Episode #476 · Written by Clyde Hostetter · Narrated by Scott Miller
Politics thrives on influence, negotiation, and carefully tested loopholes. In Electronic Landslide, those familiar tools are brought into a future where automation promises fairness, efficiency, and perfect logic. What follows is a brisk, ironic exploration of how power shifts when human nature meets systems that do not play by human rules.
The story builds momentum through sharp dialogue and escalating consequences rather than spectacle. Each strategic move seems reasonable, even brilliant, until the larger implications become impossible to ignore. The tension comes from watching clever plans succeed too well, transforming short-term advantage into long-term upheaval.
There is a steady undercurrent of humor throughout the narrative, but it never softens the story’s edge. Instead, the comedy highlights the absurdity of relying on pure logic to solve problems rooted in human behavior. By the time the full impact is clear, the question is no longer who wins, but what kind of system has been created.
Clyde Hostetter wrote science fiction that focused on social systems, bureaucracy, and the unintended consequences of progress. His stories favor clear ideas and sharp observations over technical exposition. Electronic Landslide reflects his interest in how emerging technologies expose weaknesses in long-standing institutions, making his work especially resonant in stories that blend satire with speculative foresight.
Listen to Electronic Landslide by Clyde Hostetter — a vintage science fiction short story where politics and ambition collide in unexpected ways.
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