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
- Rabbits Have Long Ears by Lawrence F. Willard
- 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
- Cosmic Tragedy by Thomas S. Gardiner
- Day of Wrath by Bjarne Kirchhoff
- You Are Forbidden by Jerry Shelton
- Thirty Degrees Cattywonkus by James Bell
- The Small Bears by Gene L. Henderson
- The First Spaceman by Gene L. Henderson
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 35 countries and heard in more than 190 countries, the show has surpassed 3.9 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:
★★★★★
“Brilliant! Great narrator and choice of stories. Very happy with discovering this podcast! It is obvious that the narrator loves sci-fi and the introduction to each story makes it an even better experience. I have been a huge sci-fi fan since childhood and still thanks to this podcast learn new interesting facts about the authors as well as discovering authors I haven’t read before. Thank you for creating this wonderful podcast! I hope more sci-fi fans learn about it as it is brilliant!”
— Daniela
★★★★★
“Great discovery. Just found this and it’s a real gem. I love the enthusiasm and the narration. I find it a great escape.”
— Bedford Nick
Vintage science fiction. Professionally narrated. Carefully curated.
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