The Cold War was a serious, intense time, but it was also ripe for parody and satire. By far, the most famous example of this is the 1964 Stanley Kubrick film, Dr. Strangelove, or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, it's an infamous and uncomfortably compelling … Continue reading Everybody Plays the Fool
We’re Going To Mars
The Atomic Age didn't always mean doom and gloom and total annihilation. People also saw a whole new world of possibilities opening up to them. Like living on Mars, for instance, which Ray Bradbury explored in his 1950 novel, The Martian Chronicles. Well, it's not exactly a novel. The book is culled from some of Bradbury's … Continue reading We’re Going To Mars
After the Bomb
Usually, the 1950s conjure up images of poodle skirts and James Dean, drive-ins and sock-hops. And probably Elvis. However, it was also the decade in which the Cold War went into deep freeze. Some people were affected by it more than others, and by far the biggest fear was of nuclear annihilation. The period was … Continue reading After the Bomb
Rockets, Auks, and Arch Oboler
If you've been hanging around my blog for any length of time, you know I'm a big fan of radio playwright Arch Oboler. Best-known for his work on Lights Out and his own series, Arch Oboler's Plays, Oboler could take the most mundane ideas and make them fresh and compelling. He had a busy mind, and like many writers, … Continue reading Rockets, Auks, and Arch Oboler
What’s Tubealloy?
The single most controversial part of the Second World War is the use of the atomic bomb. We know that Germany and Japan both had such weapons in the works, and that their efforts were narrowly thwarted by circumstances. As for the United States' development program, called the Manhattan Project, most think of the testing site … Continue reading What’s Tubealloy?
Taking Up Room 