Dimension X radio

                                   



Dimension X was the first SF anthology series to utilize published stories from established science fiction authors (2000 Plus drew its material from stories penned by its own staff writers), which gave the series an instant status of credibility to fans of the genre. It had an extremely low budget, but was the darling of the NBC staff, whose passion made the show perhaps the best SF radio anthology of the 50's. Despite their effort, the series only lasted a year and a half, and totaled a mere 46 episodes. It was later revived and became the more successful X Minus One. Unless otherwise noted, all episodes were done in half-hour format.

Currently this archive contains plotlines for  46 of 46 episodes



WEBMASTER RECOMMENDS:
The Last Objective; Shanghaied; The Martian Death March; Universe; The Lost Race; The Vital Factor

A Logic Named Joe                                                                                                          

An enterprising computer company releases a PC capable of answering any question put to it. Unfortunately, some of the questions people want answers to are not ones that members of a civilized society should be asking...  Story by Murray Leinster.

A version of this story was produced for X Minus One.

Almost Human                                                                                                                                               Robots

A scientist builds a robot-- "Junior"-- capable of intelligence and consciousness, but the machine is stolen by a criminal who has other ideas for its uses. Junior, however, has plans of his own. Story by Robert Bloch.

Another version of this story appeared on X Minus One

See also 'Beware Tomorrow' (The Mysterious Traveler)

And the Moon be Still as Bright                                                                                                                Mars

As though wiping out the Martian race with Earthborn diseases weren't enough, humans demonstrate a hostile contempt for what relics and monuments the Martians left behind-- until one man with a conscience and a gun decides to stand up for the dead. Story by Ray Bradbury; part of the Martian Chronicles future history.

Other versions of this story  aired on X Minus One  & Omni Audio Experience.

See also 'The Martian Death March' (Dimension X & X Minus One); See the full listing of Martian Chronicles stories under 'Ray Bradbury' on the Famous Authors on Radio page.

Beyond Infinity                                                                                                                              Super Science

Seeking an exclusive on a revolt in a totalitarian nation, an American journalist contacts the underground movement and is lead to a laboratory where a scientist is experimenting with shrinking objects to microscopic size. The revolutionaries plan to use the technology to smuggle arms into the country, but the secret police are hot on their trail...

The Castaways

Nuclear testing on  a remote Pacific island goes awry when the natives-- rather than  be relocated-- threaten to commit mass suicide to put a curse on the project.

Two separate versions of this story were produced for X Minus One

Child's Play                                                                                                                                                    Humor

A milquetoast lawyer accidentally receives a package in the mail containing a cloning machine from the future, with which he sets about making a duplicate capable of turning his life around. Story by William Tenn.

Another version of this story was produced for  X Minus One.

See also 'Marionettes, Inc.' (Dimension X & X Minus One) and 'Prime Difference' (X Minus One)

Competition

A young woman hoping for a bright new life in the colonies of the Rim Worlds instead finds herself kidnapped and used as a pawn in a deadly war between rival  frontier corporate pirates. NOTE: Some commercial retailers present this episode as part of X Minus One, complete with an edited in introduction and closing. Why, I don't know.

Courtesy                                                                                                                  Space exploration/Alien contact

An expedition to the planet Landro meets with disaster when a strange inexplicable plague strikes. The natives seem immune, but reluctant to offer any assistance. Story by Clifford Simak .

Another version of this story later appeared on X Minus One

Destination: Moon                                                                                                                         Space exploration

The first manned mission to the Moon must overcome government censure and numerous physical obstacles to succeed. Story by Robert Heinlein. Based on the George Pal film of the same name.

Dr. Grimshaw's Sanitarium

An investigator infiltrates the strange goings-on at an asylum for the insane, where the patients are undergoing a bizarre physical transformation.

Another version of this story later appeared on Future Tense and  X Minus One

Dwellers in Silence                                                                                                                               Future Earth

The first explorers  from a colonized Mars to return to Earth generations after the Atomic War discover the last survivors, a family with some very odd peculiarities about them. Story by Ray Bradbury; part of the Martian Chronicles series.

Another version of this story later appeared on X Minus One

See also 'A Pail of Air' (X Minus One) ;See the full listing of Martian Chronicles stories under 'Ray Bradbury' on the Famous Authors on Radio page.

The Embassy                                                                                                                                        Alien contact

A detective agency is hired by a crackpot who wants them to investigate and expose a nest of Martians sent to prepare the way for an invasion of Earth. Story by Donald Wolheim.

Another version of this story appeared on X Minus One

First Contact                                                                                                      Space exploration/Alien contact

Classic story of a starship which encounters an alien vessel in the Crab Nebula, and the dilemma they both face when they realize that neither ship dares depart for fear of giving away clues as to their origin. Story by Murray Leinster.

Versions of this story also appeared on X Minus One and Exploring Tomorrow

The Green Hills of Earth                                                                                                            Space exploration

Classic story of a space engineer who suffers a tragic accident and ends up tramping about the Solar System singing about the life of spacers and dreaming of returning to Earth once more before he dies. Story by Robert Heinlein.

Other versions of this story appeared on X Minus One and CBS Radio Workshop; also a TV version was produced for a 50's show called 'Out There'.

Hello, Tomorrow                                                                                                                            Future Earth/War

To escape a world devastated by nuclear radiation, Mankind has retreated underground, but the Final War still rages on. A woman betrays her 'country' by falling in love with an Asiatic POW  from the other side, a capital crime punishable by exile to the ruined surface.

See also 'The Defenders' (X Minus One) and 'The Last Objective' (Dimension X)

Kaleidoscope                                                                                                                             Space exploration

When a meteor destroys a spaceship, its crew is hurled outward into space in a dozen directions. Their suit radios will keep them in contact range for only so long. What do men talk about when death is imminent?

Versions of this story also appeared on Bradbury 13, Suspense, and The Shape of Things to Come (BBC)

See also 'Program Completed' (Miscellaneous Shows)

Knock                                                                                                                                                   Alien contact

Aliens who have no concept of death have wiped out humanity, literally to the last man and woman, whom they put in a zoo as public curiosities. Story by Frederic Brown.

Versions of this story also appeared on  X Minus One,  Future Tense,  and the more recent series 2000x (not to be confused with 2000 Plus)

The Last Objective                                                                                                                         War/ Future Earth

After nuclear devastation and fallout has rendered the Earth's surface virtually uninhabitable, Man continues to pursue war underground in tunneling 'warships'.

See also 'Hello, Tomorrow' (Dimension X & X Minus One), and 'The Defenders' (X Minus One).

The Lost Race                                                                                                                            Space Exploration

A space crew find themselves shipwrecked on a world where the ruins of a long dead spacefaring civilization hide a deadly secret that has the power to destroy the present as it did the past. Story by Murray Leinster.

The Man in the Moon

The Federal Missing Persons Bureau receives a desperate radio message from a crank who claims to be calling from the Moon (unlikely in 1950). Of course the call is dismissed, until a minor functionary begins to suspect that the call is related to a strange series of disappearances over the past several years.

Versions of this story were produced for X Minus One and Future Tense.

Marionettes, Inc.                                                                                                                                             Robots

A husband looking to get away from his wife for a vacation purchases a robot duplicate of himself to take his place. Bad idea.....    Story by Ray Bradbury.

Versions of this story were made for X Minus One and an independently produced series called Audion Theater.

See also 'Child's Play' (Dimension X & X Minus One) and 'Prime Difference'  (X Minus One).

Mars is Heaven                                                                                                                                         Mars

The first astronauts to land on Mars discover-- Earth; a planet where their long dead loved ones are waiting for them in a small Midwest town just like home. Story by Ray Bradbury; part of his Martian Chronicles series.

A popular story for radio; Two separate versions were produced for Dimension X. Other versions of this story also appeared on Future Tense,  X Minus One and  Escape .

See the full listing of Martian Chronicles stories under 'Ray Bradbury' on the Famous Authors on Radio page.

The Martian Chronicles                                                                                                                              Mars

A compilation of several of Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles stories, weaved into a single storyline. Includes abbreviated versions of 'There Will Come Soft Rains' and 'And the Moon be Still as Bright'.

See also 'The Martian Death March' (Dimension X and  X Minus One)

See the full listing of Martian Chronicles stories under 'Ray Bradbury' on the Famous Authors on Radio page.

The Martian Death March                                                                                                                   Mars

On a Mars conquered by Earthmen, the last remnants of the spider-like Martian race escape from their reservation to embark on a desperate trek across the deserts to their mountain homelands, lead by a human religious fanatic.

X Minus One  produced two separate versions of this story. Another version appeared on Future Tense.

See also 'And the Moon be Still as Bright' (X Minus One & Dimension X)

Nightfall

Classic tale of an alien civilization whose world circles a multiple star system of six suns, and faces worldwide insanity and social collapse when night descends once every several thousand years. Story by Isaac Asimov.

Another version of this story later aired on X Minus One

Nightmare

A man begins to suspect that all machines are on the verge of a unified worldwide revolt to overthrow their human masters.

Another version of this story was produced for X Minus One

No Contact                                                                                                                     Space exploration

A strange invisible barrier is frustrating Man's attempts to explore the depths of space. Six expeditions have been lost trying to cross it, their fate a mystery since no signal can pass through the barrier. This is the story of the seventh....

Two separate versions of this story were produced for Dimension X; A third was made for X Minus One ; another was made for a 50's series called The Chase.

The Outer Limit

A test pilot on an experimental high altitude aircraft with only ten minutes worth of fuel disappears from radar for ten hours, yet returns safely. Of course, it is impossible, as is his story of contact with aliens and the dire warning they have for Mankind.

A very popular story with radio producers. Versions  also appeared on Escape,  X Minus One ,  Beyond Tomorrow, and two versions for Suspense.

The Parade                                                                                                                                            Alien contact

An ad agency is hired by a man insisting he is from Mars to promote an upcoming parade marking the arrival of Martians on Earth. Of course, he must be lying, or simply crazy.....

This episode may have been later rebroadcast on X Minus One. Also, a version appeared on Future Tense.

Pebble in the Sky                                                                                                                                    Future Earth

A radioactive and decrepit Earth prepares in secret for a deadly gambit to reclaim its prodigal colonies and rebuild its galactic empire. Story by Isaac Asimov.

Reviews:
A nice little anti-war space opera with interesting characters. Yes, the science is wrong and we now know radioactivity is very dangerous indeed though this wasn't the accepted thinking back in 1949. Asimov himself acknowledged the error (see his afterword to the story which appears in some of the later reprints) . So "suspend your belief", as Asimov asked, and enjoy the fast moving action. However, the pessimistic conclusion, possibly reflecting the emotions of the day, may be less than satisfactory to some.
    Avid Asimov readers may well find this particular offering less than satisfactory. While the basic core of the original story remains it is only partly recognizable. The Joseph Schwarz character has been omitted and thus so has the time slip and mind manipulation which in turn precludes Asimov's optimistic ending. Worth listening to, however, even if just to compare the treatment with the original novel. - Anthony Fenlon


Perigi's Wonderful Dolls

A dollmaker sells a father an unusual doll which seems capable of responding to people, presumably by recording voices and replaying them in its own voice. Is it just a bit of technical wizardry, or is there something more to this doll than meets the eye?

A version of this story also appeared on X Minus One.

The Potters of Firsk                                                                                                                                Aliens

A liaison officer from Earth is caught between a steely planetary administrator and a fanatical alien cult who kidnap and murder people to use as raw materials for their sacred pottery. Story by Jack Vance.

Reviews:
Normally, I don't care for Dimension X, as the stories featured are mainly from authors I dislike. However, this story really grabbed my interest and kept it the whole way through. Like most science fiction, this story also has its comically dated bit. The protagonist's C.O. apparently always has the latest Rolls Royce model shipped to him and in this case, it's the 1992 model. One wonders how huge his salary is, as even the cheapest Rolls has a six digit price and I would think that interstellar shipping for such an item wouldn't be cheap either.- Harry Leshko

The Professor was a Thief                                                                                                       Super Science

New York city goes into a panic when Grant's Tomb vanishes into thin air. When a bookish little professor claims responsibility, the press laugh at him-- until the Empire State Building goes missing.

Report on the Barnhouse Effect

A parapsychologist discovers the secret of mind over matter, a revelation of considerable interest to the military.  The professor, however, is a born pacifist who will do anything to keep his secret out of the hands of warmongers. Story by Kurt Vonnegut.

Requiem                                                                                                                                        Space exploration

Two grounded astronauts are offered one more chance by an aging tycoon who will stop at nothing to achieve his lifetime dream of setting foot on the Moon. Story by Robert Heinlein.

Versions of this story also appeared on Beyond Tomorrow and X Minus One.

See also 'The Vital Factor' (Dimension X & X Minus One)

The Roads Must Roll                                                                                                                        Future Earth

In the future the country depends on an electro-hydraulic road system which acts as a conveyor belt to transport people and cargo. The system works well, until the engineer's union which maintains the roads stages a strike as a bid to gain power. Story by Robert Heinlein.

Another version of this story appeared on X Minus One.

Shanghaied                                                                                                                                Space exploration

A man is drugged and press-ganged  from his own stag party to serve on board a deepspace freighter outward bound on a fifteen year round trip to Alpha Centauri.

Another version of this story also appeared on X Minus One.

There Will Come Soft Rains                                                                                 Future Earth

A narrative account of an automated house which continues to function long after its human occupants have gone. Story by  Ray Bradbury.

Versions were also produced for X Minus One, and 4 separate versions for the BBC.

Time and Time Again                                                                                                               Time Travel/ War

A soldier dying on a battlefield of the future suddenly finds himself transported back to his own childhood. Story by H. Beam Piper.

Another version of this story also appeared on X Minus One.

To the Future                                                                                                                                   Time Travel

A couple escape the totalitarian, war-torn world of 2155 for the carefree gaiety of 20th century Acapulco. Unfortunately, however, the husband is a scientist too valuable for the government of the future to allow to escape. Inevitably, the Seekers must show up to find them...Story by Ray Bradbury.

A version of this story under the same title aired on X Minus One, and also as 'The Fox in the Forest' on Bradbury 13.

Universe                                                                                                                                        Space exploration

Humanity's descendants aboard a space Ark are divided into two factions-- the lower decks occupied by humans, and the upper by mutants. One man dares probe the upper levels and his quest leads him to question not only his society's prejudices,  but the ultimate truth of what might lie beyond the Ship.  Story by Robert Heinlein.

Another version of this story also appeared on X Minus One.

See also 'The Sense of Wonder' ( X Minus One)

Untitled Story      

A strange amalgam of SF and the hard-boiled detective story. A private eye is hired by the city mayor to obtain an elixir of life from an enigmatic scientist.  His investigation reveals a strange conspiracy that could have serious repercussions for the future of humanity.

The Veldt

 A couple purchase a holo-theater to keep their son and daughter amused, but the recreation of the sweltering African savannah the children concoct is anything but amusing....Story by Ray Bradbury.

See also 'The House on Chimney Pot Lane' (CBS Radio Mystery Theater)

One of Bradbury's most popular stories, versions appeared on X Minus One, CBC Playhouse, and the BBC .

The Vital Factor                                                                                                                        Space exploration

Wayne Crowder, the ruthless head of Crowder Industries, assumes the Herculean task of being the first man in history to achieve space travel. Building the ship proves easy, but to propel it at sufficient speed seems impossible, until one man shows up with an answer-- and a heavy price for achieving the stars.

Another version of this story also appeared on X Minus One.

See also 'Requiem' (Dimension X & X Minus One)

 With Folded Hands                                                                                                                                  Robots

A manufacturer of domestic robots finds his livelihood threatened by a new competitor, whose 'humanoids' are vastly superior to his and are devoted to the protection and service of mankind. Maybe too devoted...Story by Jack Williamson.

A version of this story appeared on Future Tense.

See also 'The Iron Chancellor' (X Minus One)

Zero Hour

Neighborhood children invent a new game called 'Invasion'-- or is it just a game? Story by Ray Bradbury.

Versions of this story also appeared on Future Tense, Adventure Theater, Suspense  (3 versions), X Minus One, The Mysterious Traveler, and Escape .