RAS #426 – The Thunderbird Story

On Ron’s Amazing Stories this time we have something pretty special. We have a complete segment of your stories on the cryptid The Thunderbird. We also return to our roots and play an old-time radio story from X-Minus One called, The Reluctant Heroes. The Two and a Half Minute Mystery is back with a brand new story.

Program note: The song Lost Frontier by Kevin MacLeod was used in the Thunderbird segment. You can find out more here and the license to use it is here. Also, if you want to see the video of a Thunderbird in flight, it can be found here.

Featured Story – The Reluctant Heroes

Our story for this week comes from X-minus One. It was one of the best science fiction series that came from the golden age of radio. It tells a story that we just might be exploring for real, man’s first base on the moon. It first appeared in the pages of Galaxy Science Fiction in January of 1951 later adapted to radio on December 19, 1956. It is titled The Reluctant Heroes and was written by Frank M Robinson.

Ron’s Amazing Stories Sponsored by: Audible – You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories and Gladdy’s Goodies – Good Treats for your dog to eat.

Ron’s Amazing Stories is produced and hosted by Ronald Hood:
Email: ronsamazingstories@gmail.com
Blog Page: https://ronsamazingstories.blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronsamazingstories/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RASpodcast

Helpful Links:
Podcast Survey – Help the podcast by taking this survey.
Story Submissions – Use this link to submit your stories to the show.
Podcast Archives – Looking for the first 100 episodes of the podcast?

RAS #425 – Beyond Lies The Wub

On Ron’s Amazing Stories this time we feature a crazy pig that can read your mind and much more. We have three listener stories that include a time-traveling wood carving, a forest rangers story, and a strange encounter at Big Bear Rock. Johnny Is It True is back with a brand new segment and we end the show with dinosaurs.

Featured Story – Beyond Lies The Wub

Our story for this week is one of my favorites from the classic pulp mags of the 1950s. It is called Beyond Lies the Wub and is a science fiction short story written by Philip K. Dick. This was his first published story, originally appearing in Planet Stories in July of 1952. The tale follows a crew of Earthmen who have sent a ship to bring Martian goods back to Earth. While on Mars, one of the crew members buys a creature for what he considers to be a ridiculously low price. The Martian natives call this creature a wub. When the Captain decides to kill and eat it the wub speaks up to voice its disagreement.

The Age Of Podcasting

We are currently living in the age of podcasts, but are they really that new?

Podcasting, previously known as “audio blogging”, has its roots dating back to the 1980s. With the advent of broadband Internet access and portable digital audio playback devices, such as the iPod, podcasting began to catch hold in late 2004. As of February 2020, there are over 820,000 podcasts and over 28 million episodes available on the Internet. A survey done in 2017 suggests that 42 million Americans above the age of twelve listen to podcasts at least on a weekly basis.

It may surprise you to know that podcasting began much earlier than all of this. Back in the late 1910’s ham radio operators would spend their days broadcasting the news over the airwaves. Each had its own format. Some would write it and others would simply read the morning newspaper. They would provide their own views on news events and in so doing aren’t they really podcasting?

The first radio news program was broadcast August 31, 1920, by station 8MK in Detroit, Michigan, which survives today as all-news format station WWJ under the ownership of the CBS network. Of course, this changed the world as we know and lead to the golden age of radio.

Podcasting has become a place to express yourself. You are able to say what you believe, are passionate about, and gives everyone an equal platform to vocalize their views.

This Week’s Podcast: On the show this week we will play one of my favorite classic stories of all time. It comes from the pen of Philip K. Dick and looks at a food source that is not all that excited about being eaten. We also present an all-new Johnny Is It True segment. This time we visit strange but true stories. You can listen to this podcast on Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on Stitcher Radio or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link

RAS #424 – Faster Than Light

On Ron’s Amazing Stories this time we have an original science fiction story written by our very own Jose Munoz called Faster Than Light. Later, I will read a listener suggested tale called Texas week, and we also have a collection of events from a haunted antique store in Tucson, Arizona. So, grab some popcorn, your favorite beverage and enjoy the show.

Featured Story – Faster Than Light

As I said we have a special story for you this week. It was sent in by long time listener Jose Munoz. This is his second submission to the show and is a science fiction tale that is epic in scope. Leah Arez is a physicist who has one goal, time travel. But what are the consequences? She doesn’t know, but the future may hold all her answers. I figured this one needed a professional touch, so I went to our friend Mark Nelson, narrator extraordinaire to read it to us. The story is titled Faster Than Light and is a lesson in time travel as well as history.

You can hear Jose’s other story in RAS #375 – An Encounter While Biking

Blog It Right!

Recently I got a comment from a listener who wished to remain anonymous. His note was short and sweet. It read:

“Ron, I love the show, but you need to edit your blog posts and show notes better. Please accept this critique in the spirit it was intended.” – Anonymous

He or she left several examples of my failings. At first, I tried to defend myself by saying that it was just a blog and that gave me a pass to not write my best stuff. When I sat down and gave it more thought, it became clear to me that I was wrong. In the end, we are responsible for what we write and in some cases, it is the first impression we give of ourselves. I guess that means I owe Mr. Anonymous a debt of thanks. So, what is the real story here? I guess it is more of a “moral” than a story. No matter what you are writing for, you should always put forth your best effort.

-Ron

This Week’s Podcast: On the podcast this week we have a treat. Listener and friend to the podcast Jose Munoz has written a science fiction story and has agreed to share it with us. It is titled Faster Than Light and it will be read for us by Mark Nelson. You can listen to this podcast on Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on Stitcher Radio or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link