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Reading lists

Must-read sci-fi classics

Gulliver’s Travels, Kidnapped, The Sign of Four, The War of the Worlds & The Thirty-Nine Steps

BBC Classics: Adventure Collection

Unabridged readings of five gripping adventure stories 
 
This thrilling anthology contains five action-packed tales of incredible journeys, a murderous treasure hunt, invaders from outer space and international espionage - all read in full by some of the very best voice actors. With over 33 hours of exciting listening, tracked by chapter, let yourself get carried away with these classic adventures. 
 
Gulliver's Travels 
Jonathan Swift's dark satire following Lemuel Gulliver's fantastical travels through strange and exotic lands. Read by Tony Turner. 
 
Kidnapped 
Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story of David Balfour's youthful adventures on the high seas and across the Scottish Highlands. Read by Kenny Blyth. 
 
The Sign of the Four 
Arthur Conan Doyle's intriguing locked-room mystery follows Holmes and Watson as they uncover a murky tale of theft, betrayal and greed. Read by Kenny Blyth. 
 
The War of the Worlds 
HG Wells' iconic sci-fi story about the battle to save Earth from a Martian invasion. Read by Michael Bertenshaw. 
 
The Thirty-Nine Steps 
John Buchan's stirring tale of derring-do, secrets and spies set in the shadows of war. Read by Kenny Blyth. 
 
Credits: 
 
Gulliver's Travels 
Read by Tony Turner 
Produced by Ross Burman 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 1 November 2019 
 
Kidnapped 
Read by Kenny Blyth 
Produced by Ciaran Bermingham 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 24 August 2019 
 
The Sign of the Four 
Read by Kenny Blyth 
Produced by Ciaran Bermingham 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 22 August 2019 
 
The War of the Worlds 
Read by Michael Bertenshaw 
Produced by Martha Littlehailes 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 23 August 2019 
 
The Thirty-Nine Steps 
Read by Kenny Blyth 
Produced by Karen Holden 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 1 November 2019 
 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Arthur Conan Doyle (Author) 
 Arthur Conan Doyle was born on 22 May 1859 in Edinburgh into a prosperous Irish family. He trained as a doctor, gaining his degree from Edinburgh University in 1881. He worked as a surgeon on a whaling boat and also as a medical officer on a steamer travelling between Liverpool and West Africa. He then settled in Portsmouth on the English south coast and divided his time between medicine and writing. 
 
Sherlock Holmes made his first appearance in A Study of Scarlet, published in 'Beeton's Christmas Annual' in 1887. Its success encouraged Conan Doyle to write more stories involving Holmes but, in 1893, Conan Doyle killed off Holmes, hoping to concentrate on more serious writing. A public outcry later made him resurrect Holmes. In addition, Conan Doyle wrote a number of other novels, including The Lost World and various non-fictional works. These included a pamphlet justifying Britain's involvement in the Boer War, for which he was knighted and histories of the Boer War and World War One, in which his son, brother and two of his nephews were killed. Conan Doyle also twice ran unsuccessfully for parliament. In later life he became very interested in spiritualism. 
 
Conan Doyle died of a heart attack on 7 July 1930. 
 
H.G. Wells (Author) 
 H.G. Wells was born in Bromley, Kent, in 1866. After an education repeatedly interrupted by his family's financial problems, he eventually found work as a teacher at a succession of schools, where he began to write his first stories. 
Wells became a prolific writer with a diverse output, of which the famous works are his science fiction novels. These are some of the earliest and most influential examples of the genre, and include classics such as The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds. Most of his books very well-received, and had a huge influence on many younger writers, including George Orwell and Isaac Asimov. Wells also wrote many popular non-fiction books, and used his writing to support the wide range of political and social causes in which he had an interest, although these became increasingly eccentric towards the end of his life. 
Twice-married, Wells had many affairs, including a ten-year liaison with Rebecca West that produced a son. He died in London in 1946.

Unabridged readings of five gripping adventure stories 
 
This thrilling anthology contains five action-packed tales of incredible journeys, a murderous treasure hunt, invaders from outer space and international espionage - all read in full by some of the very best voice actors. With over 33 hours of exciting listening, tracked by chapter, let yourself get carried away with these classic adventures. 
 
Gulliver's Travels 
Jonathan Swift's dark satire following Lemuel Gulliver's fantastical travels through strange and exotic lands. Read by Tony Turner. 
 
Kidnapped 
Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story of David Balfour's youthful adventures on the high seas and across the Scottish Highlands. Read by Kenny Blyth. 
 
The Sign of the Four 
Arthur Conan Doyle's intriguing locked-room mystery follows Holmes and Watson as they uncover a murky tale of theft, betrayal and greed. Read by Kenny Blyth. 
 
The War of the Worlds 
HG Wells' iconic sci-fi story about the battle to save Earth from a Martian invasion. Read by Michael Bertenshaw. 
 
The Thirty-Nine Steps 
John Buchan's stirring tale of derring-do, secrets and spies set in the shadows of war. Read by Kenny Blyth. 
 
Credits: 
 
Gulliver's Travels 
Read by Tony Turner 
Produced by Ross Burman 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 1 November 2019 
 
Kidnapped 
Read by Kenny Blyth 
Produced by Ciaran Bermingham 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 24 August 2019 
 
The Sign of the Four 
Read by Kenny Blyth 
Produced by Ciaran Bermingham 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 22 August 2019 
 
The War of the Worlds 
Read by Michael Bertenshaw 
Produced by Martha Littlehailes 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 23 August 2019 
 
The Thirty-Nine Steps 
Read by Kenny Blyth 
Produced by Karen Holden 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 1 November 2019 
 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Dramatisations and readings including The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds & other science fiction classics

The H G Wells BBC Radio Collection

A BBC collection of readings and dramatisations of the works of H G Wells

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

Six chilling tales from BBC Radio 4

Ghost Stories by H G Wells

Six unsettling stories by the master of supernatural suspense

H.G. Wells was born in Bromley, Kent, in 1866. After an education repeatedly interrupted by his family’s financial problems, he eventually found work as a teacher at a succession of schools, where he began to write his first stories. 
Wells became a prolific writer with a diverse output, of which the famous works are his science fiction novels. These are some of the earliest and most influential examples of the genre, and include classics such as The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds. Most of his books very well-received, and had a huge influence on many younger writers, including George Orwell and Isaac Asimov. Wells also wrote many popular non-fiction books, and used his writing to support the wide range of political and social causes in which he had an interest, although these became increasingly eccentric towards the end of his life. 
Twice-married, Wells had many affairs, including a ten-year liaison with Rebecca West that produced a son. He died in London in 1946.

David McAlister reads six supernatural stories from the author of The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds 
 
Best known for his science fiction, H.G. Wells was also a master of the ghost story, producing numerous tales of the gothic, the eldritch and the uncanny. These six stories, ranging from the humorous to the horrifying, epitomise the very best of Wells’ occult fiction. 
 
The Moth 
Two entomologists are embroiled in a scientific feud. When one dies, the other believes he has discovered a rare new species... 
 
The Story of the Late Mr Elvesham 
A medical student gets more than he bargained for when he accepts an old man’s bequest. 
 
The Temptation of Harringay 
Struggling with his latest portrait, an artist is shocked to find it taking on a distinctly diabolical air. 
 
The Inexperienced Ghost 
A man encounters a timid spirit haunting his club, and helps him out – with dreadful consequences. 
 
The Stolen Body 
A psychical researcher attempts an out-of-body experience, with terrifying results. 
 
The Door in the Wall 
Lionel Wallace is haunted by the memory of a green door in a white wall, leading to an enchanted garden. Can he ever find it again?

The Time Machine

A brilliantly imaginative flight of fancy from the father of science fiction, or a prophetic vision of the future of the planet?

A seminal work of dystopian fiction, Wells's tale of the voyages of the Time Traveller in the distant future (AD 802,701) is also a cracking adventure story.

In its decency and commitment to the future, its dramatisation of its hero's moral and imaginative reach, The Time Machine is as good a testament as any to the values and achievement of one of our bravest and most stimulating writers, one whose best work comically or horrifically continues to feel as if it bodies forth the shape of things to come.

A master writer who led a lot of people out of superstition and hopelessness

Brilliantly imaginative fiction or the shape of things to come? H.G. Wells's masterpiece still retains its power to provoke and enthral. 
 
In the Time Traveller's miraculous new machine, we will be carried from a Victorian dinner table to 802,701 AD, when the Earth is divided between the gentle, ineffective Eloi, and the ape-like Morlocks; forward again by a million years or so to glimpse a dying world of blood-red beaches and menacing shapes; and on again to the last days of our planet, a remote twilight where nothing moves but darkness and a cold wind.

The Invisible Man

A cautionary horror story about the dangers of greed, isolation and a science without ethics, from the father of science fiction

Wells was the founding father of science fiction, and in his utopian fantasy novels he was proved eerily correct

The original; and far better than any of the film versions

An old tale of scientific hubris that walks the line between comedy and horror

A cautionary horror story about the dangers of greed, isolation and a science without ethics, from the father of science fiction. 
 
 The stranger arrives early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow. He is wrapped up from head to foot, and the brim of his hat hides every inch of his face. Rude and rough, the stranger works with strange apparatus locked in his room all day and walks along lonely lanes at night, his bandaged face inspiring fear in children and dogs. Is he the mutilated victim of an accident? A criminal on the run? An eccentric genius? But no-one in the village comes close to guessing who has come amongst them, or what those bandages hide. 
 
 ‘Wells was the founding father of science fiction, and in his utopian fantasy novels he was proved eerily correct’ Daily Telegraph

The Island of Doctor Moreau

A man is discovered adrift in the wreckage of a boat, babbling of horrors scarcely imaginable...this is his story.

A lurid Darwinian nightmare...pushes unnervingly at the boundaries of what it is to be human and still reads as freshly as when it was first published.

The Island of Doctor Moreau is one of those books that, once read, is rarely forgotten

A dark and sinister fable about science versus nature. Beware the House of Pain!

A grisly Darwinian heart-of-darkness fantasy

The Island of Dr. Moreau takes us into an abyss of human nature. This book is a superb piece of storytelling

A man is discovered adrift in the wreckage of a boat, babbling of horrors scarcely imaginable...this is his story. 
 
 They say that terror is a disease... 
 
A shipwrecked man finds himself, after various twists of Fate, on a lonely tropical island. From a locked enclosure the cries of animals in pain can be heard, and there is a stink of chemicals in the air. Bestial faces stare out of the forests and grotesque, misshaped creatures move in the gloom. In this island paradise, the horrific experiments of the infamous Doctor Moreau will reach their inevitable conclusion.

The War of the Worlds

A stunning Vintage Classics edition of the original story of alien invasion from the father of science fiction, H.G. Wells

Variously interpreted as a commentary on evolutionary theory, British imperialism and Victorian fears and prejudices, War of the Worlds tells the nail-biting tale of one man's struggle to track down his wife during an alien invasion. Included are some of the most vivid scenes of London in literature

Sharply satirises the human refusal to look beyond men's petty concerns...wonderfully suggestive

The cosily familiar settings emphasise the horror of the invasion...spookily prescient of the World Wars. Science fiction often dates badly; not so here: hard to believe this was written in 1898

An astonishing mind and a visionary imagination

The classic tale of alien invasion, and still the best

H.G. Wells was born in Bromley, Kent, in 1866. After an education repeatedly interrupted by his family’s financial problems, he eventually found work as a teacher at a succession of schools, where he began to write his first stories. 
Wells became a prolific writer with a diverse output, of which the famous works are his science fiction novels. These are some of the earliest and most influential examples of the genre, and include classics such as The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds. Most of his books very well-received, and had a huge influence on many younger writers, including George Orwell and Isaac Asimov. Wells also wrote many popular non-fiction books, and used his writing to support the wide range of political and social causes in which he had an interest, although these became increasingly eccentric towards the end of his life. 
Twice-married, Wells had many affairs, including a ten-year liaison with Rebecca West that produced a son. He died in London in 1946.

Read this stunning Vintage Classics edition of the original story of alien invasion from the father of science fiction, H.G. Wells. 
 
No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinised and studied. Yet across the gulf of space, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us. 
 
Then, late one night, in the middle of the English countryside, they landed...

Classic Radio Sci-Fi

A BBC Radio 3 full-cast dramatisation of H. G. Wells' pioneering science fiction adventure.

Wells' thrilling story of an inventor who travels in time and discovers a nightmarish dystopian future has been adapted several times for TV and film. This first ever UK radio adaptation, starring Robert Glenister as the Time Traveller and William Gaunt as H. G. Wells, brings Wells' fascinating ideas and extraordinary visions to vivid life.   It opens in 1943, when Wells is recording a talk for the Home Service in which he questions mankind's future. After the broadcast, he spends the evening with American journalist Martha, and tells her the astonishing news that his bestselling book The Time Machine was not fantasy but fact.   Wells explains that he was actually present at the dinner party in Richmond fifty years earlier, when the Time Traveller returned from his first fateful journey into the future. He reveals to Martha the full story of the Time Traveller's encounter with the Eloi and the Morlocks - and what really happened to him afterwards...

The War Of The Worlds

Paul Daneman stars in a full-cast radio dramatisation of H.G. Well's seminal sci-fi classic.

'They came in cylinders as dreaded falling stars; they were the ultimate killing machines...'   When a Martian spacecraft crash-lands near Woking, mankind is terrorised by aliens in tall, armoured capsules that stalk the countryside on three legs. The frightening machines wreak havoc on London and the Southern Counties with their heat-rays, and survivors are driven underground.   Yet it all began in the calm of an observatory... While scanning the heavens, scientist John Nicholson sees a shower of meteorites heading towards Earth. But what he is witnessing is, in fact, the beginnings of an invasion. Soon, dense black smoke wipes out vast numbers of the population and Nicholson tells how he was plunged into a paralysing nightmare of stark terror and utter destruction.   Martin Jarvis, Peter Sallis and Anthony Jackson also feature in this thrilling six-part, full-cast dramatisation of H.G. Well's classic novel - an immensely atmospheric recording based on one of the most influential stories ever told.

A beautiful deluxe gift edition of Wells's time travelling classic with foiled covers, marbled endpapers, sprayed edges, beautiful paper and finished with a silk ribbon. 
 
In the Time Traveller’s miraculous new machine, we will be carried from a Victorian dinner table to 802,701 AD, when the Earth is divided between the gentle, ineffective Eloi, and the ape-like Morlocks; forward again by a million years or so to glimpse a dying world of blood-red beaches and menacing shapes; and on again to the last days of our planet, a remote twilight where nothing moves but darkness and a cold wind. Is this brilliantly imagined fiction or a prophetic vision of the future of the planet? 
 
This hardback is part of VINTAGE COLLECTOR’S CLASSICS, a series of luxurious books especially crafted for collectors and fans of beautiful special editions. Sumptuous design meets the highest quality production. Discover timeless classics beautifully bound for every bookshelf.

H.G. Wells

A beautiful deluxe gift edition of the sci-fi classic, the original alien invasion story, with foiled covers, marbled endpapers, sprayed edges, beautiful paper and finished with a silk ribbon. 
 
This is the ultimate story of alien invasion. When a gigantic, mysterious cylinder lands in Woking, England, people gather in crowds curious to see what is happening. But then the aliens emerge, to begin their total conquest of planet Earth. Evolutionarily superior and armed with powerful technology, they begin their programme of human extermination, making their remorseless way towards the capital. Society is disintegrating and humanity faces obliteration, but one man, the narrator of this story, sets out across the desolate wasteland to find his wife. 
 
This hardback is part of VINTAGE COLLECTOR’S CLASSICS, a series of luxurious books especially crafted for collectors and fans of beautiful special editions. Sumptuous design meets the highest quality production. Discover timeless classics beautifully bound for every bookshelf.

H.G. Wells

Books by H.G. Wells

Series by H.G. Wells

Classic Radio Sci-Fi

Articles featuring H.G. Wells

Must-read sci-fi classics

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