Dimension X

Fred Wiehe, Edward King, and Norman Rose
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  • SCIENCE FICTION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

"Where do you want to go? You can go to any place, any time, any dimension you choose... just step into... Dimension X!" Step back into the Golden Age of Radio and immerse yourself in the sci-fi masterpieces that defined a genre. From 1950 to 1951, NBC's legendary anthology series, Dimension X, brought the literary giants of science fiction directly to your ears. This is not the sci-fi of rayguns and flying saucers. It's intelligent, thought-provoking, and often chilling drama that grapples with the biggest questions about humanity's future. Join us as we journey to the far reaches of the galaxy, confront alien intelligences, and explore the psychological and philosophical implications of a world transformed by technology. Each episode is a stand-alone adventure, featuring groundbreaking adaptations of stories from the greatest minds in science fiction, including Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Robert A. Heinlein, Kurt Vonnegut, and many more. Rediscover the power of sound as the show's iconic narration, a stellar cast of voice actors, and a gripping score create a universe of imagination. Whether you're a fan of Old-Time Radio, a sci-fi aficionado, or a new listener eager for a story well told, Dimension X is your ticket to a different kind of adventure. Subscribe now and step into the classic dimension of science fiction.

  1. 3D AGO

    September 1, 1950: The Roads Must Roll

    In a future where moving roads replace cars, a sudden shutdown threatens to paralyze the nation. "The Roads Must Roll" envisions a society built on massive conveyor highways, transporting people and cargo at high speed across the country. When a key segment of the rolling roads grinds to a halt, it sparks panic, economic disruption, and a confrontation with a powerful labor movement led by a rogue engineer. Chief Engineer Gaines races to uncover the cause of the sabotage and restore order, but he soon discovers that the rebellion is not just a technical failure - it is a political uprising driven by demands for greater control and status from the road technicians who keep the system running. As Gaines infiltrates the rebel stronghold and confronts their leader, the story explores the fragile balance between technology and power, labor and hierarchy. The episode blends action with commentary on class conflict, infrastructure dependence, and the consequences of unchecked automation. Originally aired on Dimension X on September 1, 1950, this adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's story remains a stark reminder of how societal stability can hinge on the systems we take for granted.

    30 min

  2. FEB 9

    August 25, 1950: The Parade

    A mysterious client hires a brash New York publicist to launch a million-dollar media blitz announcing an invasion from Mars. Ads flood the city, a parade is planned, and everything points to a clever campaign for an upcoming space opera. But as the Martian Day spectacle unfolds with floats, clowns, and an eerie military procession of helmeted "Martians," it becomes clear that something is wrong. The troops aren't actors. No one hired them. A staged fainting incident turns real. Poisoned candy hospitalizes children. And when the truth surfaces, it's far more chilling than any promotional stunt. The Martian invasion was never fiction. It was real, and the publicity was the cover. "The Parade," broadcast on Dimension X on August 25, 1950, turns satirical commentary on advertising and media manipulation into a sci-fi horror story about complacency, spectacle, and the fatal consequences of underestimating absurdity. What begins as a lighthearted satire ends in a grim broadcast cut-off at the moment of impact. This episode, written by George Lefferts, is among the most chilling and conceptually prescient of the series.

    30 min

  3. FEB 2

    August 18, 1950: The Martian Chronicals

    Humanity reaches for Mars and discovers loss, illusion, and the weight of its own destruction. This adaptation of Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles weaves together key moments from the colonization of Mars, revealing a planet transformed by both wonder and tragedy. The episode begins with the rocket summer of 1999 and follows the first expeditions, where Martians mistake astronauts for hallucinations and end up destroying them. Later missions succeed but bring devastation as Earth's diseases decimate the native population. Towns spring up, mimicking Earth, while explorers grapple with guilt and the fading presence of Martian culture. A hot dog vendor named Sam Parkhill opens a stand just as nuclear war breaks out back on Earth, leaving Mars the last refuge. The story ends in 2026 with a lone family escaping Earth's ruin. When their son asks to see Martians, his father tells him to look into the canal, where their own reflections shimmer. Themes include colonialism, environmental collapse, and the fragile nature of civilization. The episode captures both the beauty and bleakness of starting over on another world, showing that what we bring with us may ultimately define what we become.

    30 min

  4. JAN 26

    August 11, 1950: The Castaways

    A top-secret atomic test on a remote Pacific island spirals into mystery and horror when the native Tahani tribe refuses evacuation. As military personnel prepare to detonate a powerful new bomb, tensions mount over the tribe's spiritual connection to the land. Despite threats and force, the Tahani walk silently into the sea, seemingly choosing death over exile. But when the bomb fails to detonate, questions arise. A desperate recovery mission uncovers an undersea structure housing the Tahani alive - and a truth no one expects. They are castaways from another world, marooned on Earth for centuries, and their leader, a high-ranking military officer, has secretly ensured their return by hijacking the atomic device as rocket fuel. This startling revelation reframes the island's destruction not as a tragedy, but as an escape. In the wake of their departure, only the bomb's absence remains. Featuring a chilling buildup and a gut-punch twist, this episode explores themes of colonization, alienation, and the consequences of unchecked technological power. A standout in the Dimension X series for its blend of military realism and sci-fi paranoia.

    30 min

  5. JAN 19

    August 4, 1950: Perigis Wonderful Dolls

    A mysterious dollmaker sells more than toys in this eerie tale of control, suspicion, and hidden intent. In Dimension X's "Perigi's Wonderful Dolls," young Sally is gifted a doll that walks and talks with uncanny precision. Her father, Mr. Throckmorton, is unsettled by the doll's lifelike behavior and by its strange connection to a shadowy figure named Perigi. When Sally disappears, Throckmorton suspects the doll and its maker are involved. His investigation leads him to a locked shop filled with dolls that seem aware, watching and whispering. Perigi reveals his true plan: the dolls are agents of surveillance and control, designed to infiltrate homes and influence children. Throckmorton becomes trapped as the shop seals shut and the dolls close in. The episode plays on fears of technological manipulation, the loss of parental control, and the intrusion of outside forces under the guise of innocent fun. With its claustrophobic setting and creeping dread, the story warns that what we welcome into our homes may be far more dangerous than it appears.

    29 min

  6. JAN 12

    July 28, 1950: Potters Of Firsk

    A young Earth official discovers that alien pottery holds a horrifying secret. In this episode of Dimension X, "The Potters of Fursk" follows Michael Tom, an assistant administrator sent to the remote planet of Fursk where native Mechun tribes are known for crafting exquisite ceramics. But these are not ordinary artisans. Their prized glazes are made using human bone, and their recent work reveals a shift from using the dead to capturing the living. When the woman Tom loves is taken by the Mechun to become part of their next masterpiece, he faces a brutal choice. His superior, Colville, dismisses the danger and prioritizes political stability over human life. Tom defies orders and bargains with the Mechun, offering them uranium from a dismantled Earth bomb in exchange for her life. The tribe accepts, using the new material to create the long-sought yellow glaze they believed lost for generations. What emerges is a masterpiece that traps human essence in permanent form. The story examines cultural exploitation, power imbalances, and the unsettling idea of legacy through artistic immortality. As Tom returns to Earth, he carries a pot that holds far more than just clay and glaze.

    28 min

  7. JAN 5

    July 21, 1950: Beyond Infinity

    An American journalist uncovers a secret resistance movement using microscopic technology to hide weapons for an imminent revolution. In a hidden European lab, scientist Dr. Wensler and his son Alan reveal a machine that can shrink objects down to atomic size. Their plan is to miniaturize an arsenal and store it safely until the uprising begins. But when the secret police close in, Alan and his wife Eva escape by shrinking themselves inside the device. Their disappearance leads to an unexpected journey: a descent beyond the atomic scale into a new world on the surface of an electron, where time flows differently. Millions of years pass in seconds, and their descendants build a peaceful civilization. When the machine finally returns the cylinder to normal size, it contains only violet gas and a haunting message from the last survivor of a vanished race. The story explores resistance, sacrifice, the vastness of scale, and the legacy of human life echoing into realms beyond comprehension. A cautionary tale about science, politics, and the passage of time hidden within subatomic infinity.

    29 min

  8. 12/29/2025

    July 14, 1950: The Man In The Moon

    A missing persons clerk uncovers a lunar conspiracy that threatens to erase him from Earth. In this suspenseful episode of Dimension X, "The Man in the Moon" begins with a strange radio transmission from space, allegedly sent by physicist Cornelius Otterburn, who vanished without a trace in 1945. The message claims a secret base exists on the far side of the moon and that more scientists are being abducted to join a colony planning a return to Earth. Clerk Henry Timken, normally confined to desk work, stumbles onto the message and starts connecting the dots between recent disappearances and the transmission's predictions. As he digs deeper, Timken encounters a cryptic science writer and uncovers evidence that the kidnappings are real and ongoing. When he is finally offered protection, it is too late. Timken becomes the next name on the list. He is sedated, placed aboard a disguised rocket, and launched to the moon alongside other abductees. The final twist arrives as the Bureau of Missing Persons calmly files his disappearance as routine. The story explores themes of bureaucratic blindness, hidden surveillance, and the terrifying reach of unseen power operating just outside public awareness.

    30 min
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About

"Where do you want to go? You can go to any place, any time, any dimension you choose... just step into... Dimension X!" Step back into the Golden Age of Radio and immerse yourself in the sci-fi masterpieces that defined a genre. From 1950 to 1951, NBC's legendary anthology series, Dimension X, brought the literary giants of science fiction directly to your ears. This is not the sci-fi of rayguns and flying saucers. It's intelligent, thought-provoking, and often chilling drama that grapples with the biggest questions about humanity's future. Join us as we journey to the far reaches of the galaxy, confront alien intelligences, and explore the psychological and philosophical implications of a world transformed by technology. Each episode is a stand-alone adventure, featuring groundbreaking adaptations of stories from the greatest minds in science fiction, including Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Robert A. Heinlein, Kurt Vonnegut, and many more. Rediscover the power of sound as the show's iconic narration, a stellar cast of voice actors, and a gripping score create a universe of imagination. Whether you're a fan of Old-Time Radio, a sci-fi aficionado, or a new listener eager for a story well told, Dimension X is your ticket to a different kind of adventure. Subscribe now and step into the classic dimension of science fiction.

Information

  • Creator
    Fred Wiehe, Edward King, and Norman Rose
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Dimension X