Australian Science Fiction Review March 1967

Heard But Not Seen

Article

I don’t know whether or not the BBC radio series, SCIENCE FACT OR SCIENCE FICTION, was rebroadcast in Australia by either the ABC or any of the commercial stations; it was run, however, by the NZBC. In these talks scientists discussed various ideas used in sf from the viewpoint of their own particular specialties. This Sunday night’s. offering was COMMUNICATION WITH ALIEN CULTURES.

Almost with the first word from the speaker I started barracking. ‘The clot should read some real science fiction. The trouble with these eggheads is that they think Flash Gordon is typical of the field… And, so on, and so on.

And then, barely audible above my heckling, came the words, ‘The problem is tackled in a very ingenious manner by A. Bertram Chandler in his story, THE CAGE....’

Even I had to join in the laughter.

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