WANTED: ONE SANE MAN

Episode #15 · Written by Frank M. Robinson · Narrated by Scott Miller

A world that prides itself on efficiency believes it can assign the right person to any task. Psychological screening, procedural safeguards, and statistical certainty promise control. Wanted: One Sane Man begins where that confidence quietly cracks.

Once the mission is underway, comfort and distance vanish. Isolation turns routine into strain, and preparation offers little protection against the slow grind of time, fear, and physical stress. The story tightens not through sudden disaster, but through the steady pressure of being alone with one’s thoughts, responsibilities, and limits.

Robinson’s tension comes from accumulation. Small discomforts refuse to stay small. Minor doubts refuse to disappear. With no one to consult and no escape from the environment, the question becomes less about success and more about endurance—how long composure can survive when every hour demands attention and resolve.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Frank M. Robinson published widely during the postwar expansion of science fiction, with stories appearing in magazines such as Astounding Science Fiction, Galaxy, and Imagination. His fiction frequently placed capable professionals inside rigid systems that failed to account for human strain, ambition, or obsession.

Beyond short fiction, Robinson co-authored the novel The Power, a political thriller that became one of his best-known works, and later served as a book editor and publisher. Wanted: One Sane Man reflects his recurring interest in how institutions define “fitness” while overlooking the costs imposed on the individual.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to WANTED: One Sane Man by Frank M. Robinson — a vintage science fiction short story where a flawless system fails its final test during a dangerous mission.

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