Saturday, 23 October 2021

Faked Broadcasts

In Robert Heinlein's Future History, the revolutionary Cabal fakes a broadcast by the First Prophet returned from Heaven calling on the faithful to overthrow the current regime. Congregations in churches see the broadcast and attack their clergy.

In Poul Anderson's Harvest Of Stars, the Selenarchs fake a broadcast by Anson Guthrie calling on Fireball Enterprises to assist the revolutionary Chaotics if they rise against the Avantist regime in North America.

In Doctor Who, the Doctor's granddaughter grabbed a mike and ordered the robomen to attack the Daleks, forcing the Daleks to kill all their robomen.

In Dan Dare, Cadet Flamer Spry grabbed the Mekon's mike and, imitating the Mekon's voice, ordered the Elektrobots to attack the Treens, forcing the Treens to destroy all their Elektrobots.

Similar situations in four timelines.

3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I also thought of A CIRCUS OF HELLS, near the end of the story, where we see Flandry faking Ydywyr the Seeker's voice to deceive the Merseians at his research base into flying over Flandry's scout boat to the Ruadrath village. As part of his plan for escaping Talwin and the Merseians.

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Nice one.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

It was! A CIRCUS OF HELLS is one of my favorite Flandry books.

Ad astra! Sean