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Sep 10, 2018

Uploaded (1) Mindwebs episode to YouTube. The video may be watched on YouTube or on the Mindwebs-Streaming page.

Musicians featured in this episode include: Erik Satie, Jean Dubuffet, Edgard Varèse, and Pink Floyd.

Also updated the Mindwebs-Episode Log and the Mindwebs-Music pages, accordingly.


Jul 11, 2018

Uploaded (1) Mindwebs episode to YouTube. The video may be watched on YouTube or on the Mindwebs-Streaming page.

Musicians featured in this episode include: Terry Riley and Focus.

Also updated the Mindwebs-Episode Log and the Mindwebs-Music pages, accordingly.


Jul 01, 2018

Uploaded (1) Mindwebs episode to YouTube. The video may be watched on YouTube or on the Mindwebs-Streaming page.

Musicians featured in this episode include: Bobby Hutcherson, Thijs van Leer, and Focus.

Also updated the Mindwebs-Episode Log and the Mindwebs-Music pages, accordingly.


Jun 28, 2018

Added (2) new shows to the Listening Booth:

"A Time for Thunder" - Beyond Midnight (19xx)

During the holidays, a man visits his life-long friends on their centuries-old estate and falls in love with the portrait of a long-dead woman. Later that night, a strange thunderstorm transports him back in time, to 1737, where he has a chance to meet her. Story by Michael McCabe.

"The Man of Two Centuries" - CBS Radio Mystery Theater (1981)

Jack Carter, a writer researching a book on the history of Canada, befriends Donnacona, a Huron Indian who claims to be a thousand years old and able to travel between the centuries at will. He also claims Carter is the famous explorer Jacques Cartier—not his reincarnation, but Cartier himself, and offers to take him back in time to prove it. Story by James Agate, Jr


Jun 23, 2018

Uploaded (1) Mindwebs episode to YouTube. The video may be watched on YouTube or on the Mindwebs-Streaming page.

Lots of good Frank Zappa music in this one. Somehow, listening to a story about black hole singularities and time paradoxes while Zappa plays in the background seems appropriate.

Also updated the Mindwebs-Episode Log and the Mindwebs-Music pages, accordingly.


Jun 19, 2018

More kudos to acute listener zM for identifying (8) tracks on (6) Mindwebs episodes:

A Taste for Dostoevsky Treasure Hunt Webster The Snake To the Dark Star The Garden of Time

Also updated the Mindwebs-Music page.


Jun 18, 2018

The second of the new Mindwebs (2018) series has been released! We are calling this episode #171.

It features Michael Hanson reading two stories: "Monkey and the Lady" by Neil Gaiman, first published in The Weight of Words, 2017, and "The Mist" by Peter Grainger, first published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Sep 1952. As usual, the stories are enhanced by music and periodic sound cues. Technical Production was by Darkman, who did an excellent job balancing the opposing dynamics of character voices and supporting music. We hope for many more to come!

The new episode is available for streaming on the Mindwebs - Streaming page, and also directly on YouTube. The Mindwebs - Log and Mindwebs - Music pages have been updated, accordingly. As always, if you would like to share your thoughts, we'll be happy to post them!


Jun 17, 2018

More kudos to acute listener zM for identifying (9) tracks on (5) Mindwebs episodes:

Harrison Bergeron That Only a Mother The Swimmer I Kill Myself Pond Water

Also updated the Mindwebs-Music page.


Jun 15, 2018

More kudos to acute listener zM for identifying (10) tracks on (6) Mindwebs episodes:

Carcinoma Angels Kaleidoscope Roller Ball Murder The Food Farm The Weapon The Hall of Machines

Also updated the Mindwebs-Music page.


Jun 13, 2018

More kudos to acute listener zM for identifying (7) tracks on (5) Mindwebs episodes:

Carcinoma Angels Promises to Keep: A Science Fiction Drama Happily Ever After Harrison Bergeron

Also updated the Mindwebs-Music page.


Jun 11, 2018

Uploaded (1) Mindwebs episode to YouTube. The video may be watched on YouTube or on the Mindwebs-Streaming page.

Also updated the Mindwebs-Episode Log and the Mindwebs-Music pages, accordingly.


Jun 09, 2018

More kudos to acute listener zM for identifying three tracks on the Mindwebs episode "The Exhibition".

Updated the Mindwebs-Music page, accordingly.


Jun 08, 2018

Added (2) new reviews and (2) new plotlines for various Mindwebs episodes, courtesy of zM.


Jun 06, 2018

Kudos to acute listener zM for noticing that the opening track for "The Nine Billion Names of God" is probably the same as unknown track 1a from "Treasure Hunt". Both are "Venus" from Moe Koffman's 1974 album Solar Explorations.


Jun 05, 2018

Uploaded (1) Mindwebs episode to YouTube. The video may be watched on YouTube or on the Mindwebs - Streaming page.

Also updated the Mindwebs - Episode Log and the Mindwebs - Music pages, accordingly.


Jun 04, 2018

Added (1) new review and (1) new plotline for a Mindwebs episode, courtesy of zM.


Jun 01, 2018

The first of the new Mindwebs (2018) series has been released! We are calling this episode #170.

It features Michael Hanson reading two stories: "Dry Spell" by Bill Pronzini, first published in Amazing Science Fiction Stories, Sep 1970, and "The Third Level" by Jack Finney, first published in Colliers, Jan 1950. As usual, the stories are enhanced by music and periodic sound cues. Technical Production was by Darkman, who did an excellent job balancing the opposing dynamics of character voices and supporting music. We hope for many more to come!

The new episode is available for streaming on the Mindwebs - Streaming page, and also directly on YouTube. The Mindwebs - Log and Mindwebs - Music pages have been updated, accordingly. As always, if you would like to share your thoughts, we'll be happy to post them!

Note: Another new episode is coming! Episode #171 is scheduled to air over WMSE on June 9th!


May 31, 2018

Added (2) new reviews and (2) new plotlines for various Mindwebs (2018) episodes, courtesy of zM.


May 29, 2018

Added (1) new show to the Listening Booth:

"A Wizard of Earthsea" - BBC (1996)

A young boy, Duny, nicknamed Sparrowhawk, has magical gifts which are powerful even for the island of Gont, a land famous for wizards. But when he gains his True Name of Ged and travels to the Island of the Wise to learn the ancient secrets of wizardry, his youthful pride and anger cause him to unleash a terrible darkness into the world. Doomed forever to be hunted by a nameless creature that would devour his soul and turn his powers to evil, the young wizard must journey beyond the edge of the world, battling dragons and encountering many perils, to confront the beast which only he can destroy. Brought to life in this spellbinding BBC Radio 4 dramatisation, A Wizard of Earthsea is a classic tale of high magic, courage and the never-ending struggle between good and evil. --- Diversity Website.

Story by Ursula Le Guin.


May 27, 2018

Uploaded (1) Mindwebs episode to YouTube. The video may be watched on YouTube or on the Mindwebs - Streaming page.

Also updated the Mindwebs - Episode Log and the Mindwebs - Music pages, accordingly. There is some beautiful music in this episode... some solo jazz piano and some classical music, perhaps 20th century. Unfortunately, I couldn't identify any of it. I have uploaded clips to the Music page. The tracks are listed as Track 24.x. Please let me know if you recognize any of the music, and I'll credit you with the find! Also added the original publication cover art (Nova 3) to the Mindwebs page.


May 26, 2018

Reprinted a couple of articles about Michael Hanson and Mindwebs:

Also, updated the list of audio books recorded by Michael Hanson and Carol Cowan and added some images: a promo and a couple of shots from Isthmus.


May 25, 2018

Update the Mindwebs page to make it more usable by splitting off information into (8) separate pages:


May 24, 2018

Added (3) new reviews and (3) new plotlines for various Mindwebs episodes, courtesy of zM.


May 20, 2018

Created a new page to present the Mindwebs - Episode Log in tabular format. The table can be sorted by episode number, title, author, or year the original story was published. Links take you to the episode description on the main Mindwebs page, the author entry on the Famous Authors on Radio page, or to the YouTube video or YouTube music playlist associated with that video. The table will be updated as new episodes are released by Michael Hanson and aired by WMSE.


May 19, 2018

Created a new page dedicated to music used in Mindwebs. The Mindwebs - Music page lists all the music that I have been able to identify and is a work-in-progress. It is organized in tabular format and lists artists, albums, tracks, and year produced. It also takes a stab at identifying the genre and style of each album. Clicking on the header will sort the table by individual columns. YouTube links are provided to albums and tracks.

Mindwebs Music was drawn from a wide selection jazz, classical, folk, rock, and electronic and encompasses dozens of different styles. It is hard to describe the role that music plays in audio drama because it works directly on the subconscious mind and profoundly influences our emotions. It can be used to create suspense, emphasize chaos, evoke confusion, symbolize love, balance mood and tempo, reinforce dialogue, contrast thoughts with actions, underscore conflict, and embody nostalgia. Michael Hanson's genius was in matching music to the stories he presented. This is not a skill that is easily learned and, in Mr Hanson's case, was the result of a life-long passion for both music and storytelling.


May 18, 2018

Received a comment from Mildred Clingerman's ("The Word" and "Stair Trick" ) grandson (who is part of the LLC which own the copyrights to all of Clingerman's work): "I was just curious about the [YouTube] channel as I just stumbled on it the other day. I was surprised to hear it! Mildred was my grandmother and we recently self published a book of all of her published and unpublished stories. We are planning a podcast of some sort in the future using her work. I would like to hear more about Mindwebs and how it came about. I would never have known that the recording was done in the 70's. Maybe that should be on the page information. I like the reading and don't want it removed at this time. We are always happy to see Mildred getting some promotion!"

The site that they created honouring Mildred Clingerman includes a biography, photo gallery, bibliography, reviews, a charming collection of pulp covers where her work has been published and images of correspondence (including rejection letters). It also includes the option to purchase a new collection of published and unpublished stories: The Clingerman Files. I am eagerly awaiting my copy!


May 17, 2018

Uploaded (1) Mindwebs episodes to YouTube (YouTube links are on the Mindwebs - Streaming page).


May 15, 2018

Added magazine and album cover art for (1) Mindwebs episodes.


May 12, 2018

Uploaded (2) Mindwebs episodes to YouTube (YouTube links are on the Mindwebs - Streaming page).


May 11, 2018

Added magazine and album cover art for (2) Mindwebs episodes.


May 10, 2018

Uploaded (2) Mindwebs episodes to YouTube (YouTube links are now on the Mindwebs - Streaming page).


May 09, 2018

Added magazine and album cover art for (2) Mindwebs episodes.


May 08, 2018

Uploaded (4) Mindwebs episodes to YouTube (YouTube links are now on the Mindwebs - Streaming page).


May 07, 2018

Added a new page for Mindwebs episodes that are hosted on the Plot Spot channel at YouTube: Mindwebs - Streaming.

All Mindwebs episodes (stories + music) are protected by copyright. YouTube has copyright agreements that allow some episodes to be embedded and streamed from other sites (like the Plot Spot). However, some of the agreements allow streaming only while on the YouTube domain. If you click a video that is not allowed to be streamed from this website, you will see a message and a link to that video on YouTube.

If you prefer not to watch a video... or not to allow Google to run scripts on your computer... then head over to Michael Hanson's official tape archive at the Internet Archive and download the series in lossless audio!


May 06, 2018

Uploaded (7) Mindwebs episodes to YouTube (YouTube links are now on the Mindwebs - Streaming page).


May 05, 2018

Added magazine and album cover art for (11) Mindwebs episodes.


Apr 30, 2018

Uploaded (6) Mindwebs episodes to YouTube (YouTube links are now on the Mindwebs - Streaming page).


Apr 29, 2018

Added magazine and album cover art for (6) Mindwebs episodes.


Apr 28, 2018

Updated the album cover art for (2) Mindwebs episodes to include "Computer Suite from Little Boy" by Jean-Claude Risset.


Apr 24, 2018

Uploaded (4) Mindwebs episodes to YouTube (YouTube links are now on the Mindwebs - Streaming page).

I am way behind the curve here... having a lot more trouble than I expected identifying the background music used in these episodes. If anyone can identify some of the music I've missed, I would be grateful!

Apr 18, 2018

Astute listener Noelle has found (2) episodes of Haunted that I thought were lost. These are now available for the Listening Booth.


Apr 16, 2018

Added (7) new reviews and (5) new plotlines for various Theatre Five, Columbia Workshop, Escape, and Hollywood Star Playhouse episodes, courtesy of Anonymous.

Theatre Five
Columbia Workshop
Escape
Hollywood Star Playhouse

Apr 15, 2018

Super Sleuth Anonymous points out the correct spelling of Robert Cenedella's name, and notes: "His adopted son, also named Robert Cenedella, is a painter who made the news recently when he sued five New York art museums." Robert Cenedella is credited with stories on the Theatre Five and Suspense pages.


Apr 13, 2018

Astute listener Jodi has found (3) episodes of Haunted that I thought were lost. These are now available for the Listening Booth.


Apr 11, 2018

Added (1) new plotline for a Theatre Five episode, courtesy of Tom.


Apr 09, 2018

Added (4) new reviews for various Mindwebs episodes, courtesy of ?nfinite-?nsect.


Apr 06, 2018

Added (1) new review for a Lights Out! episode, courtesy of Raymond.


Mar 17, 2018

The 2nd of sixteen un-circulated Mindwebs tapes has been released by Michael Hanson and broadcast by WMSE!

Episode #17 aired on Mar 10th and features two stories: "The Man with English" by H.L. Gold and "Lucifer" by Roger Zelazny.

"The Man with English" by H.L. Gold
Edgar Stone , the proprietor of a dry goods store, suffers a punctured tire in his own driveway as he arrives home for lunch. Never one to restrain an angry impulse, he then puts his foot through the screen door and gets into an argument with his wife and adolescent son. His fortunes take a downward turn, and he wakes to find himself in a hospital confronted by the surgeon who removed a bone splinter from his brain. He seems to be recovering well... except for a few unexpected complications.

"Lucifer" by Roger Zelazny
Two years after his last visit, Carlson returns to the dead city. It's been five years since the people died... five years since power last surged outward from the power cubes through the broadcast panel to the acropolis beyond, to where people talked with one another, shared music, books, food and other interests, and made love. It's been two years since Carlson's last attempt to bring light back to the dead city... two years since he swore he would never come back again.

UPDATE: I have pushed a copy up to the Plot Spot YouTube channel. That video can also be streamed from this site on the Mindwebs - Streaming page. And, of course, lossless audio can be downloaded from Michael Hanson's Tape Archive page at the Internet Archive.


Feb 10, 2018

As you know, Darkman is working with Michael Hanson to encode the Mindwebs studio tapes (actually, the back-up tape dubs of the master reels, as the master reels are lost). In Hanson's collection are 16 episodes that are not in circulation and have not been heard for 35+ years.

As you may also know, Ursula K. Le Guin passed away on Jan 22, 2018, after being in poor health for several months.

What you may not know is that among the uncirculated Mindwebs episodes is a reading by Jay Meredith Fitts of "April in Paris". In memory of Le Guin, Mr Hanson and WMSE recently released this episode! Fitts does a wonderful job with all the character voices -- Professor Barry Pennywither, Jehan Lenoir, Bota, and Kislk -- using tone and inflection to create a sombre mood, which gradually lifts to one of hope. It is a wonderful story, backed by some marvellous music from Terry Riley and Michel Legrand. There is also some classical violin and piano music in the first 5 minutes that I can't place. If you recognize it, please let me know.

UPDATE: I have pushed a copy up to the Plot Spot YouTube channel. That video can also be streamed from this site on the Mindwebs - Streaming page. And, of course, lossless audio can be downloaded from Michael Hanson's Tape Archive page at the Internet Archive.


Jan 05, 2018

Based on conversations with Michael Hanson, I have updated the Mindwebs page with crew credits and corrected some spelling errors and added some 'alternate' names in the cast credits.


Jan 01, 2018

Another year... with new hopes and new dreams.

My health remains strong, and I hope to be posting regularly in the coming months.

Time will tell.

Cheers.


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