The Man Who Liked Lions by John Bernard Daley Episode #84
John Bernard Daley | July 18, 2023-
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The Man Who Liked Lions by John Bernard Daley Episode #84
John Bernard Daley
THE MAN WHO LIKED LIONS
Episode #84 · Written by John Bernard Daley · Narrated by Scott Miller
A summer afternoon at the zoo feels safe by design. Families gather, animals pace behind steel bars, and nothing seems capable of breaking the rhythm of heat, noise, and idle entertainment. One man, however, moves through the grounds as if time itself is tightening around him.
He listens to how people talk to animals, how they joke, threaten, and provoke. He notices who laughs, who looks away, and who leans closer when something dangerous might happen. With every passing minute, the sense grows that this visit is not accidental, and that the hour matters more than anyone realizes.
The Man Who Liked Lions is a controlled, deliberate story that replaces spectacle with intent. The tension does not come from surprise, but from inevitability. When the moment finally arrives, it forces the listener to confront the cost of cruelty and the danger of treating power as entertainment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Bernard Daley left behind a remarkably small footprint in science fiction. Only three short stories are documented under his name: “The Gun” (1955), “The Man Who Liked Lions” (1956), and “Wings of the Phoenix” (1958).
He appears to be one of those writers who surfaced briefly, published a handful of striking pieces, and then vanished from the field. That brevity gives his work a particular edge. There is no long arc of development, no sprawling bibliography — just three stories, each standing on its own.
LISTEN TO THE STORY
Listen to The Man Who Liked Lions by John Bernard Daley — a chilling piece of vintage science fiction where judgment arrives at exactly three o’clock.
LOST VOICES OF VINTAGE SCI-FI
Not every science fiction writer built a long career in the field or became a widely recognized name. Some published only a handful of stories before disappearing from the magazines, leaving behind little biographical record and few surviving details. Others may be remembered for work in different genres, while their contribution to science fiction was brief.
Yet these writers helped shape the texture of the pulp era and beyond. Their stories experimented with bold ideas, filled the pages between the famous names, and added depth to the ever-expanding landscape of vintage science fiction.
The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast exists in part to rediscover these voices. The stories below were written by authors who published briefly, sparingly, or whose science fiction output was small - but whose work still deserves to be heard.
- The Ultimate Paradox by Thorp McClusky
- The Ultimate Wish by E. M. Hull
- Welcome to Paradise by Allyn Donnelson
- Day of Reckoning by Morton Klass
- Zeritskys Law by Ann Griffith
- Up For Renewal by Lucius Daniel
- Patch by William Shedenhelm
- Electronic Landslide by Clyde Hostetter
- They Reached for the Moon by William Oberfield
- Death Walks on Mars by Alan J. Ramm
- When the Moon Fell by Morrison Colladay
- Know They Neighbor by Elisabeth R. Lewis
- The Other One by A. H. Gibson
- No Evidence by Victoria Lincoln
- The Man Who Liked Lions by John Bernard Daley
- Willies Planet by Mike Ellis
- The Short Snorter by Charles Einstein
- Your Servant Sir by Sol Boren
- The Fugitives by Malcolm B. Morehart Jr
- Leave Earthmen or Die by John Massie Davis
- And All the Girls Were Nude by Richard Magruder
- Rabbits Have Long Ears by Lawrence F. Willard
- Dust Unto Dust by Lyman D. Hinckley
- Day of Wrath by Bjarne Kirchhoff
- You Are Forbidden by Jerry Shelton
ABOUT THE LOST SCI-FI PODCAST
The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast is the most listened-to vintage science fiction podcast in the world. Ranked the #1 Science Fiction Podcast in 34 countries and heard in more than 190 countries, the show has surpassed 3.7 million listens.
Each episode features carefully selected stories from the Golden Age of science fiction, professionally narrated. Timeless storytelling the way it was meant to be heard.
What listeners are saying:
★★★★★
“Great! Although the original Star Trek is almost considered ’vintage’ by now, these stories go back even further. Short compelling tales, read perfectly by Scott with no unnecessary bells and whistles. You can of course tell that these were written in a very different time. But, that’s part of the educational process, learning about the roots of sci-fi and how it’s changed. Thank you Scott.”
— DSBoston1
★★★★★
“By far the most bang for buck short stories podcast. I’ve listened to a ton of short story podcasts over the years, I can safely say, this is a keeper. I come every week to listen to the latest gem posted on this podcast. The narrator makes it extra special with his performance taking the listener to the universe of the story.”
— Mo _ San
Vintage science fiction. Professionally narrated. Carefully curated.
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