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The H G Wells BBC Radio Collection

Dramatisations and Readings Including the Time Machine, The War of the Worlds & Other Science Fiction Classics

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The H G Wells BBC Radio Collection

By: H. G. Wells
Narrated by: Amy Hoggart, Bernard Cribbins, Bill Nighy, Blake Ritson, full cast, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Paul Daneman, Robert Bathurst, Robert Glenister, Stephen Murray
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About this listen

BBC radio productions of H. G. Wells' finest fiction - plus hear H .G. Wells in his own words in a selection of original radio broadcasts from the 1930s and 40s

H. G. Wells is one of the founding fathers of science fiction, renowned for his futuristic tales in which he predicted space travel, lasers, the atomic bomb and wireless communication. But in addition to his 'scientific romances', he also wrote numerous ghost stories, domestic comedies and Utopian novels espousing his ideals of socialism and feminism.

This collection features a selection of his best works from across these genres. Here are dramatisations of his sci-fi and fantasy classics, The Time Machine, The Wonderful Visit, The Island of Dr Moreau, The War of the Worlds and The First Men in the Moon, with stellar casts including Robert Glenister, Bernard Cribbins, Garard Green, Blake Ritson and Hywel Bennett, as well as a reading by Stephen Murray of The Invisible Man.

Wells' comic novels of lower middle-class life are represented by Love and Mr Lewisham (read by Paul Daneman), and adaptations of Kipps, Tono-Bungay and The History of Mr Polly, starring Mark Straker, Neil Dudgeon and Christopher Guinee. Also included is a dramatisation of his 'New Woman' novel Ann Veronica, with Amy Hoggart as the eponymous heroine and Bill Nighy as the Narrator.

One of Wells' most famous supernatural short stories, The Inexperienced Ghost, is dramatised with a full cast including Donald Houston and Christopher Guard, and four further short tales - In the Abyss, The Sea Raiders, A Dream of Armageddon and The New Accelerator - are read by Timothy Keightley and Robert Bathurst.

In the fascinating documentary H. G. Wells: The Invisible Author, Brian Morton asks whether the focus on Wells' science fiction has overshadowed his other authorial achievements. And we hear Wells in his own words as he discusses topics as diverse as world politics, the history of the printing press, the possibilities of technology and the shape of things to come...

Lastly, Martyn Wade's original drama The Wells Way brings H. G. Wells and George Gissing together at crisis points in their lives, as each tries to be more like the other. Julian Rhind-Tutt stars as Wells, with Joseph Millson as Gissing.

Contents:
The Time Machine
The Wonderful Visit
The Island of Dr Moreau
The Invisible Man
The War of the Worlds
Love and Mr Lewisham
The First Men in the Moon
Kipps
Tono-Bungay
Ann Veronica
The History of Mr Polly
In the Abyss
The Sea Raiders
A Dream of Armageddon
The New Accelerator
The Inexperienced Ghost
H G Wells: The Invisible Author
Radio speeches by H G Wells
The Wells Way by Martin Wade

With thanks to Keith Wickham

©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Adventure Anthologies & Short Stories Classics Funny Radio Classics
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What listeners say about The H G Wells BBC Radio Collection

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AMAZING EXTENSIVE COLLECTION

this is a real gem. fantastic BBC archive recordings. one of the best audiobooks I have ever bought. The BBC Archive has been mined for these gems. Imagine my excitement about half-way through to hear Arthur C Clarke introducing The First Men in the Moon from a series in the Archive. The collection also includes recordings of HG Wells talking.

Quite Unique, and comprehensive at 29 hours,

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Disappointing

It’s important to note first that these are dramatisations of the HG Wells books.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but thought I’d give them a go. However, I only got as far as the Time Machine and felt like I couldn’t go on. The story has been shortened, the words have changed, and the messages seem to have been made to suit the script writer as opposed to what was originally written. The language has been simplified too. Overall, very disappointing.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Sound problem with First men in the moon!

The time machine is an interesting view of the story, but i’ve already purchase this so disappointed to find it’s the same story. It’s as seen by HG Wells himself and an American female interviewer so if you have this, then this is the same.

There is an issue with the sound on First men in the moon, sounds like in coming from within a pipe for about 20 minutes or so at one point, had to skip as couldn’t listen any longer.

Still listening to the rest (just on war of the worlds) as this a quite a few hours long but mixed starter to the more popular and famous stories from this great author which is a shame, still for anyone not holding any existing books, this is a very good use of a credit however.

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