• The War of the Worlds (Dramatized)

  • By: Orson Welles
  • Narrated by: Orson Welles
  • Length: 56 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (852 ratings)

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The War of the Worlds (Dramatized)  By  cover art

The War of the Worlds (Dramatized)

By: Orson Welles
Narrated by: Orson Welles
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Publisher's summary

The original uncut Radio Broadcast.

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.

©2012 ABN (P)2011 ABN

Featured Article: The Best Sci-Fi Book-to-Film/TV Adaptations


Beyond raising fascinating possibilities, the best works of science fiction ask big questions: What does it mean to be human? What will the future look like? What mysteries does the universe hold, and what do they mean for life on Earth? Whether you choose to escape via audiobook, movie, or television, these science fiction stories are truly out of this world—in all their incarnations.

What listeners say about The War of the Worlds (Dramatized)

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The Original

This was written and performed over the radio on Halloween Eve in 1938. This got Orson Welles career kick started. That alone makes it important. This adaptation of The War of the Worlds is brilliant. There is controversy over the panic that this caused or didn't cause. It seems up till than the show was not popular.

All my reviews are aimed at the modern listener. Something may have been great in the past, but not so in the present. This story and this production has stood the test of time. No, you will not be scared, but anyone with an imagination can see how it could have been very scary. This was a great way to update H.G. Wells story, just as the several movies that have been made since then. Probably every generation will get to see their own adaption of this great story.

It's less than a buck, and less than an hour of your time.
Check it out.

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17 people found this helpful

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Great Romp in History

I was born in the earlier times before TV took off, listened to the Lone Ranger and The Shadow on the radio so I greatly appreciate the beauty of Audible books to transport my mind to another place.

Orson Welles classic retelling of the War of the Worlds seems preposterous today but then there were no verifiable communication like we have today. People believed that Martians came to this world and destroyed New Jersey and New York. The radio players couldn't believe their broadcast created hysteria. It sounded real, like they were switching between a dance party, an observatory, an investigative journalist, etc. In today's terms, how could people be so gullible?! But back then, how could they believe anything but?!

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11 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Still Creepy after all these Years!

What made the experience of listening to War of the Worlds (Dramatized) the most enjoyable?

Since this is a radio broadcast it is meant to be listened to. Even though the sound effects are cheesy at best, and the recording is old, it still manages to creep you out. I can understand how there were reports of people panicking when they came into it without hearing the intro.

What did you like best about this story?

Orson Welles had an extremely distinctive voice, it was made for this venue. The story keeps very close to the original story. BTW, don't rely on the movie version of this story for the truth. Buy the HG Wells original story (Its free on Kindle). The story takes place at the turn of the 19th and 20th century in England but it is really good.

Which character – as performed by Orson Welles – was your favorite?

Professor Pierson who narrarates the story is compelling and the varying emotions in his voice, from skeptisim (sp) to outright horror, makes it more realistic.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Neither, it scared the hell out of me. I have a 90 minute commute to work and I listened to it at night during a rather bad storm. Add to the fact that hwy 67 has no streetlights and well, you get the picture.

Any additional comments?

My only complaint is that its a bad copy with a part of part 2 coming in during part 1 with a rather annoying screech to it. You need to get a better copy.

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The classic that shook the world

I know i have a different review on a newer war of the worlds but this is the original. Orson welles is a brilliant man who knows how to put together a masterpeice

I listen to it at least once a week lying in bed just before i go to sleep and it never gets old. Based off a book, Orson Wells made a great science fiction novel become reality for the nation. something that as far as i know has yet to produce as much a nation wide reaction.

i highly recomend that everyone should listen to this peice of american classic entertainment, and remember the good ol day before "video killed the radio star" (buggles)

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Fun for All

I listened to this with friends to celebrate the holiday, and was a little surprised to find myself on the edge of my seat, waiting with baited breath to see what would come next even though I have read the book and seen at least one movie adaptation.

I would love to see more radio shows like this produced today. They're as good as a movie and cheaper to make.
#Apocalypse #AlienInvasion #Suspenseful #ColdWar #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

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It has plenty of HG Wells(ian) goodness...

Wow! That was great... this is one of those stories/radio broadcasts that I've heard about and how it caused a panic (people forgot they were listening to a play), but never took the time to listen to... I found it and grabbed it, as the price was just right... and I thoroughly loved it... It has plenty of HG Wells(ian) goodness and was exactly what I expected! So if you like full cast audio dramas I recommend that you get this one...

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The War of the Worlds

Boy............. to listen instead of watching is the best ever! Your imagination is more powerful than the eyes.
Respectfully,
Sheila
6-19-2018

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Worth 1 hr of your life!

This original production was so pivotal when it originally aired that it remains a part of our modern culture to this day.
How did one radio show convince 1 million people across the nation that the world actually ending? Terrifying the mass population into a widespread panic that broke out across the country. Phonelines went down because of the volume of emergency calls. The streets of NJ were ar a stand still with people trying to flee to city. Orson Welles had to make an impromptu announcement during the original broadcast to remind the listeners that it was only a show!
Take one hour off your life and relive a moment of history that impacted the nation. You probably won't commit suicide fearing the invading forces (as some reporters stated at the time), but you will get a better understanding of how 1 hour, 1 story 1 man...
Changed our world.

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Blown Away

If you like the sample provided, you will like the whole thing. I was thoroughly impressed. The radio broadcast sounded so convincing I could see why it caused panic on the New Jersey roads. Orson Welles genius really shined through. Very creative and original. I wish more people did things like this today. Historical classic.

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Excellent!

Would you listen to War of the Worlds (Dramatized) again? Why?

What's not to like?!

What was one of the most memorable moments of War of the Worlds (Dramatized)?

A memorable moment was when a coworker asked me a question and I was pretending to listen to CE but I was really listening to this.

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