The vidiot
by Ib Melchior (1917–2015)
The vidiot by Ib Melchior is a science fiction short story written in the mid-20th century. It centers on a television technician who accidentally discovers a way to see through walls, raising questions about surveillance, power, and moral responsibility.
An ambitious TV “vidiot,” Don Hartley, is testing special-effects gear during a space-opera rehearsal when a shorted circuit turns a matte into a window that peers through the studio’s backdrop, walls, and out to the street. Mapping the effect, he realizes he can build a single camera—the “Hartleycam”—that could penetrate any barrier. Tempted by fame and fortune, he also envisions a nightmare world of total, inescapable observation and authoritarian control. After a troubled day, he chooses restraint: he visits his executive to confess only the equipment damage, accepts a second chance at work, and keeps his blueprints to himself, concluding that the world is not yet ready for his invention.
- Science fiction
- Short stories
- Inventions
- Television programs
- Cameras
Read the opening
_To the best of our knowledge the Metropolitan Opera stage has
never before cast its mantle of magic over the science fiction
landscape. But with the coming of Ib Melchior to our pages with his
first fantasy story its legendary spell has been widened. For Mr.
Melchior is the son of a singer so famous that to mention his name
would be redundant. Quite as important, Ib Melchior is a motion
picture producer as well as a writer, with several TV shows behind
him, including the Perry Como Show on CBS. Much of his background
and experience as a producer-director is mirrored forth in this most
exciting yarn._
=There are a good many startling surprises in TV camera work. But if
the universe reels—will an eager lad get a second chance?=
“Don Hartley!” The little blonde secretary’s eyes opened wide with curiosity as she repeated his name. She knows, then, thought Don.
“Just—just a minute,” she said. She picked up the phone and pressed the inter-office button. “Mr. Don Hartley to see you, sir,” she announced. Then after a pause, “Yes, sir.”
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About this edition
This free edition of The vidiot by Ib Melchior comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #78057, released 2026-02-27. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer.
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