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Science Fiction in Radio

Science Fiction in Radio

Some would argue that Science Fiction is as old as civilization itself as humans gazed up to the stars and wondered, “what if…”

Precursors of the Science Fiction

At the beginning of the 20th century amid the Industrial Revolution, Science Fiction was coming into its own.  Many short stories by Science Fiction writers such as Jules Verne were commonly included in regular adventure and pulp magazines.  In 1926 Hugo Gernsback founded the first American magazine dedicated exclusively to the emerging genre of Science Fiction called “Amazing Stories.”  The pulp magazine “Amazing Stories” featured stories by well-known Science Fiction writers including H. G. Wells, Jules Verne, and Edgar Allen Poe but also introduced new authors and serials to the public.

Early Science Fiction on the Airwaves

The most memorable s science fiction old time radio from the 1930s was Orson Welles War of the Worlds on Mercury Theater aired on Halloween (October 30, 1938).  This broadcast had a phenomenal impact on the nation because Welles blurred the lines between fiction and fact, essentially convincing America that the Martians were invading.

The Role of Science Fiction Authors

In 1938, John Campbell was given the reins of “Astounding” magazine and moved it into a new direction where he stressed hard science fiction.  He attracted some of the best science fiction writers of the era including Isaac Asimov, Theodore Sturgeon, Lester del Rey, A. E. Van Vogt, and many more.  Asimov in particular was influential in the progress of Science Fiction writing.

Earliest Attempts at Science Fiction Drama

Radio was slow to produce a series dedicated to serious adult science fiction drama with the first show dedicated to Science Fiction airing in 1950.  There were some attempts at science fiction on Escape, Suspense, Lights Out and others.  An earnest attempt in sort of science fiction radio show includes little known and very rare Latitude Zero in 1941.  Some argue that that Beyond Tomorrow written by Robert Heinlein was the first Science Fiction show aimed for adults, with the first episode created on February 23, 1950.  However, Beyond Tomorrow was dropped after three episodes and credit for the first adult science fiction series is often given to 2000 Plus.

New Juvenile Radio Shows

When Science Fiction expanded into adult fiction, the wonder of science fiction didn’t leave the juvenile market.  Radio shows like Planet Man, Space Patrol, Captain Starr, and Tom Corbett continues to delight young audiences.  The newer science fiction juvenile radio shows followed a similar format to their processors Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers.

Planet Man (1950) features galaxy patrolman Dantro to keep peace in space.  Dantro fights aggressive evil warlords such Marston,the ruler of Mars.  Planet Man has a scientist sidekick Dr. John Darrow and he is also aided by John’s daughter Pat, nephew and niece Billy and Jane, and his engineer Slats.

Space Patrol (1950-1955) also featured a law enforcement subtext in an outer space themed show.  Buzz Corey, commander-in-chief of the Space Patrol.  His “golly-gee” sidekick was Hissidekick was Cadet Happy and Carol Karlyle gave the space ship Terra V a feminine touch.  Of course, there were space bad guys, manly evil geniuses and aliens warlords such Mister Proteus, Dr. Ryland Scarno, The Black Falcon, the beautiful but evil Tonga.  The show was a hit both on the air and on the tube.

Tom Corbett Space Cadet (1952)became a science fiction television show in 1950—two years before it hit the radio airwaves.  And like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, Tom Corbett Space Cadet began as a comic strip.  Tom Corbett piloted space ship Polaris, whose crew includes scientist Roger Manning (Jan Merlin), Astro the alien from Venus, Dr. Joan Dale and Captain Strong.  Like Dimension X, Tom Corbett Space Cadet was a smart well produced show which used fantastic sound effects.

The Height of Science Fiction Old Time Radio

Many science fiction enthusiasts consider 1950-1960 to be the Golden Era of Science Fiction.  Indeed this is the decade when the best Science Fiction old time radio was created.  At the same time American’s non-fiction world was filled with “duck and cover” exercises, red scare, McCarthyism, and the fears of a Soviet invasion or nuclear annihilation.  To many, science fiction with aliens allowed audiences to play out the fantasy of invasion by substituting Communists for aliens.

Exploring Tomorrow (1957-1958) was created towards the end of the 1950s decade.  Acclaimed editor of “Astounding Magazine,” John Campbell, produced and hosted Exploring Tomorrow with the aid of some of his best contributing writers.  According to “Astounding Magazine,” the series was billed as the “first science fiction old time radio show of science-fictioneers, by science- fictioneers, and for science-fictioneers.”  With Campbell at the reins, Exploring Tomorrow was a well-constructed show with elevated concepts and great stories.  Campbell’s introductions are thoughtful and provocative.

X Minus One (1955-1958), the science fiction anthology series, was considered to be the revival show of Dimension X featuring adopted science fiction stories.   X-Minus One was truly the greatest of not only science fiction radio shows but of all radio dramas.  The first shows were duplicated from the original Dimension X, later the producers pulled ideas for shows from the pages of “Galaxy Magazine.”  Like Dimension X, X-Minus One used some of the leading science fiction authors in the genre including Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Robert A. Heinlein, Frederik (Fred) Pohl and Theodore Sturgeon, Robert Sheckley, J. T. McIntosh, Fritz Leiber and many more.  Some shows ended unhappily such as “The Cold Equation” and an adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s “Mars in Heaven” where earthmen land on Mars to discover it’s inhabited by people they know.  Remarkably, all episodes of X-Minus One survive.

British Science Fiction Serials

Science fictioneers across the pond in Great Britain also made attempts at the science fiction radio drama that were great indeed.  Two surviving shows are serials, Orbit One-Zero and Journey into Space.  Although much of the time in Journey into Space is spent opening and closing airlock doors, the plot line is exciting and the acting superb with unique characters.

End of Science Fiction on Radio

When Russian scientists launched Sputnik in 1957, science fiction became more of a science actuality.  Inventions thought to only be in science fiction like rockets, televisions, and computers were becoming a reality.  The future of entertainment was on televisions that were more ubiquitous in American households and the golden age of science fiction left the airwaves.  Luckily many of these recordings were preserved for enjoyment today. Many science fiction old time radio shows survived in completion including Dimension X and X-Minus One.

“A good science fiction story should be able to predict not the automobile but the traffic jam.”

About the Author

Jon Foy is internet marketing specialist and has variety of interests like surfing on net for reading useful resources, writing articles on different themes with SEO copy writing specialization. This time John is writing about Old Time Radio for OTRCAT.

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