The Time Machine

The time machine has been an icon of popular imagination for decades, but H.G. Wells's original novella inspired them all. This version is worth a listen for two good reasons: Scott Brick's impassioned performance and the clarity of Wells's writing. The author's nightmarish vision of a devolved future 80,000 years hence, delivered over cigars and brandy in a proper British drawing room, charms and fascinates. Naturally, his guests, like proper Brits of the age, hemmed and hawed, and doubted. Although hoary and pretentious, The Time Machine addresses our insatiable need to know what lies in store and our terrible fear that it may be worse than we'd even imagined. D.J.B. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine


This inspired adaptation of H.G. Wells's science fiction classic introduces us to Wells, the person, who watches for fires from BBC's headquarters during the Blitz. While on watch, he retells a story that was once told to him of a time traveler who jumps ahead many millennia to discover two split descendants of the human species: the pacifist, pleasure-loving Eloi and the brutal, underground-dwelling Morlocks. All of the splendor you expect from a BBC radio drama is here--lush soundscapes, a fantastic score, and a talented cast. The bones of Wells's classic remain intact, and the story remains sure-footed more than 100 years after its publication. Wells enthusiasts and new listeners alike will be well served by this elegant and adventurous production. F.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine