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Dark Adventure Radio Theatre
The Colour Out of Space
The impact of a meteorite on a remote Massachusetts farm unleashes a strange and disturbing series of events. Before men of science from Miskatonic University can determine what it is, the space rock apparently evaporates. But terrible changes overtake the farm and its inhabitants, propelling them on a horrific course of desolation, madness, and death. The sole surviving witness to the events unwinds a chilling and disturbing tale of cosmic horror.
The Colour Out of Space was Lovecraft's personal favorite of his own stories, and one of which he was justly proud. It is one of the best embodiments of the principles of the weird tale that Lovecraft lays out in his essay "Supernatural Horror in Literature,"for the Colour itself is unknowable and remains almost entirely unexplained. The Colour is a chillingly effective symbol for our perilously limited understanding of the vast cosmos beyond our solar system. The Dark Adventure Radio Theatre adaptation retains this feeling of cosmic menace, and adds a poignant human touch with its dramatization of what happens to the Gardner family and their neighbors, beautifully played by our talented professional cast, and underscored with haunting music by Troy Sterling Nies. It's a great weird tale made even better!
The Colour Out of Space was Lovecraft's personal favorite of his own stories, and one of which he was justly proud. It is one of the best embodiments of the principles of the weird tale that Lovecraft lays out in his essay "Supernatural Horror in Literature,"for the Colour itself is unknowable and remains almost entirely unexplained. The Colour is a chillingly effective symbol for our perilously limited understanding of the vast cosmos beyond our solar system. The Dark Adventure Radio Theatre adaptation retains this feeling of cosmic menace, and adds a poignant human touch with its dramatization of what happens to the Gardner family and their neighbors, beautifully played by our talented professional cast, and underscored with haunting music by Troy Sterling Nies. It's a great weird tale made even better!
Audio CD
Published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 2, 2025
This was a wonderful scary episode of Dark Adventure Radio Theater. Very Atmospheric and frightening. A meteor lands on a remote farm. It turns out to be far more insidious than imagined. Very spooky twists at the end. Superb episode.
January 28, 2020
Wonderful performance! This wasn’t my favor Lovecraft story but the performers really sell it.
January 16, 2025
A meteorite from cosmic space falls to earth on a backwoods Massachusetts farm. The space rock possesses peculiar qualities, and mystifies even the brightest university scientists. But it soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary meteor, as its otherworldly influence unleashes a creeping wave of despair, death and decay into the land and its inhabitants.
I am slowly getting back into the habit of listening to an audiobook whilst I work and what better to listen to than these wonderful adaptations by the HPLHS (The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society).
Having enjoyed a few of these last week, I realised I was bouncing all over the place in terms of the original order they were released by HPLHS. I am now trying to listen to them in the correct order, using free trials across Audible UK, USA and Australia to get as many as possible.
Although not directly linked to the Cthulhu mythos, the setting of the story is close to Arkham, where many of the tales are set. It also involves interstella visitors, strange dimensions, and an invisible menace which is blighting the land.
Coincidentally, I had just reached the part of Providence where Alan Moore covers this story, which in many ways added to the listen. Once again the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society have produced a 5 star adaptation.
No. Papa, Thaddeus says that mg’naf kitab’aq don’t need to sha-amoq wf’ahll, but mama ain’t having none of that; she cthal-eddos be’hetah!
I am slowly getting back into the habit of listening to an audiobook whilst I work and what better to listen to than these wonderful adaptations by the HPLHS (The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society).
Having enjoyed a few of these last week, I realised I was bouncing all over the place in terms of the original order they were released by HPLHS. I am now trying to listen to them in the correct order, using free trials across Audible UK, USA and Australia to get as many as possible.
Although not directly linked to the Cthulhu mythos, the setting of the story is close to Arkham, where many of the tales are set. It also involves interstella visitors, strange dimensions, and an invisible menace which is blighting the land.
Coincidentally, I had just reached the part of Providence where Alan Moore covers this story, which in many ways added to the listen. Once again the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society have produced a 5 star adaptation.
No. Papa, Thaddeus says that mg’naf kitab’aq don’t need to sha-amoq wf’ahll, but mama ain’t having none of that; she cthal-eddos be’hetah!
February 17, 2024
I really don't like sci-fi or anything heavy on the alien crap, so to me this book was pretty boring. Also the characters were a little boring- it was so dull that I only remember bits and pieces. The whole thing with the monster being vapid and formless is actually really cool, but also the way Lovecraft writes this he takes away the cool factor. The science is also heavy in this book (as is with his other stories), and so for me it felt like I was almost sitting through a science lesson instead of an interesting cosmic horror tale. I cannot fathom why they would make a movie after THIS BOOK, because there is really nothing movie worthy (perhaps that is also why the movie is so bad). I gave it 2 stars because it did have an interesting plot and it was cool to see the inhumane side of humans through farming (we will kill the animals if there is a disease, but what about killing other people? Specifically our own family?), but it still was not as captivating as I believe it could have been.
December 30, 2024
As Lovecraft's own favorite story, it encompasses all he conveys in each of his writings. Not only this, but it also has a gripping prose that hasn't aged much compared to works like Call of Cthulhu.
November 8, 2023
Peak Lovecraft (og nå må jeg se den rare Nic Cage-filmen på nytt)
July 20, 2025
The Colour Out of Space
was H.P. Lovecraft’s favorite of his own stories, and Dark Adventure Radio Theatre does a fantastic job of adapting it. Through expert use of music, voice acting, and sound effects, they create a legitimately scary experience.
Buy the audio play directly from the creators here: https://store.hplhs.org/collections/d...
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[Image: Book Cover]
Citation:
Title: The Colour Out of Space
Author(s): H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, Sean Branney & Andrew Leman (radio adaptation), based on the 1927 short story of the same name by H.P. Lovecraft
Series: Dark Adventure Radio Theatre® #7
Year: 2013
Genre: Fiction - Audio Play: Horror, Science Fiction
Length: 1 hour & 17 minutes
Date(s) read: 7/19/25
Book 150 in 2025
***************************************************************************
Buy the audio play directly from the creators here: https://store.hplhs.org/collections/d...
**************************************************************************
[Image: Book Cover]
Citation:
Title: The Colour Out of Space
Author(s): H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, Sean Branney & Andrew Leman (radio adaptation), based on the 1927 short story of the same name by H.P. Lovecraft
Series: Dark Adventure Radio Theatre® #7
Year: 2013
Genre: Fiction - Audio Play: Horror, Science Fiction
Length: 1 hour & 17 minutes
Date(s) read: 7/19/25
Book 150 in 2025
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June 30, 2020
The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society's Dark Adventure Radio Theatre has taken one of HPL's stories, The Colour Out of Space, and recast it as a old-time radio drama, as did Orson Welles with HG Wells' The War of the Worlds but with a rather different meteor. With orchestration, sound effects, and advertisements for interesting products, the result is nothing short of fantastic. The dialogue and the framing devices were superb. Highly recommended, especially the CD which comes with a slew of props to support the radio drama's listening experience.
March 4, 2021
As a fan of Warhammer Fantasy and 40k I always wondered where the idea of Warpstone or the Warp came from.
Now I know.
Damn, there really is nothing new under the sun.
Anyway, this was a great and entertaining read. Amazing all the stuff Lovecraft came up and the way it influenced today's horror and fantasy fiction and games in such myriad ways (*cough* Warpstone *cough*). Shame he did not get any real recognition for it while he was still alive.
Now I know.
Damn, there really is nothing new under the sun.
Anyway, this was a great and entertaining read. Amazing all the stuff Lovecraft came up and the way it influenced today's horror and fantasy fiction and games in such myriad ways (*cough* Warpstone *cough*). Shame he did not get any real recognition for it while he was still alive.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews