A giant of 20th century science fiction, Ray Bradbury’s imaginative stories lend themselves particularly well to the audio medium.

This is a collection of BBC Radio dramatizations of some of Bradbury’s most notable works.

Fahrenheit 451 – Sometime in the future the fireman’s role has changed from stopping fires to starting them: the material being all books or printed matter of any kind. Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which books burn. But Montag the fireman is beginning to have doubts about his role …

Leviathan 99 – A fantastical adaptation of Moby Dick, Ray Bradbury takes audiences past the moon and the stars in search of the greatest and brightest comet in the universe. Join a deranged captain, an eight-foot-tall telepathic spider, and our reluctant hero. You can call him Ishmael.

The Illustrated Man – A young traveller encounters a vagrant on the road who claims his tattoos come to life after dark and have the powers of prophecy. The vagrant offers his young traveling companion tantalizing glimpses into the future with tales of restless androids, children caught up in a sinister game and astronauts stranded in outer space which all hint at dark and troubling times ahead.

The Martian Chronicles – When the first expedition to Mars mysteriously disappears, Earth sends a second to find out what happened. But the real mission is classified. And only Captain Wilder knows the truth.

Something Wicked This Way Comes – Set in 1960’s Illinois this is the story of two boys, James Nightshade and William Halloway, and the evil that grips their small Midwestern town with the arrival of a “dark carnival” one Autumn midnight.

The Veldt – Two parents buy a nursery which simulates different environments for their children to play in. It comes alive – a startling premonition, from pre-computer days, of multimedia technology. The parents become concerned when the children keep returning to an African veldt scene and start feeding the lions, even though there are supposed to be no lions in the program.

Kaleidoscope – A disaster strikes in space, leaving a crew of astronauts with no option but to make peace with coming death. Tom Watson and Finlay Welsh star in Ray Bradbury’s own adaptation of his short story from The Illustrated Man.

Skeleton – Harris is troubled by his bones. An expert is needed – a real expert. Who better than Doctor Munigant?

I Sing the Body Electric – When a young mother dies, she’s replaced by a ‘Mk V, 110 volt, AC/DC, Electric Grandmother’. What else?

The Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl – Murder is the ultimate crime. Acton realises it’s important to pay attention to detail – vitally so when committing the murder.

The Jar – Charlie is worried that his neighbours never call. Then he buys a strange jar and his house becomes the centre of attention…

Have I Got a Chocolate Bar for You – One afternoon in the confessional, the priest hears a familiar voice and smells a familiar smell…

Night Call Collect – Marooned accidentally on Mars, telephone engineer Barton waits for the rescue rocket and goes on putting up the phone lines. Then one morning – on the day of his 80th birthday – the phone rings…

The Day It Rained Forever – The last remaining residents of a drought-stricken hotel receive salvation from an enigmatic source.

And So Died Riabouchinska – A man lies murdered in a basement – but there’s a surprising non-human witness.

The Wind – A man fears for his frantic friend, who claims he’s being pursued by enraged winds out to exact revenge.

The Scythe – A young farmer gets more than he bargained for when he stumbles across a seemingly deserted farm.

Jack in the Box – School is just up the stairs, and each birthday you get a new room. A young boy lives an isolated life – until a death opens the door to the outside world…

The Man Upstairs – A new guest in a boarding house is disliked by the grandson of the lady who runs the house. But why? The reason soon becomes startingly clear….

The Emissary – Young Marion is unwell, but her pet dog keeps her in touch with the outside world – and beyond.

There Will Come Soft Rains – It’s 2026: With surroundings destroyed and devoid of human life, an automated house carries on.