017 The Martian Death March

download here 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.
Sept 08, 1955
Rating: ***

115 Death Wish

download here 10/10/57 ***
The heist of a cargo ship turns out not the way a bunch of hijackers expect..... can't say too much, because it'll spoil the ending.
A good story by Ned Lang with good acting.

062 Student Body

download here 7/31/56 ***
Good visual descriptions and good sound effects in this story about a life form discovered on a another planet.

026 Zero Hour

download here It's a beautiful peaceful day in 1985 (all futuristic stories have to be in exact decade-increments). But children play with a rose bush that tells the children to prepare for an invasion from another planet, which will occur at Zero Hour.

Nov 23, 1955
Rating: ***

074 Appointment In Tomorrow

download here 11/7/56 **1/2
Setting: after WW III and the endless war at the end of the 20th Century. (I guess we made it...but remember, this story was written some 60 years ago.)
This is your basic futuristic doo-dads with robo-showers and somnu-sleep. The Thinkers Institute had created a computer that could answer all questions, Everyone trusts the computer, but wait until you find out where the computer gets its answers. Seems a bit dated now but we can still have fun can't we?

038 Skulking Permit

download here 2/15/56 ****
The planet New Delaware in the year 2204 is being contacted for the first time in 200 years. It is still an Earth colony so it won't have to be reconquered, but the people will have to be civilized. This means they will have have to have jails. But that also means they have to have crime, so the citizens hire someone to be a criminal and prepare to show the Earthlings how civilized they can be. The actors are delightful, giving it a real Mayberry R.F.D. feel. This is a very funny, thoughtful story by Robert Sheckley.

X minus One

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


X Minus One theatre plays...

X Minus One theatre plays!

Other stuff out there

I found this out there on the web.... quite interesting stories... fun twists as well.
MindWebs. More free Old Time Radio Sci-fi.


More X-Minus One

Here's another place to get X Minus One episodes... (Thanks Dave!)
Botar. MoreX minus One Radio Sci-fi.


Episodes

Donate for Bandwidth?

Note: I only put this here in case someone wishes to help out with the bandwidth and webspace costs.
I have preset the 'donate' amount at $2... I don't think anyone should donate more than that... I would rather people download and enjoy the stories.
Myself, I just need to find the space for the MP3 files. :-)