wmartin%almsa-1@sri-unix.UUCP (04/25/84)
From: Will Martin -- DRXAL-RI <wmartin@almsa-1> The local (St. Louis, MO) public radio stations have been carrying a new NPR-produced radio drama series of Bradbury short stories called "Bradbury 13" -- 13 epsiodes in all. One station has aired 3 of them so far, the other just started with the first one. When I first heard of this, I was delighted -- I really enjoy good radio productions, and many of the NPR series have been excellent (Star Wars, Joe Frank, the BBC Peter Wimsey programs, etc.). Boy, was I disappointed! So far, I have heard three of these Bradbury productions, and they are BAD! Slickly produced, technically excellent, and sonically clear, but irritating and unsatisfying to hear. The first, a non-sf story called "The Ravine", is about several women during a mass-murderer scare (like the Hillside Strangler or similar). The main character was so unsympathetic with such an irritating voice that this listener wished she would get attacked and eliminated by the murderer after 5 minutes of the half-hour program. She didn't, unfortunately. I've repressed the second episode completely; can't even remember the title. The third, Bradbury's famous sf story, "The Veldt", was better than the preceeding two, but still so far inferior to the printed word and unpleasant to listen to that I have no desire to hear it again. (I had started to tape all these, but am taping over the previous episodes as I have no desire to keep them.) I will continue to listen to these in the hope that some jewel will be found amongst the garbage, but my expectations fall steadily. I am submitting this to reassure any sf-lovers readers who may have read or heard of this series, but not had a chance to hear the episodes, that they should not feel too bad about missing this. There probably is somebody out there who has been listening to these programs and thinks they are the greatest thing since sliced bread, but, to me at least, these are real losers. Will