Suspense: The Earth Is Made of Glass (Joseph Cotten) (09271945)

Suspense: The Earth Is Made of Glass (Joseph Cotten) (09271945)

From Classic Streams: Old Time Retro Radio by Dwight Allen

April 21, 2026 · 25 min

About this episode

This episode analyzes a chilling radio play that explores the intersection of science, morality, and madness through the story of a scientist's obsession with a perfect murder.

In this episode, we analyze a chilling radio play where science, morality, and madness collide. The story follows Dr. Richard Steele’s obsessive experiment on the concept of a "laboratory murder" and explores the psychological toll of detached scientific inquiry. This narrative is a compelling look at how scientific control and emotional detachment can blur, leading to terrifying consequences. Most people underestimate the silent power of mental... and moral control. In this gripping episode, Joseph Cotton stars in The Earth is Made of Glass, a haunting tale that unravels a scientist's obsession with the perfect, emotionless murder—and the deadly toll it takes on his mind. You’ll discover how a man meticulously plans a “laboratory” murder, trying to prove that inhuman science can control human nature. From buying gloves and knives for a crime that’s never committed, to the creeping effects of guilt, this story pushes the boundaries of experimental psychology and moral boundaries. We break down: The chilling concept of abstract murder—the idea of a crime committed in total emotional and physical vacuum—and its terrifying implications. How obsession with control and the…

People in this episode

Host: Dwight Allen

Guest: Joseph Cotten

Topics covered

  • psychological thriller
  • scientific morality
  • obsession
  • experimental psychology
  • moral boundaries
  • guilt

Keywords

  • laboratory murder
  • psychological toll
  • scientific control
  • emotional detachment
  • abstract murder
  • guilt
  • moral control

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Earth Is Made of Glass

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