{"product_id":"book-1t4u","title":"Empty World \u0026 more: A BBC Radio Sci-Fi Collection","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eF\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eour speculative stories of disasters, dystopias and destroyed civilisations\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJohn Christopher is probably best known for his seminal science ficion novel \u003ci\u003eThe Death of Grass\u003c\/i\u003e and his 'Tripods' trilogy for young adults, which was adapted for BBC TV and became a cult classic. Alongside John Wyndham, he was one of the foremost exponents of 'disaster fiction', and these four fantastic productions all centre around post-apocalyptic themes - from deadly diseases and parasitic aliens to environmental catastrophe and ruined earths…\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEmpty World\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - When teenager Neil is orphaned in a car crash, he is left reeling. But worse is to come, for shortly after, humanity is devastated by a worlwide pandemic. Initially, the 'Calcutta Plague' kills only the elderly, but as a more virulent strain emerges, it starts to claim younger victims - including children. Soon, Neil finds himself navigating a deserted, dangerous world, where the few remaining survivors will do anything to stay alive. \u003cb\u003eJohn Hollis\u003c\/b\u003e is the narrator, with \u003cb\u003eRichard Drabble\u003c\/b\u003e as Neil, in this gripping tale set in 1970s England.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Possessors\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Following an avalanche, the inhabitants of a Swiss chalet find themselves cut off from the nearby village. They have no electricity and no phone - but they have oil lamps, a solid fuel cooker and plenty of provisions, so the situation doesn't seem too dire. Yet deep beneath the snow, an alien spore is stirring. \u003cb\u003eHywel Bennett\u003c\/b\u003e reads this chilling story of extraterrestrial possession.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe World in Winter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - A dramatic fall in the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth's atmosphere leads to a new Ice Age. Joining a flood of European refugees, journalist Jack Leedon seeks sanctuary in Nigeria: but is soon desperate to return to the frozen wasteland of his former home… Starring \u003cb\u003eJack Watling, Dennis Alaba Peters, Glyn Houston, Rosalind Shanks\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eMargaret Robertson\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe New Wine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Autumn 2029, and lovers Ellen and Harl are meeting for the last time. Harl is about to embark on an interstellar voyage that to him will last eight years, but which will span a century back on Earth. Ellen, meanwhile, is poised to launch 'Project X', which will transform the next generation of humans into telepaths. One hundred years later, Harl's crew step out of the ship to find a world irrevocably changed… \u003cb\u003eChristopher Bidmead\u003c\/b\u003e reads John Christopher's unsettling short story exploring the perils of scientific hubris.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCast and credits\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEmpty World\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCast: John Hollis, Richard Drabble, Philip Davis, Tanya Ronder, Elizabeth Lindsay, Sandra Clark, Lee Galpin, Denys Hawthorne, Vicky Ireland, John Talbot and Henry Stamper\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAdapted by Kara May\u003cbr\u003eProduced by Peter Fozzard\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 23 Jan-6 Feb 1986\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Possessors\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRead by Hywel Bennett\u003cbr\u003eAdapted by Brian Gear\u003cbr\u003eProduced by Pamela Howe\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 Apr-20 Jun 1987\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe World in Winter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCast: Haydn Jones, Jack Watling, Dennis Alaba Peters, Glyn Houston, Margaret Robertson, Rosalind Shanks, Ian Thompson, Christopher Bidmead, Lionel Ngkane, Lockwood West, Peter Williams, Jumoke Debayo, Alexander John and Frank Cousins\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAdapted by Jon Rollason from the novel by John Christopher\u003cbr\u003eProduced by Keith Williams\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 Mar 1968\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe New Wine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRead by Christopher Bidmead\u003cbr\u003eAbridged by Ronald Russell\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Home Service, 19 May 1967\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e(P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. © 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin UK","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":67395370058032,"sku":"BD1t4u","price":11.67,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-1t4u","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}