
A madcap experiment in near‑future science fiction opens with Lieutenant‑Colonel Algernon Sidney St. Johnstone, a high‑strung officer whose mind is half‑wired and half‑delirious. In a cramped, cluttered apartment he fumbles with a copper wire and a mysterious “Local” device that seems to rewrite the very landscape outside his window, swapping mountain peaks for a phantom “Parker Pass.” The scene spirals into chaotic humor as Algernon battles invisible toxins, a slumbering valet, and his own garbled commands, all while the world of 2025 hovers just beyond his distorted perception.
The narrative balances sharp, witty dialogue with a subtle, almost O. Henry‑style twist that rewards a second listening. Its blend of quirky technology, absurd bureaucracy, and a protagonist whose frantic thoughts are as electrifying as the wire he manipulates creates a uniquely entertaining scientific‑fiction comedy. Listeners will find themselves both bewildered and amused, eager to see how the absurdity unfurls without giving away what lies beyond the opening act.
Language
en
Duration
~40 minutes (39K characters)
Release date
Jul 8, 2024
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

A little-known early science-fiction writer, he published inventive pulp-era work during the late 1920s and early 1930s. His surviving bibliography suggests a brief but intriguing place in the history of magazine science fiction.
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