Best H.G. Wells Audiobooks

The best H.G. Wells audiobooks — 8 titles ranked by listening experience across Sci-Fi, averaging 3.72 ABR stars.

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H.G. Wells invented modern science fiction — not metaphorically, but literally. The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man: these weren't just stories, they were templates for an entire genre that came after him. Wells writes with urgent, propulsive clarity, grounding wild speculative premises in the physical and social logic of the world he knew. His best work isn't really about time machines or Martian tripods — it's about class, progress, and the hubris of scientific ambition. The Island of Dr. Moreau remains genuinely unsettling, a moral horror story dressed in adventure clothes. Readers who want ideas-driven fiction with real narrative momentum will find Wells as sharp and readable as writers who came a century later. Start with The War of the Worlds if you want pace; start with The Time Machine if you want Wells at his most philosophically unsettling.

H.G. Wells's highest-rated audiobook in our collection is The War of the Worlds, narrated by Simon Vance (4.05 ABR stars). Performed by narrators including Simon Vance, James Adams, Simon Prebble, and more. Rankings here weight the listening experience — narrator performance and Audible ratings factor alongside reader scores.

Where to Start with H.G. Wells

  1. 1
    The War of the Worlds cover

    The War of the Worlds

    The War of the Worlds • Book 1

    by H.G. Wells

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4.05 ABR Score (356.5K ratings)
    ★ 3.83 Goodreads (352.7K) ★ 4.38 Audible (3.8K)
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    Wells chronicles humanity's near-extinction at Martian tentacles with scientific precision, as Steven Crossley captures both wonder and dread at our cosmic insignificance.

  2. 2
    The Invisible Man by Wells, H. G. (Author) Sep-01-10 cover

    The Invisible Man by Wells, H. G. (Author) Sep-01-10

    by H.G. Wells

    Narrated by James Adams

    3.71 ABR Score (222.9K ratings)
    ★ 3.63 Goodreads (219.4K) ★ 4.06 Audible (3.5K)
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    A scientist discovers invisibility but can't reverse it, leading to isolation, madness, and violence in Victorian England. The psychological horror of complete social disconnection unfolds with chilling inevitability.

  3. 3
    The Island of Dr. Moreau cover

    The Island of Dr. Moreau

    by H.G. Wells, Alan Lightman

    Narrated by Simon Prebble

    3.83 ABR Score (138.3K ratings)
    ★ 3.73 Goodreads (136.5K) ★ 4.2 Audible (1.9K)
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    Shipwrecked Prendick discovers a mad scientist creating human-animal hybrids on a remote island. Prebble's measured delivery amplifies Wells' gothic horror while exploring the thin line between civilization and savagery.

  4. 4
    Great Classic Science Fiction cover

    Great Classic Science Fiction

    Great Classic Stories (BBC Audio)

    by H.G. Wells, James H. Schmitz, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Philip K. Dick, Frank Herbert, Fritz Leiber, Andre Norton

    Narrated by Simon Vance, Barbara Rosenblat, Nick Sullivan, Robert Fass, Katherine Kellgren, Scott Brick, Stephen Thorne, Greg Itzin

    3.65 ABR Score (1.1K ratings)
    ★ 3.42 Goodreads (522) ★ 4.23 Audible (566)
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    H.G. Wells, Philip K. Dick, Frank Herbert and others in classic sci-fi anthology spanning decades. Eight different narrators including Simon Vance and Scott Brick handle the varied styles.

  5. 5
    The Time Machine cover

    The Time Machine

    by H.G. Wells

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    3.96 ABR Score (569.3K ratings)
    ★ 3.89 Goodreads (569.0K) ★ 4.3 Audible (313)
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    A scientist's journey to the far future reveals humanity has evolved into two distinct species with a horrifying relationship between predator and prey.

  6. 6
    A Modern Utopia - Illustrated cover

    A Modern Utopia - Illustrated

    by H.G. Wells

    Narrated by Bryan Godwin

    3.47 ABR Score (1.1K ratings)
    ★ 3.35 Goodreads (1.1K) ★ 2 Audible (1)
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    Wells constructs his vision of an ideal society through a complex narrative that jumps between philosophical theory and practical implementation. Bryan Godwin's narration helps navigate the dense theoretical discussions while maintaining engagement with Wells's ambitious ideas.

  7. 7
    H.G. Wells Seven Novels, Complete & Unabridged The Time Machine, Island of Dr. Moreau, Invisible Man, First Men In The Moon, Food of the Gods, In the Days of the Comet and War of the Worlds cover

    H.G. Wells Seven Novels, Complete & Unabridged The Time Machine, Island of Dr. Moreau, Invisible Man, First Men In The Moon, Food of the Gods, In the Days of the Comet and War of the Worlds

    by H.G. Wells

    Narrated by Gregory Dwyer

    3.92 ABR Score (2.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.14 Goodreads (2.9K)
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    Wells' complete science fiction masterworks from time travel to alien invasion, all collected in one comprehensive package spanning his greatest speculative achievements.

  8. 8
    The Sleeper Awakes - H cover

    The Sleeper Awakes - H

    by H.G. Wells

    Narrated by James Gillies

    3.19 ABR Score (5.7K ratings)
    ★ 3.35 Goodreads (5.7K)
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    Wells' dystopian vision follows an Englishman who sleeps for two centuries and awakens to find himself incredibly wealthy in an unrecognizable, nightmarish society that represents everything wrong with unchecked progress.

How We Rank Audiobooks

Rankings are driven by listener ratings and review counts from Audible and Goodreads. Books with high ratings across a large number of listeners rank higher — a 4.5 with 50,000 ratings says more than a 4.8 with 200.

Unlike most book lists, we weight audiobook-specific factors: narrator performance, production quality, and how well a story translates to audio. A great book with a poor narration isn't a great audiobook.

We don't accept paid placements or prioritize new releases. These rankings reflect what listeners actually enjoy, not what's being promoted.

Rankings update periodically as new ratings come in and new titles are added to the collection.

Read our full ranking methodology →