“Conqueror’s Isle” aired on March 5, 1949 on one of radio’s classiest, premier shows, Escape (1947-1954). Nelson Bond (November 23, 1908-November 4, 2006), while selling to a number of non-SF/F markets before he sold his first SF story to Astonishing Stories in April of 1937 (“Down the Dimensions”), went on to sell widely and prolifically until the 1950s, his accumulated sports and detective stories outstripping his output in the SF and Fantasy magazines. While not as well known today as some of his contemporaries writing from the late-1930’s to the mid-1950’s (Heinlein, Bester, Asimov, et al), he nevertheless contributed many stories to the magazines of the time–sometimes brilliant little gems. Among the many genre magazines of the time, Bond would appear in a dozen or more, including Amazing, Fantastic Adventures, Fantastic Universe, Weird Tales, Thrilling Wonder Stories, Astounding Science Fiction, Unknown Worlds, and Planet Stories. Writing for radio and early television as well, one of his most popular stories, “Mr. Mergenthwirker’s Lobblies,” was adapted for radio a number of times and was turned into a radio series in 1938. In 1946 Bond wrote the script for a teleplay of the Mergenthwirker story, the first full-length play for network television (such as the “network” was at that early time, broadcasting to only three major east coast cities).

In 1998 Nelson Bond received the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America’s Author Emeritus award for Lifetime Achievement.

“Conqueror’s Isle” originally appeared in Blue Book for June, 1946 (cover above right). Aside from its numerous radio dramatizations it was then made into a 30-minute film by Revue Productions in 1952/53, and then as a live 30-minute ABC production for Tales of Tomorrow which aired on January 9, 1953. Set in the Pacific theater during World War II, we have a bomber pilot forced down and landing on a remote island, where he is imprisoned by a human-appearing race of aliens in possession of a super-scientific technology far in advance of our own. The pilot’s fate, the aliens’ ultimate plans, and how it all plays out are revealed in this compelling little story where the good guys may not always win. Paranoids beware.

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