The Metal Man by Jack Williamson Episode #415

Jack Williamson | September 4, 2025

The Metal Man by Jack Williamson Episode #415
Jack Williamson

THE METAL MAN

Episode #415 · Written by Jack Williamson · Narrated by Scott Miller

A scientist’s triumphant radium expedition turns into a descent into an alien world where gravity, matter, and life obey impossible rules. As his body begins to transform, he races for escape before he becomes just another artifact of the abyss.

Jack Williamson’s The Metal Man is a gripping early science-fiction tale of exploration, transformation, and the terrifying weight of the unknown. Told through the final manuscript of Professor Thomas Kelvin—a geologist who vanishes under mysterious circumstances—the story unveils the truth behind his legendary radium expedition. Kelvin’s journey into Mexico’s remote Pacific mountains leads him to the crimson waters of El Rio de la Sangre, a place where radioactivity flows like a living force. But what he finds beyond the river and its roaring waterfall defies every natural law he has ever known.

When Kelvin’s monoplane carries him over an immense crater filled with shimmering green gas, he witnesses a massive, impossibly engineered red sphere rising from its depths. Gravity twists, strange lights emerge from the mist, and he is pulled downward into a silent world of luminous sand and alien machinery. There, amid desolate plains and ancient metallic fossils, Kelvin discovers horrors and wonders: animals turned to metal, gravity wells, violet plants whose berry juice can halt his own slow transformation, and crystalline beings whose very bodies pulse with purpose and intelligence. His struggle to survive—and escape before his body turns entirely to metal—forms one of the most vivid and innovative sequences in early speculative fiction.

Told with the intimacy of a final confession, Kelvin’s letter reveals a man balancing scientific curiosity with mounting terror. Williamson’s pacing, imagery, and imagination transform the landscape into a character of its own, brimming with mystery, danger, and tragic beauty. The story builds toward an unforgettable escape sequence involving gravity manipulation and one desperate, brilliant use of an automatic pistol. Whether read as cosmic horror, scientific adventure, or a meditation on human fragility, The Metal Man stands as a masterpiece of early 20th-century imagination.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jack Williamson, born in 1908, became one of the longest-lived and most influential science-fiction authors in history. From the pioneering days of the pulps to the modern era of hard science fiction, Williamson remained a visionary voice for over seven decades. His writing bridged eras: he contributed to Astounding Stories, collaborated with icons such as Frederik Pohl, and continued producing award-winning fiction well into his nineties. His works ranged from operatic adventure to subtle psychological explorations, all grounded in a genuine fascination with science, technology, and humanity’s evolving future.

Williamson earned the title of SFWA Grand Master, received both Hugo and Nebula Awards, and served as a university professor shaping new generations of writers. His legacy includes genre-defining works like The Legion of Space, Darker Than You Think, and The Humanoids. The Metal Man, one of his earliest published stories, showcases the brilliance, imagination, and emotional depth that would characterize his entire career.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to The Metal Man by Jack Williamson — a scientist’s expedition exposes a dangerous alien world in this gripping vintage science fiction classic.

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 3.3 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:

★★★★★ “Lovely narrator, good range of stories, very cozy vibes. This podcast does audiobooks of lost/obscure sci fi stories. It is one of few podcasts that produces well narrated short stories. It has a high content output which is great because some story themes are more appealing to me than others, so I usually read the introductory notes in episode descriptions to find an endless assortment of intriguing stories.”
— ommar365

★★★★★ “Very enjoyable! Lots of vintage sci fi stories! Love the narrator’s voice. Also- he gives a little snippet about the history of the writer or what magazine it came from. It’s fun to hear what people have imagined the future and life on other planets would be like. Double thumbs up!👍👍”
— K Vomer

Vintage science fiction. Professionally narrated. Carefully curated.