For the first time in print, Spencer's radio plays “Amazing Struggles”, “Astonishing Failures”, and “Disappointing Success”, together with the follow-up four-part radio drama “Cult Stories”, tell the tales of disillusioned science fiction writers over the course of the mid-20th century.
“Amazing Struggles” In the Golden Age of science fiction, a group of aspiring young authors, the Fabulists, is ready to wow the world with tales of interplanetary heroism and technological supremacy.
“Astonishing Failures” Unfortunately, their dreams of fame and fortune are consistently dashed by the dastardly rejections of the compulsively conservative and out-of-touch editor of Tremendous Stories of Super Science.
“Disappointing Success” (Parts I & II)! While some of the Fabulists see middling success as teachers and television writers, another becomes a science fiction mega-star whose writing (and the author's own pathology) spawns a cult religion with wild ideas that may be a bit less bogus than his short stories.
“Cult Stories” And like an artistic pandemic, some forms of science fiction can get very ugly. Only extreme measures will save us.
