The Reader Crew

A group of escapees on a prison world aptly named Hell determine to make a home in the only livable valley on the planet. A straightforward prison-escape story with an ironic twist that I didn't see coming at all. The incidental background music plays counterpoint to the dialog, creating the image of a truly hellish landscape. *Note that Cogswell Thomas was a pen name for the collaboration of Theodore Cogswell and Theodore L. Thomas. Both men were award-nominated in their own right. Mind Webs was a 1970's series out of WHA Radio in Wisconsin that featured weekly short stories of science fiction by some of the genre's best writers. The music, sound cues and occasional character voices along with the performance of Michael Hansen, the reader, resulted in better than most fully dramatized productions of the period. Around 150 shows were aired between 1976 and 1984 varying in length, but most were about 30 minutes. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

Groundhog Day meets The Truman Show meets The Matrix is a description that may give some indication of this episode's mind-bending plot. What the story shares in common with all these examples is that it raises the question of what is reality. As such, it feels as if it might have come from the febrile imagination of Philip K. Dick (though it is in fact based on a short story by another master of science fiction, Frederik Pohl). Many listeners will also be reminded of The Twilight Zone, as the story could very easily have been adapted for this series. In any case, this ranks as one of the very best X Minus One episodes of all. What is most striking at the beginning - when we first meet the protagonist and learn that he keeps reliving the same day, yet no one else seems aware that the day is repeating - is how modern its central idea feels; after all, Groundhog Day didn't bring a similar conceit to a wider audience until over thirty-five years later. It's difficult to discuss any more about the plot without giving too much away, but one reason this is such a strong episode is that just when you think you have the story figured out, there is a twist that sends it veering off in a new, unexpected direction. Furthermore, with so many twists and turns in the plot, this means there are enough ideas here for two or three different stories. Another reason this ranks so highly is that it is almost the archetypal X Minus One episode, in that it touches on a great many of the fears and concerns of the era that were explored throughout the series' run, including about the atomic bomb, consumerism, the advertising industry, electronic surveillance and secret conspiracies; it even manages to reference both Martians and Russians, the two major 'bad guys' of 1950s American science fiction. Finally, the ending is bold and jaw-dropping, and packs a real punch. X Minus One aired on NBC from April 1955 until January 1958. It was an extension of Dimension X which aired on NBC from 1950-51. The first fifteen scripts used for X Minus One were scripts used in the airing of Dimension X; however, it soon found its own little niche. The stories for the show came from two of the most popular science fiction magazines at the time; Astounding and Galaxy. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

This is one of a handful of Mind Webs versions where Michael Hansen is joined by a guest narrator, in this case Carol Collin, and it really adds something to this classic story. A nursery in a fully automated house allows its owners’ children to create any virtual environment they desire, but when they use it to recreate the African savannah, the line between illusion and reality starts to become blurred. Based on a short story, originally titled “The World the Children Made”, first published in The Saturday Evening Post, in September 1950; and later, as “The Veldt”, in Ray Bradbury's short-story collection The Illustrated Man, in 1951. If you haven’t experienced it, it’s a truly remarkable tale that touches on over-reliance on technology, parenting, and the troubling consequences of virtual reality. Mind Webs was a 1970's series out of WHA Radio in Wisconsin that featured weekly short stories of science fiction by some of the genre's best writers. The music, sound cues and occasional character voices along with the performance of Michael Hansen, the reader, resulted in better than most fully dramatized productions of the period. Around 150 shows were aired between 1976 and 1984 varying in length, but most were about 30 minutes. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

A man wakes up one morning to discover that a strange machine has mysteriously appeared in his room, which turns out be a 'Utilizer', a device from the future that is capable of granting his every wish. Based on a short story first published in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine, in June 1954; and later in Robert Sheckley's short-story collection Citizen in Space, in 1955. X Minus One was an extension of Dimension X which aired on NBC from 1950-51. The first fifteen scripts used for X Minus One were scripts used in the airing of Dimension X; however, it soon found its own little niche. The stories for the show came from two of the most popular science fiction magazines at the time; Astounding and Galaxy. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

Giant corporations rule the world and sponsor teams for a lethal professional sport called Roller Ball. This story was published in Esquire and was later dramatized in the film Rollerball (1975). Mind Webs was a 1970's series out of WHA Radio in Wisconsin that featured weekly short stories of science fiction by some of the genre's best writers. The music, sound cues and occasional character voices along with the performance of Michael Hansen, the reader, resulted in better than most fully dramatized productions of the period. Around 150 shows were aired between 1976 and 1984 varying in length, but most were about 30 minutes. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

First Contact by Murray Leinster When human beings make first contact with an alien species in deep space, the encounter soon becomes a stalemate, with neither captain of their respective spaceships willing to depart the area for fear of leading the potentially hostile other vessel back to their homeworld. Based on a short story first published in Astounding Science Fiction magazine, in May 1945; and later in Murray Leinster's short-story collection The Best of Murray Leinster, in 1978. This classic story originated the term “first contact” to describe the first meeting between humans and aliens. It also introduced the idea of a universal translator to allow for communication without having to rely on the implausible notion that aliens might somehow speak English. The episode unfolds in a tense, intelligent manner, as the two races try to find a way to break the deadlock, making this one of the best X Minus One episodes. It is interesting, though, that this radio adaptation opts for a different (less optimistic) ending to the original short story. Yet both are strong, so it is worth checking out the original to see how they diverge. X-Minus One was the radio extension of Astounding Science Fiction. It’s one of my favorite of the old time radio shows that you can find floating around Archive.org. It featured full-cast renditions of stories—and not just stories that published within the pages of Astounding. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

The pilot of an 'Emergency Dispatch Ship' delivering vital medical supplies to a colony world in urgent need of them to treat a potentially fatal sickness discovers that he has a stowaway on board. Based on a short story, 'The Cold Equations', first published in Astounding Science Fiction magazine, in August 1954; and later in Tom Godwin's short-story collection The Cold Equations & Other Stories, in 2003. That’s the official boring description, and it’s the one I’ll stick with because there is no way to discuss this story without spoilers. Cold Equations is a famous tale, and I’m sure many of you are aware of it. This is one of the best dramatizations of it I’ve ever heard. Definitely worth 20 minutes of your time! X Minus One was an extension of Dimension X which aired on NBC from 1950-51. The first fifteen scripts used for X Minus One were scripts used in the airing of Dimension X; however, it soon found its own little niche. The stories for the show came from two of the most popular science fiction magazines at the time; Astounding and Galaxy. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

"Desertion", written by Clifford D. Simak in 1944, follows the story of an army commander and his dog. The story is set on Jupiter, where a military commander, Harold Fowler, has been losing men in his attempt to colonize the planet. The reason is both obvious and frightening. This was one of the first science fiction stories about pantropy (the word had not yet been coined), and if you don’t know what that is, don’t look it up. You’ll enjoy the story more without knowing first! I really love the concept behind this story. I may or may not have tried to rip off Simak’s story when I was a teenager trying to get a story published in Analog Magazine! (It was rejected—and rightfully so.) Mind Webs was a 1970's series out of WHA Radio in Wisconsin that featured weekly short stories of science fiction by some of the genre's best writers. The music, sound cues and occasional character voices along with the performance of Michael Hansen, the reader, resulted in better than most fully dramatized productions of the period. Around 150 shows were aired between 1976 and 1984 varying in length, but most were about 30 minutes. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

In “The Cave of Night” by James Gunn from the Feb. 1955 issue of Galaxy, a spaceman’s craft is hopelessly damaged, and the whole world waits breathlessly as a rescue is organized. “The Cave of Night” anticipates the drama of Apollo 13, the tragedy of the Challenger shuttle disaster, and even the ‘fake Moon landing’ conspiracy theorists. It’s a story that holds up well. The story is a reflection by a journalist, an old friend of the man who has, to the world’s surprise, become the first man in orbit and who, to the world’s horror, is destined to live out his final days in orbit, unable to return. But everything is not as it seems… It’s really a perfect story for an audio adaptation and the small cast does a great job with it. Enjoy! X-Minus One was the radio extension of Astounding Science Fiction. It’s one of my favorite of the old time radio shows that you can find floating around Archive.org. It featured full-cast renditions of stories—and not just stories that published within the pages of Astounding. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

X-Minus One was the radio extension of Astounding Science Fiction. It’s one of my favorite of the old time radio shows that you can find floating around Archive.org. It featured full-cast renditions of stories—and not just stories that published within the pages of Astounding. This episode, for example, features the short story, “Zero Hour,” which was published in Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man collection in 1951, although the story itself was written in 1947. It’s a spooky little story about a group of children playing a game. A game that the adults ignore. A game that has caught the attention of children nationwide. A game called Invasion. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

“Singularities Make Me Nervous” is from Larry Niven’s collection Convergent Series. After exploring the space near a blackhole, astronaut George Cox returns to his apartment to confront...himself! This is no surprise to him, as Cox has traveled back in time in before in the same repeating loop. His younger self, however, is unsure how to handle the situation—until the pair conspire a scam that could make them millions. Mind Webs was a 1970's series out of WHA Radio in Wisconsin that featured weekly short stories of science fiction by some of the genre's best writers. The music, sound cues and occasional character voices along with the performance of Michael Hansen, the reader, resulted in better than most fully dramatized productions of the period. Around 150 shows were aired between 1976 and 1984 varying in length, but most were about 30 minutes. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

“My Object All Sublime” by Poul Anderson is a sly little story within a story. It begins with a chance encounter, then we hear a stranger telling a story of time travel that seems entirely farfetched… until it isn’t. It’s a great little gem from the June 1961 issue of Galaxy and one of Michael Hanson’s better productions. Highly recommended! Mind Webs was a 1970's series out of WHA Radio in Wisconsin that featured weekly short stories of science fiction by some of the genre's best writers. The music, sound cues and occasional character voices along with the performance of Michael Hansen, the reader, resulted in better than most fully dramatized productions of the period. Around 150 shows were aired between 1976 and 1984 varying in length, but most were about 30 minutes. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

“History Lesson” first appeared in the May, 1949 issue of Startling Stories. This is a fun little story that is split neatly into two narratives. The first part of the story is told from the perspective of a tribe of nomadic humans of the 30th century, in a future where Earth has entered a final ice age. The second part of the story is told from the perspective of a race of Venusian reptiles who have evolved into intelligent beings capable of space travel in the 5,000 years since the cooling of the Sun. The effort of the latter to understand the former is what makes this story so fun. Micheal Hanson really outdid himself this time with the voices and special effects. It’s a great listen. Mind Webs was a 1970's series out of WHA Radio in Wisconsin that featured weekly short stories of science fiction by some of the genre's best writers. The music, sound cues and occasional character voices along with the performance of Michael Hansen, the reader, resulted in better than most fully dramatized productions of the period. Around 150 shows were aired between 1976 and 1984 varying in length, but most were about 30 minutes. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

Jack Williamson was referred to as "The Dean of Science Fiction." His first published story was "The Metal Man," in AMAZING STORIES, December, 1928. The illustration above is by Frank R. Paul. Even at the age of 20 Williamson's writing had a professional polish, and a narrative drive that propelled the story. Williamson was an amazing story himself; self-educated in his early years, he went on to get a doctorate and to be a college professor. He died in 2006 at age 98. Read more about The Metal Man right here or check out a scanned print copy here. The Metal Man begins as a narration by Russell, the best friend of the title character: “The Metal Man stands in a dark, dusty corner of the Tyburn College Museum. Just who is responsible for the figure being moved there, or why it was done, I do not know. To the casual eye it looks to be merely an ordinary life-size statue. The visitor who gives it a closer view…” Mind Webs was a 1970's series out of WHA Radio in Wisconsin that featured weekly short stories of science fiction by some of the genre's best writers. The music, sound cues and occasional character voices along with the performance of Michael Hansen, the reader, resulted in better than most fully dramatized productions of the period. Around 150 shows were aired between 1976 and 1984 varying in length, but most were about 30 minutes. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

Dick later wrote this about the story: Here was my first story on the topic of: Am I a human? Or am I just programmed to believe I am human? When you consider that I wrote this back in 1953, it was, if I may say so, a pretty damn good new idea in sf. Of course, by now I’ve done it to death. But the theme still preoccupies me. It’s an important theme because it forces us to ask: What is a human? And — what isn’t. Mind Webs was a 1970's series out of WHA Radio in Wisconsin that featured weekly short stories of science fiction by some of the genre's best writers. The music, sound cues and occasional character voices along with the performance of Michael Hansen, the reader, resulted in better than most fully dramatized productions of the period. Around 150 shows were aired between 1976 and 1984 varying in length, but most were about 30 minutes. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

Isaac Asimov called “The Last Question” his favorite short story. Why is it my favorite? For one thing I got the idea all at once and didn't have to fiddle with it; and I wrote it in white-heat and scarcely had to change a word. This sort of thing endears any story to any writer. Then, too, it has had the strangest effect on my readers. Frequently someone writes to ask me if I can give them the name of a story, which they think I may have written, and tell them where to find it. They don't remember the title but when they describe the story it is invariably 'The Last Question'. This has reached the point where I recently received a long-distance phone call from a desperate man who began, "Dr. Asimov, there's a story I think you wrote, whose title I can't remember—" at which point I interrupted to tell him it was 'The Last Question' and when I described the plot it proved to be indeed the story he was after. I left him convinced I could read minds at a distance of a thousand miles. Mind Webs was a 1970's series out of WHA Radio in Wisconsin that featured weekly short stories of science fiction by some of the genre's best writers. The music, sound cues and occasional character voices along with the performance of Michael Hansen, the reader, resulted in better than most fully dramatized productions of the period. Around 150 shows were aired between 1976 and 1984 varying in length, but most were about 30 minutes. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

Mind Webs was a 1970's series out of WHA Radio in Wisconsin that featured weekly short stories of science fiction by some of the genre's best writers. The music, sound cues and occasional character voices along with the performance of Michael Hansen, the reader, resulted in better than most fully dramatized productions of the period. Around 150 shows were aired between 1976 and 1984 varying in length, but most were about 30 minutes. I feel like this might be the perfect story for Michael Hansen to read (although he’s such a wonderful narrator that I think you could say that about many stories) … Ray Bradbury’s “Kaleidoscope” is a chilling story about a group of space-suited men thrown into the void by an exploding ship. They have radio contact but no hope of rescue. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

Mind Webs was a 1970's series out of WHA Radio in Wisconsin that featured weekly short stories of science fiction by some of the genre's best writers. The music, sound cues and occasional character voices along with the performance of Michael Hansen, the reader, resulted in better than most fully dramatized productions of the period. Around 150 shows were aired between 1976 and 1984 varying in length, but most were about 30 minutes. This is one of the rare double-story episodes. The first, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., is a great example of how Hansen incorporated guest voices to superb effect. The second, “The Haunted Spacesuit” by Arthur C. Clarke, is just a great story that Hansen brings to life superby. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

Cast Members: * Curtis Arnall as Buck Rogers * Adele Ronson as Wilma Deering * Edgar Stehli as Dr. Huer * Elaine Melchior as Ardala * Bill Shelley as Killer Kane * Jack Roseleigh as Black Barney Producer/Director: Jack JohnstoneAnnouncers: Paul Douglas and Fred UttalWriters: Dick Calkins, Joe Cross, Jack Johnstone, Albert MillerSponsors: Cocomalt, Cream of Wheat, Kellogg's, and Popsicles Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe

Few fictional characters have had such a profound and prolonged impact on American culture as Buck Rogers. He first appeared in 1928 as Anthony Rogers in Philip Francis Nowlan’s novella Armageddon 2419 A. D. in Amazing Stories. We've briefly talked about that amazing August issue, which also included Doc Smith's Skylark of Space. The story caught the attention of National Newspaper Syndicate’s John F. Dille, who contracted Nowlan to adapt the character into a comic strip, changing “Anthony” to “Buck.” In 1932, the radio program premiered, making it the first science fiction program on radio. Initially broadcasted as a fifteen-minute show on CBS on a Monday through Thursday schedule, the show stayed on the air for the next fifteen years with varying schedules. Now, thanks to Archive.org, you can travel back to 1932 and follow the adventures of “Buck and Wilma and all their fascinating friends and mysterious enemies in the super-scientific 25th century” (as stated in the show’s introduction). Buck Rogers is largely credited with bringing into popular culture the concept of space exploration, not to mention ray guns and robots. Ray Bradbury may have stated it best in his introduction to The Collected Works of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, when discussing its comic strip form: There you are, waiting, trembling, in fevers; so full of life that if you were a volcano you’d come up in someone’s cornfield and bury the silo. There you are, as afternoon slides toward warm dusk, eyes shut, listening… And there’s the sound, whistling through the air, crashing along the shingles, sliding down the roof, falling to the porch. You fling the door wide. You bend to touch that incredible newspaper with a hot hand. Buck Rogers had just been born. And you a single wise small boy, are there alone to welcome him to a world he will help change forever. Get full access to The Reader Crew at joshuajames.substack.com/subscribe