Future Fiction combines literary science fiction with a clear, cinematic perspective. Each short story is structured in such a way that, as you read, you can visualise the scenes, cuts and camera movements in your mind’s eye.
What to expect:
- A cinematic, film-inspired writing style – based on practical filmmaking experience, including a background in Hollywood.
- A combination of text, AI-assisted editing and visual elements such as film clips and videos for a consistent experience.
- A cohesive sci-fi universe centred on AI, consciousness, politics, aliens and social change, in which short stories and books complement one another.
If you’re looking for precisely told, dense science fiction that tackles serious questions about the future, you’ve come to the right place.
Note on bookshops and AI tools
Redhead Future Fiction has made a conscious decision not to operate its own shop. Purchases and pre-orders are handled exclusively via external bookshops and platforms, such as local bookshops or major online retailers, to which direct links are provided.
All texts, content and characters are the work of Barry Redhead. AI tools are used to assist with editing, linguistic refinement and, occasionally, images – transparently, under supervision and always subject to final human approval.
Specific legal details regarding the use of AI and data protection can be found in the legal notice and the privacy policy.
