Capt SpaceBat

I have been listening to a lot of science fiction on Radio 7 recently.  Many of the stories are originally from the 1950s and were made into films in the 1960s and 1970s, often with disastrously awful remakes in the 1990s and more recently.  Whilst the originals set questions about existence, the meaning and purpose of life and one’s position in a hostile - or at least an indifferent - universe, they did suffer by translation onto the screen.  90 minutes of radio late at night seems to be the best method of delivery in a post-literary format.

The act of listening and considering the stories - turning them over in one’s mind and interpreting them - then comparing with one’s recollection of the originals and their spin-offs is a useful diversion that, when applied to one’s own situation, makes for a free alterative to psychotherapy.

“The light of a thousand suns” by James Follett is an exploration of what might happen if a supposedly “completely secure” defence system were to go wrong, the paranoia that allows this to happen and how it could lead to complete “mutually assured destruction.”  The story is a a parable and lessons to be learnt are essential in understanding how no matter how confident one has in one’s coping strategy: its very strength may be its underlying weakness that could lead to failure and worse.  Hopefully this provides insights into what one must also need to check to ensure that one’s ‘master plan’ for dealing with the world is in fact viable and also a reminder that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, as well as listening to others when needed.

“Salon 57 v.3″
(c) Ian Springham, 2009