Buckle up for a thrilling blast from the Golden Age of sci-fi radio! The Category Inventor (Episode 100 of NBC’s legendary X Minus One, aired June 27, 1957) is a sharp, satirical rocket ride through a fully automated future where robots and machines have claimed nearly every job — and humanity is left scrambling to survive in the ultimate bureaucratic nightmare.

The Setup: A World Where Jobs Are Extinct

Imagine a sleek, hyper-efficient tomorrow: advanced robots and computers handle everything from factory floors to concert halls with mechanical precision. Human workers? They’re obsolete unless they can squeeze into a rigid, government-approved job category. No category? No work. No income. No purpose.

Our hero, a talented bassoon player (voiced with perfect mid-century everyman flair b ...