Share
Auditory Anthology
Blowups Happen by Robert Heinlein
In this episode we’re sharing the story "Blowups Happen", written in 1940 by Robert Heinlein. Among other things, Heinlein might be best known as the writer of Starship Troopers. This story was also featured on Weird Darkness, the paranormal podcast hosted by our narrator Darren Marlar. You can check out that podcast at Weird Darkness dot com.
"Blowups Happen" describes the tensions among the staff of a nuclear reactor. Heinlein's concept of a nuclear reactor was one of a barely contained explosion, closer to the mini star from Spider-Man 2 than anything we have in real life. As a consequence the work is dangerous, and the slightest mistake could be catastrophic. Although we’ve certainly learned that can also be the case with real life nuclear reactors. All the technical staff are monitored by psychologists who have the authority to remove them from the work at any time lest they crack under the pressure and precipitate a disaster. The monitoring itself contributes to the problem. In writing the story, Heinlein only had public knowledge of nuclear fission, but still, he somehow anticipated the actual development of nuclear technology which arose just a few years later. The story was first published in Astounding Science Fiction in 1940, before any nuclear reactors had ever even been built. A few years later when the story was re-released in the 1946 anthology The Best of Science Fiction, Heinlein did make a few modifications to the story in order to reflect how a reactor actually worked, as more information about nuclear energy and reactors was available. He also at that time made revisions to mention Hiroshima and Nagasaki Since those nuclear attacks had taken place after his original short story had been published. But we’ll be sharing the original magazine publication version from 1940, without the updates and revisions – something to keep in mind while listening. And if you like the story tonight and want to know what happens next, Robert Heinlein did write a sequel called “The Man Who Sold The Moon”.
“Blowups Happen” is also an award-winning story – in 2016 it was nominated for the 1941 Retro-Hugo Award for Best Novelette. Please keep in mind the story was published in 1940, so some of the language – particular one term used to describe those who have black skin – was not as frowned upon back then. Darren and I both think it’s important to present the story the way the authors wrote it. With that in mind, grab some snacks and a drink and settle in and enjoy “Blowups Happen” by Robert Heinlein.
If you have a story you’d like to contribute to the series, you can visit https://submissions.soundconceptmedia.com/
You can support the show by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack: https://auditoryanthology.substack.com
By becoming a paid subscriber you can listen to every episode completely ad-free!
Curator: Keith Conrad linktr.ee/keithrconrad
Narrator: Darren Marlar https://darrenmarlar.com/
Other shows hosted by Darren:
Weird Darkness: https://weirddarkness.com/
Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymag
Micro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrors
Retro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradio
Church of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead
More episodes
View all episodes
Eighties World by Mitchell Hall and Andrew De Zilva
17:46|When two friends step into “Eighties World” for a day of hairspray and synth-pop, they discover that behind the colorful facade of their favorite decade lies a brutal historical reality—and a rogue army of Soviet robots determined to ensure they never reach the Nineties.
Tales From the Blue Line - Five Minutes After Midnight
13:48|After missing his train by the usual five minutes, a habitually late man finds himself trapped in a hauntingly empty subway station where the clocks have stopped, the passengers have his own face, and the next stop is always the same.Tales From The Blue Line: Every morning at three, Mason and Ally ride the Blue Line into downtown Chicago together. The train brings out its own brand of weird, which has led to Mason and Ally trading spooky stories to help their commute pass a little faster.
X Minus One: The Veldt
23:53|Just a few weeks ago here on Auditory Anthology we shared the Ray Bradbury story The Veldt. Here's our version of the story: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3kRCIf3AIK1wusehXNhngZ?si=1d7f3f3f828d4be4This is another story that was featured on the 1950's radio drama series X Minus One. It originally aired in August of 1955.
The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes by H.G. Wells
24:19|A scientific experiment goes awry, leaving a man trapped between two worlds and forcing science to confront the limits of perception.
The Jar by Ray Bradbury
35:41|A mysterious carnival prize becomes a vessel for fear, imagination, and the unsettling power of what we choose to believe.
X Minus One: Zero Hero
16:41|Back in January of 2024 when we launched Auditory Anthology, one of the first short stories we shared was Zero Hour by Ray Bradbury. Here’s a link to that episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tZ7cShJ2kKtqQna8DT86n?si=28fa19a6e71a456bThis is another story that was originally featured on the 1950’s radio drama X Minus One. We’ll be back with our normal original content on Tuesday and Thursday, but in the meantime for your listening pleasure here’s the X Minus One episode Zero Hour, which originally aired in November 1955. We hope you enjoy it.
Invader from Infinity By George Whittington
25:56|Faced with an alien predator whose weapons render Earth’s strongest defenses useless, Commander Jon McPartland must execute a desperate scientific bluff and a high-stakes tactical gamble to save the Solar System from total annihilation.
Tales From the Blue Line - One Last Drink at Jimmy B’s By D. H. Parish
16:52|After stumbling into a mysterious Chicago tavern where the patrons treat him like a long-lost legend, a reserved young man disappears from his life forever, leaving his friends to eventually discover that the bar, and everyone inside it, never existed at all.Tales From The Blue Line: Every morning at three, Mason and Ally ride the Blue Line into downtown Chicago together. The train brings out its own brand of weird, which has led to Mason and Ally trading spooky stories to help their commute pass a little faster.
X Minus One: Prime Difference
22:08|Back in January of 2024 when we launched Auditory Anthology, one of the first short stories we shared was Prime Difference by Alan Norse. Here’s a highlight from that episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/52Uf0lF35EPpfxfbWpKR8XWe’ll have a link to that episode in the show notes. This is another story that was originally featured on the 1950’s radio drama X Minus One. We’ll be back with our normal original content on Tuesday and Thursday, but in the meantime for your listening pleasure here’s the X Minus One episode Prime Difference, which originally aired in January 1958. We hope you enjoy it.