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The War of the Worlds
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
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Publisher's summary
Things then progress from a series of seemingly mundane reports about odd atmospheric disturbances taking place on Mars to the arrival of Martians just outside of London. At first, the Martians seem laughable, hardly able to move in Earth's comparatively heavy gravity, even enough to raise themselves out of the pit created when their spaceship landed. But soon the Martians reveal their true nature as death machines 100 feet tall rise up from the pit and begin laying waste to the surrounding land. Wells quickly moves the story from the countryside to the evacuation of London itself and the loss of all hope as England's military suffers defeat after defeat.
With horror, the narrator describes how the Martians suck the blood from living humans for sustenance and how it's clear that man is not being conquered so much as corralled.
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This volume features William F Harvey's original undead hand story "The Beast with Five Fingers" that sparked many movies including Sam Raimi's "The Evil Dead". Poe's classic "The Tell Tale Heart" is joined by Lovecraft's creepy tale of alienation "The Outsider", and a chilling Dickens ghost story "The Signalman".
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Excellent stories and wonderful performance
- By Gavin Lees on 10-12-18
By: Charles Dickens, and others
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When the Tripods Came
- Tripods Series Prequel (Book 4)
- By: John Christopher
- Narrated by: William Gaminara
- Length: 3 hrs and 48 mins
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The story of The Tripods was the basis of a popular BBC television series in the 1980s, where humanity has been conquered and enslaved by "the tripods", unseen alien entities that travel about in gigantic three-legged walking machines.
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Okay, but doesn’t live up to the main trilogy
- By Dr F on 02-19-23
By: John Christopher
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Dracula [Audible Edition]
- By: Bram Stoker
- Narrated by: Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, Simon Vance, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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The modern audience hasn't had a chance to truly appreciate the unknowing dread that readers would have felt when reading Bram Stoker's original 1897 manuscript. Most modern productions employ campiness or sound effects to try to bring back that gothic tension, but we've tried something different. By returning to Stoker's original storytelling structure - a series of letters and journal entries voiced by Jonathan Harker, Dr. Van Helsing, and other characters - with an all-star cast of narrators, we've sought to recapture its originally intended horror and power.
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IS THAT NOT SO?
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 11-05-15
By: Bram Stoker
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The Horror in the Museum
- By: H.P. Lovecraft, Hazel Heald
- Narrated by: H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society
- Length: 1 hr and 17 mins
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Steven Jones, an entertainment producer from Chicago, journeys to London in search of new acts. There, he discovers the strange and disturbing wax museum of Rodgers and his inscrutable associate Orabona. Is the mad artist able to conjure up the world's most horrifying waxen effigies through his occult inspirations, or is there a darker secret lurking behind the wax and paint?
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Exemplar of Audio Theater
- By Bastion Drake on 07-21-22
By: H.P. Lovecraft, and others
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Lot No. 249
- By: Arthur Conan Doyle
- Narrated by: B.J. Harrison
- Length: 1 hr and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Unexplained events are happening at Oxford these days. Several students have been attacked at night by some strange form of wild animal. It can scale walls with cat-like agility. Its arms are as thin and as strong as steel bands. And there is one student who conducts midnight studies in his room with certain Egyptian artifacts. The most significant of which is a 6'7" tall mummy.
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YOUR AS WHITE AS A CHEESE
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-12-17
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The Great God Pan
- Esoteric Classics: Occult Fiction
- By: Arthur Machen
- Narrated by: Shea Taylor
- Length: 2 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Machen's novella The Great God Pan is often cited as one of Lovecraft's most notable influences. In it, Dr. Raymond's ultimate goal is to devise a way to open the mind of man so that he may experience all the world has to offer. He calls this "seeing the great god Pan". After much study of the human mind, he devises an experiment that involves minor brain surgery. He performs this experiment on a young woman named Mary, but when she awakens she is terrified and mentally crippled.
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classic horror
- By Shantee on 05-04-16
By: Arthur Machen
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The Best Ghost Stories Ever Told
- Best Stories Ever Told
- By: Stephen Brennan - editor
- Narrated by: J. M. Badger, Imelda Pot
- Length: 24 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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A big, brilliant, spooky collection of classic and contemporary ghost stories that will make you hesitate before turning off that light.
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A very mixed review
- By Michael Mayer on 08-05-15
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An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
- By: Ambrose Bierce
- Narrated by: John Michaels
- Length: 25 mins
- Unabridged
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"Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him." This line was written by Ambrose Bierce in his short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Death by execution has historically been ritualized, perhaps to absolve those accomplishing the execution from guilt or blame.
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Interesting and Clever
- By ben scotti on 01-17-20
By: Ambrose Bierce
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Great American Stories
- By: Mark Twain, Stephen Crane, Ambrose Bierce
- Narrated by: Patrick Fraley, Patrick Hagan
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Here are 10 unabridged stories by the greatest American authors. These treasured stories from the most influential authors of the 19th and early 20th centuries were selected for their literary importance as well as their dramatic oral qualities.
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Great Classic Stories
- By kutzkai on 03-13-21
By: Mark Twain, and others
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On the evening of October 30th, 1938, Earth went to war with Mars. Martians invaded New Jersey! Here is the famous panic-inducing broadcast that shook the world, starring Orson Welles.
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The night after a shooting star is seen streaking through the sky from Mars, a cylinder is discovered on Horsell Common in London. At first, naïve locals approach the cylinder armed just with a white flag - only to be quickly killed by an all-destroying heat ray, as terrifying tentacled invaders emerge. Soon the whole of human civilisation is under threat, as powerful Martians build gigantic killing machines, destroy all in their path with black gas and burning rays, and feast on the warm blood of trapped, still-living human prey.
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Great book but weak narration.
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By: H. G. Wells
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The War of the Worlds
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This is the timeless science fiction classic, depicting man's struggle against technologically superior invaders from Mars.
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Didn't live up to my expectations
- By Robert Martin on 10-05-21
By: H. G. Wells
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Jeff Wayne's The War of The Worlds: The Musical Drama
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When H. G. Wells first published The War of The Worlds in 1898, the novel quickly became a sci-fi classic. The story of extraterrestrials from Mars invading Earth captured the public’s imagination, inspiring a famed 1938 radio broadcast with Orson Welles, several feature films, countless video games, and a best-selling musical concept album by Jeff Wayne in 1978, among others.
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Unexpected and Amazing
- By Charles Duncan on 11-30-18
By: H. G. Wells, and others
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The Invisible Man
- By: H. G. Wells
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
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Once a brilliant scientist, Griffin has been gradually consumed by his research. When he finally achieves his goal, the final result is his departure from humanity. He feels no remorse in using his invisibility to gratify his increasing desires. As he gradually loses his mind, it is hard to determine if it is a result of his chemical concoction, or just a continuation of his moral decline.
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Lifesaver during final exams.
- By KSonam on 02-29-16
By: H. G. Wells
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The War of the Worlds
- By: H.G. Wells
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
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Orson Welles' 1938 radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds has done much to obscure the real brilliance of the original work. Written at a time when "science-fiction" did not exist as a genre, The War of the Worlds was a new departure in literature. Author H.G. Wells, deeply committed to social improvement in turn-of-the-century Britain, used extra-terrestrial invasion to predict the results of a not-entirely-impossible violent upheaval in contemporary society: for "Martians" read "bolsheviks."
By: H.G. Wells
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The War of the Worlds (Dramatized)
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On the evening of October 30th, 1938, Earth went to war with Mars. Martians invaded New Jersey! Here is the famous panic-inducing broadcast that shook the world, starring Orson Welles.
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The Original
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 12-16-15
By: Orson Welles
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The War of the Worlds
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- By: H. G. Wells
- Narrated by: David Harewood
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
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The night after a shooting star is seen streaking through the sky from Mars, a cylinder is discovered on Horsell Common in London. At first, naïve locals approach the cylinder armed just with a white flag - only to be quickly killed by an all-destroying heat ray, as terrifying tentacled invaders emerge. Soon the whole of human civilisation is under threat, as powerful Martians build gigantic killing machines, destroy all in their path with black gas and burning rays, and feast on the warm blood of trapped, still-living human prey.
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Great book but weak narration.
- By Kindle Customer on 02-04-23
By: H. G. Wells
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The War of the Worlds
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- Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins
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This is the timeless science fiction classic, depicting man's struggle against technologically superior invaders from Mars.
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Didn't live up to my expectations
- By Robert Martin on 10-05-21
By: H. G. Wells
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Jeff Wayne's The War of The Worlds: The Musical Drama
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- By: H. G. Wells, Jeff Wayne
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When H. G. Wells first published The War of The Worlds in 1898, the novel quickly became a sci-fi classic. The story of extraterrestrials from Mars invading Earth captured the public’s imagination, inspiring a famed 1938 radio broadcast with Orson Welles, several feature films, countless video games, and a best-selling musical concept album by Jeff Wayne in 1978, among others.
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Unexpected and Amazing
- By Charles Duncan on 11-30-18
By: H. G. Wells, and others
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The Invisible Man
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Once a brilliant scientist, Griffin has been gradually consumed by his research. When he finally achieves his goal, the final result is his departure from humanity. He feels no remorse in using his invisibility to gratify his increasing desires. As he gradually loses his mind, it is hard to determine if it is a result of his chemical concoction, or just a continuation of his moral decline.
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Lifesaver during final exams.
- By KSonam on 02-29-16
By: H. G. Wells
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The War of the Worlds
- By: H.G. Wells
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- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
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Orson Welles' 1938 radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds has done much to obscure the real brilliance of the original work. Written at a time when "science-fiction" did not exist as a genre, The War of the Worlds was a new departure in literature. Author H.G. Wells, deeply committed to social improvement in turn-of-the-century Britain, used extra-terrestrial invasion to predict the results of a not-entirely-impossible violent upheaval in contemporary society: for "Martians" read "bolsheviks."
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H.G. Wells: The Science Fiction Collection
- By: H. G. Wells
- Narrated by: Hugh Bonneville, Jason Isaacs, Sophie Okonedo, and others
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Known as ‘The Father of Science Fiction’, Herbert George Wells’ writing career spanned over 60 years. He was a writer of novels, short stories, nonfiction books and articles. As a young man, Wells won a scholarship to the Normal School of Science in London, sparking his infamous vocation as a science fiction writer. Introduced by film director and H. G. Wells fanboy Eli Roth, this collection features unabridged recordings of the novels performed by Hugh Bonneville, Jason Isaacs, Sophie Okonedo, David Tennant and Alexander Vlahos.
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Largely enjoyable.
- By lk on 06-24-19
By: H. G. Wells
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War of the Worlds (Dramatized)
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Join actors from television's Star Trek - including Leonard Nimoy, Brent Spiner, and Gates McFadden - as they recreate this classic radio thriller. The breathless pace and convincing details make it clear why the 1938 broadcast caused a nationwide panic. You may panic too...
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Another Excellent Dramazation
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 04-14-16
By: adapted by Howard Koch, and others
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The Time Machine
- By: H. G. Wells
- Narrated by: John Banks
- Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins
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When a Victorian scientist propels himself into the year 802,701 AD, he is initially delighted to find that suffering has been replaced by beauty, contentment and peace. Entranced at first by the Eloi, an elfin species descended from man, he soon realises that this beautiful people are simply remnants of a once-great culture - now weak and childishly afraid of the dark. But they have every reason to be afraid: in deep tunnels beneath their paradise lurks another race descended from humanity - the sinister Morlocks.
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John Banks
- By Anonymous User on 04-12-19
By: H. G. Wells
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The Island of Dr. Moreau
- By: H. G. Wells
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Written by H.G. Wells, the great visionary author, this legendary novel is both timeless and thought provoking. Listeners will thrill to this chilling masterpiece as man boldly takes evolution into his own hands for the first time. Dr. Moreau, a scientist expelled from his homeland for his cruel experiments, continues his transplantations on a small South Pacific island, creating hideous creatures with manlike intelligence.
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An Oldie but a Goodie
- By David Thomas on 01-19-15
By: H. G. Wells
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The War of the Worlds
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- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
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The War of the Worlds is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells. It was written between 1895 and 1897. The invasion of an alien race that is in a great scientific and logical advance comparing to people of Earth is described in the novel. The aliens are inhumanly cruel. It seems the destruction of the whole Earth civilisation is inevitable. Dark and horrible pictures of destroyed London and other cities of Great Britain are depicted so realistically that it frightens the imagination. Is the mankind doomed?
By: H.G. Wells
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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
- By: H. G. Wells
- Narrated by: Amy Hoggart, Bernard Cribbins, Bill Nighy, and others
- Length: 29 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
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H. G. Wells wrote dozens of novels and short stories and is often called the 'father of science fiction'. Here we collect together the works of H. G. Wells as broadcast on BBC Radio. With full-cast dramatisations of novels including The Time Machine, The Island of Dr Moreau, The War of the Worlds, Ann Veronica, The First Men in the Moon and The Wonderful Visit; plus readings of The Invisible Man, Love and Mr Lewisham and several short stories including The Inexperienced Ghost and In the Abyss.
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Good listen
- By Colin Husband on 07-17-23
By: H. G. Wells
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Frankenstein
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Dan Stevens
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Narrator Dan Stevens ( Downton Abbey) presents an uncanny performance of Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel, an epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror.
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ARE WE ALWAYS TO BE UNHAPPY?
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-28-16
By: Mary Shelley
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H.G. Wells Fiction Collection
- The Invisible Man, The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds
- By: H. G. Wells
- Narrated by: Roberto Scarlato, Charles King - Introduction
- Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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In what many refer to as one of the first and greatest science fiction thrillers, a mysterious stranger wanders into an inn, wrapped head-to-toe in bandages. What lies beneath the bandages is something even more mysterious. As Wells tackles issues of identity, deception, and the deterioration of the human mind, listeners will be drawn into the story of the mysterious man, whose own mistakes end up whisking him into a whirlwind of deceit, terror, and even murder. In the end, the question will be asked: when your sense of self and identity vanish, who will you become?
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Super organized, captivating narrator
- By Jackie Harwood on 04-28-20
By: H. G. Wells
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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Jules Verne, Lewis Page Mercier - translator
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1866, sightings of a legendary sea monster prompt a daring expedition out of New York City. Professor Pierre Aronnax, his servant Conseil, and whaler Ned Land are among the crew of the United States Navy frigate Abraham Lincoln. Though they are fearless, nothing prepares them for the "creature" itself - the Nautilus - a powerful, destructive submarine years ahead of its time. At the helm of the vessel is the brilliant Captain Nemo, who pulls the men deep into the wonders of the seas and the dark depths of his mind.
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I loved this book!!
- By Amazon Customer on 10-19-20
By: Jules Verne, and others
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The Outline of History
- Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind
- By: H. G. Wells
- Narrated by: Bernard Mayes
- Length: 44 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Having coined the phrase "the war that will end war," H. G. Wells was disillusioned by the World War I peace settlement. Convinced that humanity needed to awaken to the instability of the world order and remember lessons from the past, the author of science-fiction classics set out to write about history. Wells hoped to remind mankind of its common past, provide it with a basis for international patriotism, and guide it to renounce war.
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Loved it
- By Eric on 05-07-15
By: H. G. Wells
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The Time Machine
- By: H. G. Wells
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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The time traveler is on his way to a different world -- 800,000 years in the future. He finds humans called the Eloi living in simple luxury. They have become beautiful but meek, living on their safe, comfortable planet. The generations that have passed without challenge or adversity have dulled their minds. Underground machinery, built millennia ago, feeds and clothes these innocent creatures, and still functions perfectly. But who runs the machinery, and why are the Eloi afraid of the night?
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Eh.
- By Michael L. on 12-24-07
By: H. G. Wells
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Robinson Crusoe
- By: Daniel Defoe
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Widely regarded as the first English novel, Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe is one of the most popular and influential adventure stories of all time. This classic tale of shipwreck and survival on an uninhabited island was an instant success when first published in 1719, and it has inspired countless imitations.
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Great story but with moments that made me cringe
- By Tad Davis on 10-25-12
By: Daniel Defoe
What listeners say about The War of the Worlds
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Catherine Puma
- 07-07-22
Sexist Eugenics Classic SciFi
"The War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells, first serialized in UK and US magazines in 1897, is a classic science fiction alien invasion tale that has influenced so many media that has been released since then. Wells uses the Martian invasion to offer commentary on the faults of humanity, our weakness and cowardice in the face of adversity, the atrocities of technological warfare (gas use nearly 10 years before WWI), eugenics (which was a popular view for his time), and the inability for humanity to solve its own insignificance in the grand scheme of things.
No, it's not a very uplifting novel, but that's not why I am only giving it 3 out of 5 stars. The eugenics discussion is extremely outdated and problematic, especially the bit about refusing any "problematic" or "troublesome" women to survive. Handmaid's Tale, anyone? For an author who was notorious during his lifetime as a "lover of women" aka sex addict, he completely ignores female characters in his novel that is supposed to speak so much to the human experience and how society would change in the face of a global existential crisis. The protagonist has a wife that is more of a symbolic notion to give him someone to find after he's lost in the English countryside rather than an actual person. It's an interesting premise, but it's definitely longer than it needs to be.
To be sure, this novel was extremely revolutionary in concept when it was published, and much of Wells' work is responsible for the development of the sci-fi genre and themes as we know them today. As such, if you're really into the premise of this book, then I recommend you take a read. But there's so much better content out there now that deals with similar topics--like the movie "A Quiet Place"--that I must mention you will not be missing much if you choose not to read this. I did enjoy the English countryside setting, though Daniel Defoe's "A Journal of the Plague Year" is better.
A fine read, but problematic at times, and in the end, not necessary.
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- Cameron Foster
- 10-21-22
Surprised
I came into this not knowing what to expect, only ever seen the movie.
This book is so good, definitely one of my all time favorites now.
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- Elliot
- 02-13-15
WoW
When slowed down to .75 speed, the narrator was extremely difficult to understand. But other than that, the book was great.
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- Jefferson
- 05-25-11
Curate Cabin Fever, or Watch out for that Tripod!
What an imaginative, objective, gripping, bracing, and humbling novel H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds is! The story is well-known: Martians land on earth, in Woking in Southern England, and quickly set about destroying the British infrastructure and military defenses and crisping via heat ray the humans they don't capture to use as handy blood sources, all as detachedly and efficiently as humans would deal with a colony of ants or wasps. The first person narrator relates all this in a compellingly honest and passionate way. His relationship with the curate is more provocative and terrible than that between Tom Cruise and Tim Robbins in the 2005 movie version by Spielberg. For that matter, the novel, depicting the narrator's attempts to survive and to find his wife, is sparer and cleaner than the film, clotted by Spielberg's corny additions of a little daughter and teenage son into his divorced protagonist's life. Wells' imaginings of the Martian tripod war machines with their terrible heat-ray and poison gas weapons and of their spider-like handling-machines (with their uncanny animation and dexterity) and of the red creeping Martian weeds and of how panicked masses of people would behave are all vivid and morbidly fascinating. Via his Martians, Wells forces us to look again at our actions towards the "inferior" species and aboriginal peoples on our own world and also at our "right" to survive in an uncaring universe.
Simon Vance does his usual fine job of reading, everything being just right except perhaps that his female voices may verge on the artificially feminine. But all in all this is a great audiobook.
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- Katherine
- 02-26-14
So much for the modern SF reader to enjoy
Originally posted with links at Fantasy Literature.
“It was the beginning of the rout of civilization, of the massacre of mankind.”
H.G. Wells’ earliest novels had a major impact on science fiction. The War of the Worlds, first serialized in Pearson’s Magazine in 1897 and published in novel form in 1898, is one of our earliest examples of the First Contact theme. In Wells’ story several spaceships from Mars land in England, creating vast craters. At first the English are either amused or indifferent until Martians pop out and start terrorizing them with heat rays, “fighting machines,” “black smoke” and a Martian plant that begins spreading across England. The English are not prepared to fight this kind of war and, because it’s the late nineteenth century, are unable to communicate their situation quickly enough to the outside world. By the time the Martians make their way to London, it looks like the entire human race is doomed.
The story is related in the first person by an unnamed narrator, a writer who lives in Surrey and observes the landing of one of the Martian ships, the building of their fighting machines, and the mass slaughter of his countrymen. He has a wife who he sends to a relative’s house, though it isn’t long before he realizes that she’s probably not safe there either. We also hear from our narrator’s brother and another character who let us know what’s going on in other parts of England where the Martians have landed. At one point our narrator and another man are trapped together in a partly destroyed house at the edge of one of the craters. For two weeks they must try to get along with each other, sharing very little food and water. During this time they are able to observe the Martians’ activity, which is horrifying, but they must stay hidden and silent so the Martians don’t notice them. This is not a favorable situation for maintaining one’s sanity.
The plot of The War of the Worlds is exciting but the best part of the novel is its imagery and language. The tall fighting machines which walk on long jointed legs and have tentacles that grab people are horrifying, as is the image of the craters and the intrusive red weed that grows wild and threatens to overrun our planet. Even the domestic scene at the beginning of the story is eerie and foreboding:
… I remember that dinner table with extraordinary vividness even now. My dear wife’s sweet anxious face peering at me from under the pink lamp shade, the white cloth with its silver and glass table furniture — for in those days even philosophical writers had many little luxuries — the crimson-purple wine in my glass, are photographically distinct. At the end of it I sat, tempering nuts with a cigarette, regretting Ogilvy’s rashness, and denouncing the shortsighted timidity of the Martians.
So some respectable dodo in the Mauritius might have lorded it in his nest, and discussed the arrival of that shipful of pitiless sailors in want of animal food. “We will peck them to death tomorrow, my dear.” I did not know it, but that was the last civilized dinner I was to eat for very many strange and terrible days.
Or this one in which he vividly contrasts the glory and the humility of man:
Since the night of my return from Leatherhead I had not prayed. I had uttered prayers, fetish prayers, had prayed as heathens mutter charms when I was in extremity; but now I prayed indeed, pleading steadfastly and sanely, face to face with the darkness of God. Strange night! Strangest in this, that so soon as dawn had come, I, who had talked with God, crept out of the house like a rat leaving its hiding place — a creature scarcely larger, an inferior animal, a thing that for any passing whim of our masters might be hunted and killed. Perhaps they also prayed confidently to God. Surely, if we have learned nothing else, this war has taught us pity — pity for those witless souls that suffer our dominion.
H.G. Wells’ interest in Darwin’s ideas about natural selection are obvious and he seemed particularly interested in the evolution of intelligence (this was also a major theme in his novel The Time Machine).
Wells also doesn’t miss opportunities to mock the personalities and social customs of some of his fellow Englishmen. There is some of this when he’s trapped with the man in the house, but my favorite example is when he meets a man who has grandiose plans for kicking the Martians off Earth and recruits our narrator to join up. This part is just funny.
There’s so much for the modern science fiction reader to enjoy in The War of the Worlds. It’s a classic which has never been out of print and its story has inspired not only sequels and pastiches but also movies, dramatizations, music, and comics. If you’re only familiar with it from one of those secondary sources, I highly recommend reading Wells’ original. It’s in the public domain so it’s easily found for free, but I recommend the audio version narrated by Simon Vance who is one of the top narrators in the business. You can get this superb version for only 99¢ if you use the Wispersync deal from Amazon and Audible. (Purchase the Kindle version for free and then purchase the audio version (by Simon Vance!) for 99¢.)
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16 people found this helpful
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- Dave
- 09-06-12
Still Awesomely Horrific
H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds is apparently one of those literary classics of Science Fiction that only seems to have gotten better with age. It's still bizarre and terrifying to listen to, and this is due in no small part to Simon Vance's incredible narration.
I'd read the book years back, and have seen both cinematic adaptations. I wasn't sure how it would hold-up, but I was completely hooked from the opening minutes. I'm impressed by how full of weird this book is - the Martians and their tripods are some of the most original aliens we are ever likely to read. And some of the scenes and characters - the curate in particular - seem more relevant and upsetting than they did to me when I initially read it.
Vance is an excellent reader in general, and his performance here brings a lot of emotion to this apocalyptic vision. His voice and tone are sobering, a man witnessing the destruction of his civilization, trying to come to grips with it and figure out what (if anything) he is to do next. Vance is really the ideal reader for this one, and he turns in great work here.
All in all, this is an excellent storytelling experience. Highly recommended if you want a dose of classic Science Fiction.
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14 people found this helpful
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- JOSEPH
- 11-03-19
It was good to hear the original story.
Although I have seen the movies, old and new, I had never read the original book as it was written. Now, with a 'new' version coming out, soon to the BBC, ultimately available in the US also, from the scenes it looks to be a version based on this original book version taking place in the late 1800s and not updated for the 21st century. So I listened to this story and it was really good! I hope the new video version will live up to the original story but with the fantastic visual effects that can bring it to life in a way an original reader could only have dreamed of in their own imagination.
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- TRWells
- 02-13-18
this story was ahead of it's time
Great story that was well ahead of it's time. It is as relevant today as it was 50 or 100 years ago. Got to give credit to one of the pioneers of science fiction!
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- Ingrid
- 02-12-18
Timeless Classic
Excellent story. Excellent narration. Though this was written decades ago, the story still feels relevant today. H.G Wells maybe was indeed a time traveller!
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- Keith Newstrom
- 02-20-18
Best narration
Great story with amazing narration. My girlfriend and I listen to this while we were on a road trip and it was absolutely incredible.
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