The Time Machine

Step into THE TIME MACHINE and be transported to the future with Sir Derek Jacobi guiding the way. This revered British actor (listeners may recognize his voice from the BBC's "Cadfael" or "I, Claudius") is a most delightful narrator. Throughout the story his cheerful tone invites the listener into the smoking room of the time traveler as he recounts his journey. Jacobi's attention to the nuances of the text makes his narration especially engaging. He is consistent in measure and clear in elocution. Wells wrote the novel as an account of the time traveler's adventures, and Jacobi's subtle style lends itself effectively to the storytelling aspect of Wells's prose. D.M.W. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine


The framework of H.G. Wells's classic story will be familiar to moviegoers, despite the embellishments in the two screen versions. An idealistic time-traveler discovers a future in which the peaceful Eloi are farmed like cattle to feed the underground-dwelling Morlocks. He returns to tell his tale--one more tragic than the film versions--to a disbelieving dinner party. Ralph Cosham captures the time-traveler's initial enthusiasm at discovering a seeming utopia, even while foreshadowing the horrors he will encounter later. He brings as much reflection as suspense to the hero's frantic battles with the Morlocks and his search for his stolen time machine. This production is a great chance to catch up on a classic tale. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, 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