Beyond the Center

A stalled trip in "The Tube", an underground transportation system, reveals to those aboard the lengths that their government is willing to go to silence even the most celebrated of State heroes.

"Underground Movement", by Allen K. Lang, was first published in the December 1956 issue of Infinity Science Fiction.

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Jim Pollock, Chris Ferguson

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One's perception of seemingly ordinary observations leads to an alternate reality of extraordinary implications. 

"The Eyes Have It", by Philip K. Dick, was first published in 1953 in issue #1 of Science Fiction Stories.

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Jim Pollock, Chris Ferguson

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Earth is visited by a race of beings known as the Kanamit. 

"To Serve Man", by Damon Knight, was first published in the November 1950 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction and was later adapted by Rod Serling for the 24th episode of season three of The Twilight Zone, which originally aired on March 2, 1962. 

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Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

"The Festival", by H.P. Lovecraft, was written in October 1923 and first published in the January 1925 issue of Weird Tales.  

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Jim Pollock

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A fugitive who has run from justice finds himself confronted by a sole law enforcement officer on an uncharted planet. The fugitive has no intentions of being taken in by the officer, while the officer has another plan in mind. 

"Star Chamber', by H.B Fyfe, was first published in the March 1963 issue of Amazing Stories. 

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Are we all just cogs in the wheel of life? 

The first short story of Season 2 of Beyond the Center comes to us from author, Fritz Leiber, and is entitled "The Big Engine". It was first published in the February 1962 issue of Galaxy Magazine. 

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Jim Pollock

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Earth hatches a plan, with the aid of a new miracle drug, to colonize Mars. A new generation of humans are born from parents who were carefully selected for the experiment and then inoculated with the miracle drug. 

This short story comes to us from author, Fredric Brown, and is entitled "Keep Out". It was first published in the March 1954 issue of Amazing Stories. 

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Jim Pollock

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A prophetic short story involving mankind's subordination to, reliance upon, and worship of, modern technology. 

This longer short story is being split up into three parts, with today's part three titled "The Homeless", from "The Machine Stops", written by E. M. Forster.  It was first published in The Oxford and Cambridge Review in November of 1909.  

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A prophetic short story involving mankind's subordination to, reliance upon, and worship of, modern technology. 

This longer short story is being split up into three parts, with today's part two titled "The Mending Apparatus", from "The Machine Stops", written by E. M. Forster.  It was first published in The Oxford and Cambridge Review in November of 1909.  

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Jim Pollock

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A prophetic short story involving mankind's subordination to, reliance upon, and worship of, modern technology. 

This longer short story will be split up into three parts over today and the following two Sundays. Today's part one of this three part story is titled "The Air-Ship", from "The Machine Stops", written by E. M. Forster.  It was first published in The Oxford and Cambridge Review in November of 1909.  

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Episode #21, due to its length, will be split up into three parts, with the first part going live on Sunday, May 12th, and parts two and three following on the consecutive Sundays of May 19th and May 26th. 

In this promo, I offer up some hints as to what you can expect from this three part classic of the science-fiction genre, so please join me as we prepare to explore a story which is actually within our perceived reality. 

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Jim Pollock

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A ship with an experimental faster-than-light drive, the first ever to voyage outside of our solar system, arrives some distance from their destination of Alpha Centauri A. Upon arriving, the crew witnesses an unexpected event which has an astronomically low probability of occurrence.   

For this episode, the short story is titled "Time Fuze" by Randall Garrett, which was first published in the March 1954 publication of If Worlds of Science Fiction.

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Saknarth, the Master Astrologer, yearned for the day when mankind would no longer be enslaved; when they would conquer their fears and miseries through learning and enlightenment.  
 
The short story for this episode is titled "Saknarth" by Millard Verne Gordon (AKA Donald A. Wolheim), which was first published in the Spring 1942 edition of Science Fiction Quarterly.

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Mr. Thomas, a surveyor's clerk from Croydon, travels to the Sussex Weald to meet with a client about having a copse removed. Upon arriving near his destination, he spots the line of Downs with Chanctonbury Ring at its crest. As he comes upon the crest, he realises that this must be the wood his client wants cut down, and decides to walk through to have a look.

The short story for this episode is titled "Ancient Lights" by Algernon Blackwood, which was first published in The Eye-Witness, Vol. 3 No. 4 on July 11, 1912. 

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Bromley Cranston, a scientist, devotes himself to achieving a scientific discovery after his beloved has been swept away by another man. Cranston finds himself involved with the other man and his beloved as he makes progress on his invention which is capable of transmitting live beings.   

The short story for this episode is "Radio Mates", by Benjamin Witwer, first published in the July 1927 issue of Amazing Stories.

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Jim Pollock

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Mark, a space faring prospector, decides to settle himself on a slab of rock in the asteroid belt after making a decent enough strike. He and his companion, Charles, become close friends, taking care of one another whilst enjoying each other's company and conversation.  A touching story, with an inevitable conclusion. 

The short story for this episode is by Robert Sheckley, and is entitled "Beside Still Waters". This story was first published in the Oct.-Nov. 1953 issue of Amazing Stories.

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Jim Pollock

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Kiley, a thief who now finds himself locked up in a jail cell for the fourth time, is visited telepathically by a powerful alien being from another world. Kiley agrees to a deal with the alien being, who offers to bestow upon Kiley an ability which will make him the perfect thief. 

This episode's short story is "Never Trust A Thief!" by Robert Silverberg, and was first published in the February 1958 issue of Imagination Science Fiction.

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Jim Pollock

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An Archeologist and Space Explorer in the far distant future discuss a discovery which has shed some light on the past history of intelligent life on Earth. Is this archeological find of past Earthlings what the scholars expected to discover?  

The short story for this episode will be "Later Than You Think" by Fritz Leiber, first published in the October 1950 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction.

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Sam Lima and Jim Pollock

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Thom Ra is assigned the task of traveling back in time to the War of Annihilation, where he is supposed to make a "real and complete contribution to human knowledge". Under no circumstances is he allowed to interfere in the course of events.

The short story for this episode will be "A Hitch In Time" by Frederik Pohl, first published in the June 1947 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories, under the pseudonym of James MacCreigh.

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Sam Lima and Jim Pollock

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Join six men in the club car of a train as they discuss an idea for a television program based on altering aspects of known historic events; a conversation which leads the men to discussing the possibility of alternate realities. 

The short story presented in this episode will be "Crossroads of Destiny" by H. Beam Piper, first published in the July 1959 issue of Fantastic Universe Science Fiction. 

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Sam Lima and Jim Pollock

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Set in a futuristic world, there exists an agency called the Federal Bureau of Termination. An agency with the purpose of balancing the scales of a society which has conquered most societal issues, including old age.     

The short story for this episode will be "2 B R 0 2 B", by Kurt Vonnegut, originally published in the January 1962 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction. 

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Sam Lima and Jim Pollock

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You suddenly find yourself in an unknown place, somewhere completely different than the moment before. If this shock were not enough, you soon come to the realization that you must make a decision that carries with it life altering implications. 

The short story for this episode is titled "Hall of Mirrors", by Fredric Brown. This story was originally published in the December 1953 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction.

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Jonathan Hutchison, Sam Lima, Jim Pollock

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A being from another world finds himself off course in his search for one planet in the vast universe. He then has to face the challenges of locating this planet and remembering what he was sent there to do. 

The short story for this episode is titled "Messenger", by William Morrison. This story was first published in the July 1954 publication of Imagination. 

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Jonathan Hutchison, Sam Lima, Jim Pollock

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Most people would love to be granted three wishes, but even the most modest of wishes could come at a hefty price. 

The short story for this episode will be "The Monkey's Paw", by W.W. Jacobs. This story was first published in the publication, Harper's Monthly, in 1902. 

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Jonathan Hutchison, Sam Lima, Jim Pollock

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This episode will include two short stories by one of my favorite authors, Edgar Allan Poe. Tune in to find out which two stories I will be narrating.

"The Oval Portrait" was originally published in April 1842 and "The Cask of Amontillado" was first published in the November 1846 issue of Godey's Lady's Book.

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Jonathan Hutchison, Sam Lima, Jim Pollock

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It is a time of interstellar war, and morgue ships are charged with the duty of retrieving bodies in space. One such morgue ship makes an astounding discovery and recovers the body of a dead scientist who has drifted in space for three hundred years!   

"Lazarus Come Forth", written by Ray Bradbury, was first published in the 1944 Winter edition of Planet Stories.

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Jonathan Hutchison, Sam Lima, Jim Pollock

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Journey with Steena, Bat, and Cliff as they search for the most elusive prize in all of space!

"All Cats are Gray", written by Andre Alice Norton, was first published in the Aug-Sept 1953 issue of Fantastic Universe Science Fiction under the pseudonym of Andrew North.  Her works of Science Fiction and Fantasy garnered many awards throughout her career, eventually culminating in 2005 with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America honoring her with the creation of the Andre Norton Award, presented to authors for outstanding science fiction or fantasy young adult literature.

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A man named Seligman, the subject of numerous experiments resulting in near indestructibility, is on a mission to deliver a message from a dead world.  

"Glow Worm" was first published in the February 1956 edition of Infinity Science Fiction. Harlan Ellison was a prolific writer of many short stories and novellas within the realm of speculative fiction, while also writing various episodes for the television shows The Outer Limits, Star Trek, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Ellison was also the person who created the term "Speculative Fiction", as a way to avoid being pigeonholed as a writer, as w...

Jervas Dudley discovers an old family tomb of the Hyde's. He becomes obsessed with a belief that he is a descendent of this old and exalted family, leading to his fascination of one day resting within the old tomb.

"The Tomb" was written by H.P. Lovecraft in June of 1917, and was first published in the March 1922 issue of The Vagrant. 

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A solitary man is suddenly thrust into a devastating situation, only to find that his most fervent wish lies right before his eyes. 

"Time Enough at Last" was first published in the January 1953 edition of the magazine, IF: Worlds of Science Fiction. It was later adapted by Rod Serling for the television show, The Twilight Zone. The episode of the same name originally aired in Season 1 as Episode 8 on November 20, 1959.

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Answerer was created by a race of beings long ago and has the answers to all questions. However, there is a caveat when asking Answerer questions.

"Ask a Foolish Question" was first published in 1953 in Science Fiction Stories No. 1, then published by Ballantine Books in 1955 as part of a collection of 12 short stories by Robert Sheckley called Citizen in Space. 

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Every Sunday we will explore beyond our perceived reality, into the short stories of some of the best authors of classic science fiction and dark fantasy. This Beyond the Center Promo / Trailer offers a short narrative about the podcast's creation, its content, and some of what you can expect in the coming weeks. 
Episode 1 is scheduled to go live at 5am PDT on Sunday, October 1, 2023, and will feature "Ask A Foolish Question" by Robert Sheckley. 

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