The Madness of Lancelot Biggs by Nelson S. Bond Episode #398
Nelson S. Bond | July 31, 2025-
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The Madness of Lancelot Biggs by Nelson S. Bond Episode #398
Nelson S. Bond
THE MADNESS OF LANCELOT BIGGS
Episode #398 · Written by Nelson S. Bond · Narrated by Scott Miller
Rivalry in space can be loud. Rivalry between two great academies can be louder. But when pride, romance, and a football broadcast collide inside the cramped radio turret of the Saturn, things threaten to explode.
Lancelot Biggs has always been a problem for Captain Hanson. He’s brilliant when it counts, infuriating when it doesn’t, and far too interested in the captain’s daughter. When the annual Rocketeer–Wrangler game is about to air and the ship’s radio fails, Biggs offers a solution — for a price. What begins as a simple repair turns into a chain of escalating wagers, each riskier than the last, until Biggs is betting not just money or status, but his entire future.
As the score grows more lopsided and hope drains from the room, it seems certain that Biggs has finally gone too far. Yet he watches the broadcast with a curious calm. The uranium plate he installed does more than eliminate static. It does something no one else on board understands — at least not until the final twist lands with the force of a planetary touchdown.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nelson S. Bond (1908–2006) built a long and remarkably varied career in American magazine fiction beginning in the 1930s. His work appeared in Astounding Science-Fiction, Blue Book, Thrilling Wonder Stories, Amazing Stories, and Weird Tales. He became especially admired for stories that mixed scientific speculation with humor and character-driven storytelling. The Lancelot Biggs series, set aboard the interplanetary freighter Saturn, showcased Bond’s gift for blending spaceflight adventure with academic rivalry and romantic comedy.
Beyond science fiction, Bond wrote detective fiction, fantasy, radio scripts, and historical novels. He received the First Fandom Hall of Fame Award and was later named a Grand Master by the World Fantasy Convention. “The Madness of Lancelot Biggs” captures the qualities that defined his work: fast dialogue, playful ingenuity, and a final turn that rewards careful listening.
LISTEN TO THE STORY
Listen to The Madness of Lancelot Biggs by Nelson S. Bond — a classic science fiction wager in space where Lancelot Biggs risks love and career on a daring audio invention.
NELSON S. BOND SHORT STORIES
Nelson S. Bond brought a sense of adventure and wit to classic science fiction, crafting stories that balance imaginative concepts with a light touch and strong narrative drive. His work often follows resourceful characters navigating strange situations, where quick thinking matters as much as the science behind the problem.
The Lancelot Biggs stories in particular showcase Bond’s talent for combining humor with high-stakes exploration. Biggs is no conventional hero—he stumbles, improvises, and occasionally blunders his way through spacefaring challenges, yet somehow manages to come out ahead through persistence and unexpected ingenuity.
Bond was a prolific contributor to pulp magazines throughout the 1930s and 1940s, publishing in venues like Astounding Science Fiction and Blue Book. His stories stood out for their readability and charm, offering a style of science fiction that invites curiosity while never losing sight of entertainment.
The stories below highlight Nelson S. Bond’s signature blend of humor, adventure, and imaginative problem-solving across some of his most memorable characters and scenarios.
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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.
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