Jack Parsons featured in tonight’s episode of Helen Keen’s It Is Rocket Science (Series 1, Episode 2) on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
Helen Keen presents her off-beat but true account of the history of space flight, aided by Peter Serafinowicz and Susy Kane. This week how Wernher Von Braun went from SS officer to American space supremo to Disney children’s presenter; America’s home-grown rocket genius Jack Parsons and his unhealthy interest in Satanism; and the surprising story of Fix the French Space Cat.
As befits a comedy, the reference is essentially humorous: ‘John Whiteside Parsons … not a Nazi, he was a really keen, really enthusiastic Satanist … his mentor was Aleister Crowley … Parsons was a genius … game-changed the use of solid fuel … used sex magick to sire a Moonchild … Babalon Working … a lot we can’t include on Radio 4 … frankly made-up nonsense of Satanism.’
The full episode can be listened to here: http://bbc.in/QAnuFH
“As befits a comedy, the reference is essentially humorous” – a summation which stretches my understanding of the words “comedy” and “humorous” just a little! Throughout the whole rather dismal thing, the only piece which remotely caused my lip muscles to twitch in an amused fashion occurred between 5:20 and 5:56 (approximately) on the subject of the “disneyfication” of Wernher vonBraun. The rest was appalling – appallingly unfunny and appallingly inaccurate and imprecise (perhaps not so surprisingly…but at least they didn’t get around to mentioning Jack’s mother’s dog!) Help me, I think my sides may be in danger of splitting… Read more »