Short Stories - Volume One

By: H. G. Wells

Narrated by: James Gillies, Nigel Patterson, Greg Wagland, Malk Williams, Tim Bruce, Liam Gerrard, Helen Lloyd

Herbert George Wells was one of the most prolific and visionary British writers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. H. G. Wells, as he is universally known, is now best remembered for his science fiction novels, although he wrote across many genres, including nonfiction. His fiction embraces history, science fiction, horror, satire, fantasy, and social commentary. Wells was also a futurist, foreseeing air travel, tanks (as in “The Land Ironclads”—part of this anthology) space travel, nuclear weapons, and even satellite television. Amongst his writings are dozens of short stories; some are very well known, others less so.

When planning this collection, Raconteurs sought stories that we enjoyed ourselves and which embody the range of H. G. Wells’s imagination and talent. This collection of thirteen short stories includes gothic horror, fantasy, ghost stories, science fiction, satire, and stories of domestic and social commentary. It is a collection that we hope will intrigue and entertain you—and leave you wanting to hear more.

H. G. Wells’s Short Stories - Volume One is produced by Raconteurs in partnership with Spoken Realms and includes:

“The Magic Shop” – read by James Gillies
“The Remarkable Case of Davidson’s Eyes” – read by Nigel Patterson
“The Door in the Wall” – read by Greg Wagland
“The Man Who Could Work Miracles” – read by Malk Williams
“The Story of the Late Mr Elvesham” – read by Tim Bruce
“The Diamond Maker” – read by Liam Gerrard
“Miss Winchelsea’s Heart” – read by Helen Lloyd
“A Moonlight Fable” – read by James Gillies
“The Red Room” – read by Nigel Patterson
“The Star” – read by Greg Wagland
“The Land Ironclads” – read by Malk Williams
“The Jilting of Jane” – read by Tim Bruce
“The Cone” – read by Liam Gerrard

(P)2020 Raconteurs Audio LLP

Critic reviews

“This audiobook is a pleasure to listen to. An ensemble of English narrators escorts the listener into the marvelous imaginings of Wells. Among the many auditory delights, James Gillies’s nuanced performance of ‘The Magic Shop,’ Greg Wagland’s almost incantatory treatment of ‘The Door in the Wall,’ and Nigel Patterson’s heart-stopping yet subtle rendition of the science fiction gem ‘The Star’ excel. This audiobook collects a fine blend of Wells as fantasist (‘The Man Who Could Work Miracles’), satirist (‘Mrs. Winchelsea’s Heart’), and futurist (‘The Land Ironclads’). The narrators capture his fine ear for language and eye for detail throughout this collection of short fiction written from the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries.”

(AudioFile)

“Raconteurs Audio LLP in conjunction with publisher Spoken Realms has produced three volumes of H.G. Wells’ short stories—hours upon hours—and I’m happy to report all with excellent result. The pacing is excellent throughout, as is the choice of stories. While many of these titles have been widely available for a long time by various other voices, this is a particularly welcome constellation. The individual performances throughout are nuanced and suitably dramatic but with no overacting. The talent pool includes BAFTA nominees, award-winning narrators, established voice-over artists and actors, as well as ITV and BBC personalities and documentarians…Definitely worth your time.”

(Charles Keller of the H. G. Wells Society)