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War of the Worlds

radio drama by Welles [1938]

Quick Summary

The radio drama The War of the Worlds, broadcast on October 30, 1938, by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre on the Air, adapted H.G. Wells's 1898 novel of the same name. The broadcast was presented in the style of a simulated news report, detailing a Martian invasion of Earth, beginning in New Jersey. Although the program was clearly announced as a dramatization, some listeners who tuned in late mistook it for actual news, leading to widespread panic. This event, though exaggerated by the press, significantly contributed to Welles's national notoriety. The novel itself describes a conflict between humans and Martians and is considered a seminal work in science fiction.1234

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