Classic Science Fiction: A BBC Radio Drama Collection (2026) - Mary Shelley, Jules Verne, Samuel Butler, H. G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, John Wyndham

Written by Mary Shelley, Jules Verne, Samuel Butler, H. G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, John Wyndham
Read by Full Cast
Format: M4B
Bitrate: 64 Kbps

Full-cast dramatisations of six seminal sci-fi novels that have shaped the genre

Thrilling and thought-provoking, shocking and satirical; science fiction has long captivated us with its surprising scenarios and subversion of the familiar. Included here are six classics from the past 250 years, each offering a unique exploration of the genre’s foundational themes.

From monsters, Martians and fantastical machines to rip-roaring adventures, utopian tales and ‘cosy catastrophes’, these stunning dramas introduce us to other worlds – and make us see our own world differently…

Brought to life by an incredible cast, including Bill Nighy, Brigit Forsyth, Jamie Parker, Shaun Dooley, Stephen Critchlow, Blake Ritson, Bill Paterson and more.

Frankenstein – First published in 1818, Mary Shelley’s famous horror story about a scientist who reanimates a living creature in a horrific experiment is widely considered the first science fiction novel.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth – Scientific curiosity sparks an epic quest in Jules Verne’s 1864 novel, as three intrepid explorers venture into the heart of a dormant Icelandic volcano.

Erewhon – Samuel Butler’s 1872 classic centres on the explorer Higgs, who discovers a remote land where the use of machines is forbidden, having a cold is a crime, and the greatest scholarly achievement is the study of unreason.

The War of the Worlds – Following sightings of strange explosions on the surface of Mars, Martian ships begin to arrive on Earth. But scientific excitement quickly turns to horror…

The Disintegration Machine – Indomitable academic Professor Challenger sets out to investigate dastardly Latvian scientist Theodore Nemor, who has invented a startling device capable of disassembling and reforming objects….

The Midwich Cuckoos – The rural idyll of 1950s Midwich is overturned by a mysterious alien force that causes all the fertile women in the area to simultaneously become pregnant…