I had two worries about this interview:
1. That Faction Paradox fans would be upset with me for giving Kaldor more time than Faction (a fair argument).
2. That I’d be accused of promoting, rather than covering, Magic Bullet because the questions are largely favorable. (If they are, it’s because I have objectively and independently come to the conclusion that Magic Bullet’s work is excellent, both FP and KC, and I’m keen to spread knowledge of high quality work.)
It honestly never occurred to me that someone might think I was giving Kaldor City short shrift, although the fact that you do reassures me about points 1. and 2. above.

Mostly you seem disappointed that I decided to cover Faction Paradox instead of Kaldor City. That’s fair as a personal preference, but irrational as a criticism. You might as well be upset that I started with Magic Bullet rather than Big Finish or ZBS or the Firesign Theater. My decision to do Faction Paradox is in no way a slight against the legions of other productions I didn’t choose. Likewise, your argument about which series would work better as a gateway drug for blu-ray viewers works on the assumption that converting this imagined “blu-ray” audience was the point, rather than discussing a worthwhile audio drama series in depth. Finally, your insinuation that the article fails because it only gives Kaldor City superficial treatment is unfair. Kaldor City is a complex series that can be read on many levels, but doing full justice to it was never the point of the interview. The point was to provide an overview of Alan Stevens’s creative life and Magic Bullet’s development, as well as offer a representative sampling of audio files for newcomers.

You are aware, incidentally, that there have been two Faction Paradox series, one published by BBV (which I called ‘rough diamonds’) and one published by Magic Bullet, scored by Alistair Lock? As far as excellent scripts, superb actors (one returning to a tv role, more with distinguished tv careers behind them taking on new roles) and Lock’s professional sound go, there is no qualitative difference between Magic Bullet’s Kaldor City and Faction Paradox releases – hence my question. BBV is another company and another story.

As for your last concern, I have no idea whether part 2 of the interview will satisfy you, but you will be happy to know that there are definite plans to cover Kaldor City in depth already in the works.

Personally, i think the KC series is ‘better’ than the FP series and much more open to a wider audience. Excellent scripts performed by superb actors (many returning to original tv roles), and produced in Mr Lock’s ’5.1′ professional sound.

While BBV’s FP range of “low tech dos the job” may work for fans of radio drama and in the budgetary constraints, it will not necessarily encourage potential new fans to come on board who are used to their entertainment being on blu-ray shown on a 52″ screen.

MB’s KC series does provide the radio equivalent of a blu-ray experience. It also helps that the contents of the disc is the best dark comedic political drama since tv’s original ‘House of Cards’ series. The series further progresses beyond – political machinations, through terrorism to surrealism… Which sums up the attributes given to FP in the original May 8 article. The FP plays may be ‘rough diamonds’, but here’s hoping that RDR will do an article on KC or at least redress this position in part 2…