The War of the Worlds: The Guide to (Almost) Every Adaptation. Part Two.

Part two of our guide of the very worst to the very best adaptations of The War of the Worlds. Read on to find out whether your favourite made it into Part Two.

13. War of the Worlds: The New Wave (Jet Games Studio: 2019)

Board Game

Average Rating: 7.6/10

War of the Worlds: The New Wave (Jet Games Studio: 2019)

The first board game based on The War of the Worlds appeared way back in 1980 but it's pretty difficult to find and anyway there's a new kid on the block in Jet Games Studio's "The New Wave".

The game is another sequel of sorts to the novel and is set during a second Martian invasion years later. It's designed specifically for two players with one taking on the role of the invading force and the other the defending humans.

Each player is dealt a set of cards with certain abilities that will aid them throughout the game and they must strategically position their pieces on the board whilst using these abilities to win the game.

Like all board games of this nature, it can be a little difficult to get the hang of but once you get going it can be a real blast.

12. War of the Worlds - The True Story (Pendragon Pictures: 2012)

Theatrical Movie

Average Rating: 8.1/10

War of the Worlds - The True Story (Pendragon Pictures: 2012)

"War of the Worlds - The True Story" has a similar premise to the History Channel documentary "The Great Martian War" featured earlier in this list: what if it really happened?

The film uses a combination of old documentary footage and newly filmed flashback sequences that utilise various special effects (including puppetry, CGI and stop motion) to tell the story of the last living survivor of the Martian war, in his own words.

This adaptation comes from Pendragon Films the same team behind the awful "The Classic War of the Worlds" but surprisingly on this occasion, they've crafted a much more cohesive film and a much better viewing experience.

Some of the effects are still a bit shonky, the acting a touch awkward and the editing a little amateur but for a low budget production it's a great effort and there's a lot to love.

11. Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds: The Musical Drama (Audible: 2018)

Audio Drama

Average Rating = 8.6/10

Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds: The Musical Drama (Audible: 2018)

Audiobooks have seen a surge in popularity in recent years and Audible have arguably spearheaded this movement with their range of "Audible Originals". It was perhaps inevitable that they would eventually turn their attention to "The War of the Worlds".

This adaptation is a hybrid between a radio drama and Jeff Wayne's rock opera. It features extended dialogue interspersed with snippets of Wayne's album and some new soundtrack elements.

Its execution will generally please casual fans of the original story and the musical version but some jarring edits and hammy acting (especially Michael Sheen doing his best Richard Burton impression) stop it from being an essential dramatisation.

10. Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds (Rage Software: 1998)

PC Game

Average Rating: 8.4/10

Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds (Rage Software: 1998)

Pixelogic's PS1 game of the same name actually used some of the sound effects and graphical assets from Rage Software's earlier effort on PC but the two games differ significantly.

Rage Software's PC game is a deep and engaging real-time strategy game where you can choose play as the invading Martian army or the human defence force.

The soundtrack uses Jeff Wayne's iconic music and the sound effects maintain a distinctly classic sci-fi feel. Richard Burton's iconic voiceover is also used to chilling effect in the story campaign.

Despite its age, it still remains an excellent game and classic example of the genre.

9. The Martian Invasion of Earth (Big Finish: 2018)

Audio Drama

Average Rating = 8.6/10

The Martian Invasion of Earth (Big Finish: 2018)

Big Finish is well known for producing high-quality audiobooks and audio dramas, particularly in the Science Fiction genre and "The Martian Invasion of Earth" continues that trend, winning an "Audie Award" for "Best Audio Drama" in 2019.

Nicholas Briggs' (voice of The Dalek's and Cybermen in the BBC's modern Dr Who series) adaptation sticks pretty closely to the source material but gives the main character's wife a much bigger role than the novel ever did.

The sound design and score are wonderful and really pull you into the drama, creating a cinematic and visceral experience. One of the best audio dramas out there.

8. The Coming of the Martians (Sherwood Sound Studios: 2018)

Audio Drama

Average Rating = 8.7/10

The Coming of the Martians (Sherwood Sound Studios: 2018)

Oddly enough, a number of audio drama adaptations of The War of the Worlds came out within a short space of time, all staying fairly faithful to the book.

"The Coming of the Martians" beats out "The Martian Invasion of Earth" ever so slightly with its average rating but ultimately both are excellent.

Sherwood Sound Studios' offering has an excellent script, wonderfully acted and again features incredible sound design and a soaring score. Not a bad way to spend an hour and a half.

7. War of the Worlds Pt.1 (Michael Romeo: 2018)

Symphonic Metal

Average Rating = 8.9/10

War of the Worlds Pt. 1 (Michael Romeo: 2018)

It turns out there's not just one musical version of "The War of the Worlds". In 2018, Michael Romeo, a founding member of the 90's symphonic metal band "Symphony X", took it upon himself to release his own epic rock opera.

A perfect adaptation for fans of blistering guitar solos, crunching metal riffs and massive sweeping melodic vocals. If those disco moments on Jeff Wayne's album don't do it for you, perhaps you need a little more metal in your Martian war machine.

If you ever wondered what it would be like if Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Metallica got together to adapt "The War of the Worlds", this is about as close as you're ever going to get to finding out.

6. Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience (DotDot: 2019)

Immersive Experience

Average Rating = 9/10

"The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience" is an award-winning audio-visual feast for the senses.

It takes Jeff Wayne's soundtrack, HG Wells' epic invasion story and merges them with multiple themed sets, interactive rides, virtual reality, augmented reality, pyrotechnics, live actors and much more.

It's a truly unique experience using cutting edge technology that will wow even those with no prior knowledge of the story.

If you're a fan and you're in London, it's not to be missed.

5. The War of the Worlds: Classic Radio Sci-Fi (BBC Audio: 2007)

Radio Drama

Average Rating = 9/10

The War of the Worlds: Classic Radio Sci-Fi (BBC Audio: 2007)

A full-cast dramatisation from the BBC telling HG Wells' story in six parts over 2 and a half hours.

Originally released in 1967 and adapted for the airwaves by Jon Manchip White (a prolific writer in his own right) this version follows scientist John Nicholson's experience of the horrors and destruction of the Martian invasion.

It's a solid adaptation with an excellent cast and maintains the high standards of the BBC sci-fi dramatisations of that era. It was re-released in 2007 under the "Classic Radio Sci-Fi" moniker.

4. The War of the Worlds (Yuval Sharon / Annie Gosfield: 2017)

Opera

Average Rating = 9.1/10

The War of the Worlds (Yuval Sharon / Annie Gosfield: 2017)

An operatic stage adaptation scored by award-winning composer by Annie Gosfield (performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra), directed by award-winning theatre director Yuval Sharon and narrated by award-winning actress Sigourney Weaver.

The show takes the concept from Orson Welles' radio show and pulls it firmly into the modern-day, weaving the narrative of a Martian invasion that just so happens to break out during an operatic performance.

Sigourney Weaver's character (played pretty much as herself) provides regular updates on the invasion, connecting audience members with the apparent chaos in the outside world.

A clever concept that feels disjointed at times but for the most part just works.

3. Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds (Columbia: 1978)

Rock Opera

Average Rating = 9.6/10

Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds (Columbia: 1978)

Even if you've never listened to Jeff Wayne's rock opera in full before you'll definitely know its epic main theme and that iconic introduction performed by Richard Burton.

The "Musical Version of The War of the Worlds" perfectly combines snippets of radio play drama with bombastic, moving progressive rock and classic sci-fi sound effects. It sometimes goes astray, dabbling with disco elements but hey it was made in the '70s, what do you expect?

It's telling that so many entries on this list are associated with Jeff Wayne's name, this album is an absolute classic that has become almost as iconic as the novel on which it's based. Unforgettable, magical and out of this world.

2. HG Wells' The War of the Worlds (Dark Horse Comics: 2006)

Graphic Novel

Average Rating = 9.6/10

HG Wells’ The War of the Worlds (Dark Horse Comics: 2006

Dark Horse Comics are world-renowned for turning popular franchises into epic graphic novels. See "The Thrawn Trilogy", "Aliens Vs Predator" and more recently "Stranger Things".

Back in 2006, Ian Edgington and Matt Brooker (D'Israeli) gave "The War of the Worlds" the "Dark Horse" treatment, resulting in a stunning visual re-telling of HG Wells' story that simply leaps off the page.

Edgington later edited a compendium of short stories set after the events of the book called "Scarlet Traces: A War of the Worlds Anthology" that's also worth seeking out.

Simply the best comic book adaptation of HG Wells' novel available.

1. The War of the Worlds (Columbia: 1938)

Radio Drama

Average Rating = 9.8/10

This is the mother load. The radio drama that shocked a nation, caused mass panic and led to droves of people screaming hysterically in the streets. At least that's how history would like you to remember it.

In reality, Orson Welles' adaptation may have caused some mild panic in those who missed the disclaimers in the intro and outro, but ultimately the stories of chaos are mostly hyperbolic.

It's essentially a play that unfolds as a series of news flashes, relating the events of a Martian invasion in realtime through a newscaster's announcements and live feeds from various reporters on the ground.

Despite its age, this radio drama remains a fascinating, compelling and utterly convincing experiment in storytelling. If you only listen to one audio adaptation, make sure it's this one.