This is definitely of the "Space Western" flavor. Earthlings (picture them with cowboy hats on space horses) have colonized Mars and have rounded up all them "derned murderous" Martians that look like spiders (picture bugs with war paint and feathers) into reservations. But one man, named "Crazy" John (who sounds mysteriously like a cosmic Tonto) wishes them to be freed. Kind of trite, but a well-told story.NOTE: All the episodes are now here... enjoy!
X Minus One was a science fiction radio series on NBC from April 1955 through January 1958. The show feature stories written by some of the big names in 1950s science fiction, like Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, and Issac Asimov.
The X Minus One series followed in the footsteps of another great sci-fi series called Dimension X which appeared on the airwaves in 1950-51. Some of the X-1 shows were later rebroadcast on X Minus One. X Minus One truly was one of the forefathers of the science fiction television/radio age.
Each X Minus One starts with this intro, to the sound effects of a rocket lifting off:
Countdown for blast-off. X Minus 5, 4, 3, 2, X Minus 1, Fire. From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribed tales of new dimensions in time and space. These are stories of the future. Adventures in which you will live in a million could-be years on a thousand maybe worlds. The National Broadcasting Corporation in cooperation with (Galaxy Magazine, then Astounding Science Fiction) presents . . . . X Minus One
Comment:
It's amazing how relevant many of the 1950s science fiction stories still are... take away the chrome rocket fins and aliens, and suddenly you've got the evening news.
Pete Comely