These are the different novella-length (9,000 - 24,000 words) stories devoted to individual characters and inventions from
Tom Swift stories you may see mentioned in the novels, but never get to know them. Well, now you can read stories
devoted to each of the main characters and gadgets.Also listed are the Young Tom Swift stories. Pen names are all Tom Hudson.
You may Right-Click any title below to directly download a PDF file of that story, single click a title
to read it in your PDF-enabled browser, or CLICK THIS LINK to go directly to this author's
on-demand publisher's pages devoted to his works. These books are also available on Amazon.com and BarnesAndNobel.com
The Character Stories
Oh, My Aching Back; or... A Honeymoon in a House on Wheels--
The honeymoon personal diary entries of Tom Swift Jr's mother, the former Mary Nestor, as she and Tom Sr. marry and then spend 21 days honeymooning in ways she never imagined.
Chow receives a mysterious message containing a challenge and a threat. He must find out who sent it and then come up with a winning recipe. A problem arises when his challenger destroys his prime ingredients.
Swift Justice--
The top two men in the Enterprises security team, Harlan Ames adn Phil Radnor, spring into action when Tom's father's reputation and a top secret project are threatened by an old Swift foe.
Your Future in Industrial Advertising: The George Dilling Lectures--
The head of Communications at Enterprises is also a prized guest lecturer. This is a composite of the lecture he gave at three famous universities telling would-be advertising students about what it takes to succeed in that business.
It is during World War II and young Tom Swift, Jr. is itching to come up with some invention to help win the war. He sets out to devise something that can transmit visual images over long distances and ends up creating an entirely new, second invention, both destined to change the world.
Tom's cousin Ed Longstreet, is an adventurer with more money than sense sometimes. He is on the trail of a giant diamond that has a curse which kills its owners after they lose possession of it. When the search takes him to Kabulistan he discovers a world of intrigue, people who aren't who they seem to be, and a determined police Captain.
Wally Was NOT My Father! --
One of Enterprises top pilots. Zimby Cox bears a remarkable resembalance to a famous comedian and actor, but what he is best known for are his flying feats. He recalls several of his most dangerous flights while reminding anyone who asks him, he is not the son of Wally Cox!
It Wasn't Always a Good Night, Tom--
Tom's best friend and cohort, Bud Barclay, returns to Enterprise just as he and Tom are about to turn 50, but for a sad occasion. His marriage to Sandy Swift is strained and, after working for a civilian space agency for a dozen years, Tom needs his chum to stay around... and not just for a few days.
Patterns and Models --
Often confused as their jobs seem to be similar, Hank Sterling and Arv Hanson actually do very different things. It's just that they overlap a lot. While working on a project with Tom they finally devise a way for people to remember who does what. But, the project--a new one-man mini tank for the military--is almost torpedoed by a disgruntled General before it can get off the ground.
Doc Simpson has cleaned, stitched, stapled and patched Tom Swift up more times than he cares to remember. This book is filled with his memories of some of the major times when he could only wish that Tom came with some sort of an owner's and maintenance manual.
In the newest world of Tom Swift, courtesy of Scott Dickerson, his girlfriend is a beautiful girl whose family emigrated from Pakistan when she was just ten. Now, more American than Pakistani, Bahsalli Prandit and Tom meet for the first time. As their relationship blossoms she must find ways to get her traditional father and older brother to accept that she isn't going to sit around and wait for them to arrange a marriage for her.
The Call Me "Efficient" --
Miss Illoquacia Trent is the super efficient secretary to Tom and his father. She mans her desk outside of the large office they share and rules with an efficient "iron" fist. But, when a health scare hits her, she must make a decision to stay, keep it secret and fight it out or to do what is really best for her. Leave Enterprises. She finds some surprising allies among her coworkers.
Geosynchronicity --
Starting day one of the Swift's Outpost in Space, Ken Horton has been the commander up there. He looks back over some of the major incidents that have taken place during the giant space wheel's first two years, including the first death and the first time a woman was stationed there.
Sandy Swift has just turned sixteen and is determined to hold her parents to a number of promises they have made over the years. You know the ones. They start with "Once you turn sixteen..." Some are fairly standard--"You can date when..." and "No make-up until you turn..."--but a few are much more Swiftian than teenage girl-ish.
Chow's Chuck Wagon --
Chow Winkler has been cooking for Tom, his father and the exectuives at Enterprises since Tom turned sixteen. He came to Enterprises with a recipe file more than a thousand dishes long. Here, for the first time, is a short collection of some of his favorites like Rattlesnake Stew, Armadillo Fritters, amd even his meatless chili recipe.
Farewell, Shopton! --
In the original Tom Swift Jr. books, Phyllis Newton was Tom's girlfriend. In the newest re-imagined world of Tom, she isn't there. Did she never exist? Actually, she did, it's just that she moved away from Shopton before she could do anything more than have a single dance with Tom. This is her story as she prepares to leave her little home town.
That's My Boy--
Tom Swift Sr looks back fondly on his son. While still in school and just becomming a teen, young Tom begins working along side his father at the new Swift Enterprises. He has big ideas and now has access to an entirely new world of materials and experts. With each new thing he tries he makes his father more and more proud.
His family and his girlfriend are all out of town, and Bud ends up in the hospital, so Tom is getting a bit bored. That is, until a strange duo of amateur sleuths approach him with a request to assist them in trying to locate a famed monster deep within the nearby lake. Tom's problem is that he's never heard of this monster.
Bud brings a challenge to Tom. Help him build and operated a man-powered racing vehicle capable of traveling over roads, forest trails, sand, mud and even over water. The thing is that each vehicle must be only human-powered and must carry everything it needs for each stage of the three-day race.
Chow's Chuck Wagon Redux--
Chow's second book of recipes. This time he provides a few of his trail favorites and a lot of others that have been developed during his time working at Swift Enterprises. Sections include dishes with and without meat, sides and salads, desserts, and a couple drinks.
The Invention Stories
Spaceball--Following a near-death experience at the Outpost in Space, Tom sets out to design a rescue pod that can get an injured crewman down to medical care in just a couple hours instead of up to two days it currently requires. It needs to be foolproof, self-piloting, and steerable so it can land near help. It get's put to the test sooner than he wishes.
I and The Egg--Tom's eponomous diving shell the Fat Man suit just sort of appeared as he built his Jetmarine. So, how did the egg-shaped diving suit get its shape. Its golden gleem? And, was the design and testing process al smooth sailing? Hardly! Well, it is a Tom Swift story after all!
The Robot in My Garden--Faced with deep budget cuts, the U.S. Forestry Department turns to Swift Enterprises. Make something that can help cover for the many functions current Rangers perform such as trail clearing, providing tours and even fire fighting. The demonstration of his prototype is almost a disaster.
The TOAD--Tom needs to come up with a new aircraft to pick up some of the sagging sales of other older Enterprises airplanes. At the same time he wants to be certain that it meets the needs of corporate and industry clients as well as individual owners. But, the radical design may be a small issue.
Walking Texas Ranger--A deadly disease is sweeping through the stables at the Texas Rangers' headquarters. It comes at the worst possible time as it provided fodder for those who wish to phase out the mounted division. Can Tom come up with something to help bridge the gap?
SeaSpear--In order to protect a new series of underwater nuclear power plants surrounding their island nation, Britain hires Enterprises to develop a secret submersible version of Tom's famous drone aircraft, the ones that protect Fearing Island. He runs afoul of one politician and the project is almost canceled.
Fastest e-Gun in the West--The one thing Swift Enterprises absolutely does not make is any sort of weapon. But, Tom has found himself is too many situations where some kind of defensive device would have helped him avoind capture, injury or possible death. So, against his father's demands he creates an entirely new hand-held version of his grandfather's famous electric rifle. It gets a field test when Tom has to rescue Bud, Sandy and his girlfriend, Bashalli from kidnappers.
Ah, Chute!--Congress asks for a better solution to help pilots who must bail out over hostile territory, but space is the enemy. Tom must decide what can be done, given that anything he comes up with needs to work in several thousand existing aircraft!
SuperSight--Mysterious things begin happening near The Citadel, the Swift's nuclear facility in New Mexico. Because they are involved in top secret research, the U.S. Government want then to figure out what it is pronto, or the Army will come in blasting! Tom must devise a way to see what's out there before they can disappear, which they do if anyone comes near.
Mine-Ore Decisions--The Moon contains a mineral that becomes vital to the United States and Tom is asked to mine it, but there is a surprise coming his way when a wealthy industrialist decides that he wants more than just a small piece of the action. It soon becomes literally a matter of life or death and a race against the clock!
Power to Spare--After saving the lives of a number of villagers in the frozen North, it becomes evident that Tom's solution is only temporary. The people need a permanent source of electricity. Solar Batteries are okay, but Tom faces an energy crisis back in Shopton as he tries to design the ultimate power source.
Kicker--Tom is building his first space ship to try to be the first privately-owned rocket to put a man into Earth orbit. He must find a way to wring more power from a limited amount of fuel in his Star Spear rocket ship if he ever expect to get it into orbit, and with the ship alread built whatever he comes up with has to do the trick in very limited space. With Bud to egg him on, Tom comes up with the solution, plus an added bonus!
The Great Space Junk Caper--When the call goes out to Tom Swift to help repair, reposition and replace the aging GPS satellite system, he runs into one other major problem. Where the new satellites are supposed to go, there is already tons of space debris. He must devise a way to clear large areas or face having each satellite being damaged by stray metal.
Testing, 1, 2, 3...--During the construction of his super jet, the Sky Queen, Tom is tasked with coming up with both an enhanced security system as well as a totally secure radio for employees. It needs to be something that can't be duplicated if it gets stolen, and must not allow anyone to overhear the people speaking. Big job?
Tom Swift and The Idiot--Tom is developing his new Flying Lab but finds that controlling the monster jet is impossible without the aid of a computer; one that has never been built before. In fact, many of the compopnents he needs haven't been invented yet. It is, after all, only 1954.
Tom Swift and His Digital BigEyes--When Bud Barclay takes a brand new mini-helicopter on a week long demonstration mission with the military, an almost-failed rescue mission, and near death of one man, points out a sad lack of quality, long-distance binoculars in the military. He tells Tom Swift about the problems, so Tom devises a new system to save lives.
The Air That I Breathe--In spite of having lost on a bid to create a Lunar habitat for a mining operation, Tom agrees to help outfit a large colonization effort to the Moon, where he must find a way to supply and circulate an atmosphere in the microgravit. Then, things go horribly wrong!
Tom Swift and His Electronic Typewriter--A dear employee, Miss Trent, makes a special request of Tom. Can he bring back a piece of history while imbuing it with all the bells and whistles of its modern ancestors? It is an interesting project and one Tom beieves he will enjoy. With no lives on the line, and no major contracts to satisfy, he works toprovide her with the ultimate in secretarial tools.
Tom Swift and His UltraSonic Stairway--The aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, is facing an emergency. Millions of dollars have been spent creating a highly pressurized display takn that will house undersea life from below 10,000 feet, but the small group of test fish brought up have gone into a panic and bashed themselves to death on the rocks and plexiglass. Now, Tom is asked for a favor by a very influential man and must find a way to fulfill the request to save both the exhibit and a man?s career.
Tom Swift and the Plasma HeadLights--When he gets stuck in the New Mexico desert during a very bas sand storm, Tom realizes that any search effort would get as stuck as he did. An almost-failed rescue mission, and near death of one man, bring home the fact that you can't find what you can't see, and if you can't see through the sand, you are blind. He developes a way to pierce the darkness and save lives.
Damon Swift and the Folding AutoCar--Before there was a Swift Enterprises there was the old Swift Construction Company, and some very bad financial times under Tom's grandfather's management -- or lack of it! Things grow progressively worse until Tom's father Damon leaves his job at NASA, moves his young family north to Shopton, and takes control of the company.
Tom Swift and The NeuroSymphony--A favorite teacher of Tom's from his brief days in Junior High comes to him for a favor. Her beloved music program is in jeopardy of being cut, and a state-wide contest might just save it. But, only if she can come up with a set of entirely new musical instruments with which to wow the judges. Tom offers to help by having Swift Enterprises sponsor the band. While grateful for the offer, she must decline. A school board edict has been issued: unless she can find non-commercial money, band is gone! Tom hopes he can help, but this is a bit out of his experience.
Tom Swift and His Resonance Engine--A mighty task faces Tom Swift in his exciting new project--finding a solution to keeping cars on the road now that the world is faced with the realities of rapidly-depleting oil supplies. To accomplish this astounding feat, Tom must perfect his latest invention, a sound-powered engine. It isn't looking good until a combination of a lab accident and the realizsation that a previous invention might be repurposed in some way, keep Tom on track until a solution is found.
Tom Swift and the Earth Plunge--When Enterprises agreed to help with a new X-Prize contest to become the first man or woman to freefall from outer space, 100 miles up, they never expected to be involved in something where so many people were getting themselves killed, needlessly. When Tom tries to put a stop to the schemes of an amorale man behind it all, he ends up being given the challenge of his life.
Tom Swift and His Ultralight ReconoJet--The U.S. military needs a new unmanned, high-altitude overflight aircraft. With funding at an all-time low, Uncle Sam turns to Swift Enterprises. After receiving assurances that such aircraft will never carry weapons--other than electronic counter measures--Tom gets the go-ahead from his father to tackle the project. But, what he begins to develop and what he ends up creating are very different things indeed. But, will his new ideas fly with the men and women who control the money.
Tom Swift and His HydroCycle--Bud accepts a challenge from a military friend and passes it along to Tom at the same time a request comes in from someone purporting to represent a foreign government. When one turns out to be less that honest, the inventor decides to go ahead with the vessle being asked for because it might just meet the needs of the real requestor. But, surprises and danger await when testing goes a bit less smoothly than Tom hopes for.
Damon Swift and the Mechanical Fish--In his second novella, Tom Swift's father, Damon, takes on the challenge of creating a wholly unique submarine project for a foreign Navy. With at least one person on his side he delivers what they asked for only to find that there are others who don't want some American company to built their subs. When near tragedy strikes, will it ruin the entire project?
Tom Swift and the Exceptional Battery--An employee has the chance at inheriting a fortune, but only if he creates a medical device that saves lives. Not wishing to leave Enterprises, he enlists Tom's help. He know what he wants to make, but needs a new type of battery like nothing Tom has ever tried making. A jealous relative has other ideas and seeks to ruin the project.
Tom Swift and His MultiCorder--Nearly everyone knows about the Tri-corder, and Tom wants to make a real one with interchangeable modules. Power and size are major issues to overcome, but he does. It is during testing he realized how incredible his little hand-held device is, and how it immediatley saved some lives.
Tom Swift and His Polymorphic Gider-- Shortly after saving the life of a glider pilot, Tom is hired by the man's father to create a one of a kind glider, one that can flap its wings and take off on its own. Technology might be behind the curve, but a freak discovery on the Moon ends up making it possible.
Tom Swift and the Model Rocket Motor--The son of a family friend severely injurs himself toying with ingredients for making a high-power rocket motor. The parents want him to give it up, but his determination has Tom searching for a way to make it safe for the boy, and to come up with a formula that will give superior results.
Tom Swift Takes Off--A Young Tom Swift story where the pre-teen Tom dreams of flying, but knows he has several years to go before he is old enough. So, he sets his sights on making a rocket. His hope is to fly higher than the clouds, but with rocketry barely off the ground he must contend with coming up with his own rocket engines. And he must do it safely or his mother will make him stop, and his father will back her up!
DOWNLOAD ONE STORY-- Only recently available, I have posted one of the stories for the Tom Swift Yahoo Group to download for a free read. It is TOM SWIFT AND HIS POLYMORPHIC GLIDER and is available by CLICKING HERE.
Tom Swift and the Big Wheel--For fun and out of boredom, Tom builds a monocycle to outdo them all. When Bud takes his first ride he declares it to be great. But, when he gets back on, he finds out it is no toy.
Tom Swift and the Wasp--The U.S. Navy comes to Tom with a need for a small helicopter that can carry one pilot plus a rescued pilot or a little cargo. If it is even possible, it also must work within some very strict specs.
Tom Swift From Toad to Pigeon--When the assignment of coming up with a successor to the popular Racing Pigeon airplane drops in his lap, Tom comes up with a radical solution that seems like something familiar.
Tom Swift and His Incredible Pen and Pencil--There have been many times Tom has been in a fix and has reached into his shirt pocket to bring out his pencil or pen; both are secretly special tools. This is why and how they came about.
Tom Swift's Little Black Bag of Medical Tools--Doc Simpson is asked to address a gathering of doctors to talk about the wonderful specialty tools he gets to work with at Swift Enterprises, and brings along a guest.
Tom Swift and the Other Great Polymerr--When the cost and lengthy process of making the Swifts‘ favorite plastic starts to get out of hand, Tom finds a new type of plastic that can do what he needs, and a whole lot more.
Tom Swift's Pocket Drone--A letter from a firefighter touches Tom’s heart in the months leading up to Christmas, so he sets out to play Santa to a young man with a wish that will help saves lives.
Tom Swift and His Kangaroo Kub--Tom is building his first giant aircraft and he’s planning to have a hangar in the back. He already has a small helicopter designed but believes he also needs a small, light and fast one-man jet.
Tom Swift and the Mechanical Arm--After a valued employee loses his right arm in an accident Tom wants to build him a replacement. When it is found the man may not have enough muscle or nerves left to control it, Tom finds a unique work around.
Tom Swift and the Repelatron--Used in many of Tom’s inventions and craft, the eponymous repelatron had an uncertain beginning before becoming the all-important invention it has turned out to be.
It is during World War II and young Tom Swift, Jr. is itching to come up with some invention to help win the war. He sets out to devise something that can transmit visual images over long distances and ends up creating an entirely new, second invention, both destined to change the world.
Summer is coming and young Tom wants to do something fun. He has a couple friends whose parents bought them go-karts for Christmas, but his father suggests that he try to build one of his own. Gasolene engines are expensive and the small ones are pretty unsafe, so Tom comes up with an alternative.
2-Tom Swift Saves Christmas--
With his first major invention finished, young Tom turns his creativity and brain to helping his younger sister, Sandy, find a way to enjoy a Christmas that appears to be bright, sunny, and completely devoid of snow.
4-Tom Swift and his Tumble Kite--
There are the old stick-and-paper kites, and then there are kites the young Tom Swift way. But, when he builds a revolutionary kite it starts out causing a lot of trouble. With his father's guidance Tom finds a way to turn a near disaster into an important invention.
This book includes the bonus short story, "Eye'm Looking At You," a short Young Tom Swift story about his frustrations with his little sister and her desire to "borrow" his things.
This book is far too large and detailed to allow for downloading. It may be purchased from
this author's publisher
The Frictionless Elf--Tom Swift is getting tired of having his neighbor trying to make off with a gift he received and sets about ensuring it can not be removed from the Swift property.
This was an honorable mention entry from the 2011 Lulu Publishing 600 Word Short Story Contest, where stories had to be exactly 600 words long. The above link takes you to a page where you can read this along with another short I entered that has more than 5,000 downloads.
The Subsonic Potato SpaceCannon--Tom Swift has a little time off after hs latest physically and mentally project, and his frien, Bud, thinks he needs to devote some brain cycles in coming up with a way to practice for another visit from outer space; a visit that could not be as peaceful as the previous one. He develops a cannon capable of allowing target practice during maneuvers… but it isn't like he imagined. Not even close!
Even More Invention Stories Coming...
Barton Swift and the Forever Battery
Before the first Tom Swift, during the late 1800s, there was his father, the inventor Barton Swift. In a time when young Tom is a toddler his father is asked by the President to come up with a revolutionary power source to allow the brand new class of electric submarines to operate for more than just a few minutes underwater. What he creates may astonish you.
This is a work in progress and will be published in early 2017.
So, if you have made it this far, there are a couple other things this author has been getting up to;
some good and some are a little on the edge, but sertainly not Tom Swift related.
Brains Benton: The Case of the Insane Woman Down Memory Lane -- Based on the adult characters as written by Scott Lockwood, this is a mystery tale where Brains and Jimmy return to their old home town and take on a case of an old teacher of Jimmy's sister, Ann, whe has been in and out of an assylum, and claims that ailens are after her. When she disappears it begins to look like she might have been right all along!
Brains and Jimmy: The Mrs. Periwinkle Case -- The adult book rewritten for kids. The same basic story but with Brains and Jimmy back as young teens. Meant as a read-along where parents read the main book and young readers get this one so the story can be shared and discussed and enjoyed.
Brains Benton: The Case of Miss Demeanor Disconnected -- Second in Thomas Hudson's Brains Benton novels. This time, Brains and Jimmy go back to LA and their regular jobs only to have Brains assigned to find out the truth behind the death of a young woman working fora small newspaper.
Jimmy sees a good story and the two young men try to solve the mystery. Was it murder or suicide, and why is Tom Swift being implicated?
The Book Coming Late 2020
M*A*S*H Returns -- Richard Hooker wrote the novel and two sets of short stories. This follows on to those short stories with more than a dozen new tales of the former 4077th MASH doctors after the war and after they move back and set up shop in Hawkeye's old home towm in Maine.
Unauthorized, but written with affection for them all.
M*O*R*E M*A*S*H -- Follow on set of short stories. This one adds 13 new stories about life post Korea for Hawkeye, Duke, Trapper John, and some of the denizens of Spruce Harbor such as Wrongway Napolitano, Tip-toe Tannebaum, Dearie Finch-Brown and more.
Includes a visit by Margaret "Hotlips" to see the old 4077th team.
M*A*S*HAgain -- A third set of short stories. This one adds a dozen new stories about the Spruce Harbor, Maine life post Korea for Hawkeye, Duke, Trapper John, and some of the regulars of the such as Esther Flannagan RN, Dearie Finch-Brown and more.
Includes a visit by Father John Patrick Mulcahy (Dago Red) to see the old 4077th team.
Coming early 2021
And, lest we forget, Tom has also written parodies of the first three of Leo Levesque's
Thomasina Swift stories (and Leo approves of them!)
