Dagon: War of the Worlds

Dark Adventure Radio Theatre #12

by Andrew Leman (Adapter), Sean Branney (Adapter), H.P. Lovecraft (Original Text)

We've adapted and expanded on Lovecraft's "Dagon" and the result is a globe-trotting adventure where humanity's very existence hangs in the balance. A hapless mariner finds himself run aground on an island apparently heaved up from beneath the sea. Will his glimpse into the world of a race of sea creatures push him over the brink to madness, or will it unleash forces from the deeps, bringing havoc and horror to all mankind? Lovecraft's provided a terrific starting place, but Dark Adventure Radio Theatre takes it for quite a spin in this bold adaptation.

Genres: Horror, Audiobook, Fiction, Lovecraftian, Cthulhu Mythos

2 pages, Audiobook

Published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit of Cthulhu/Dagon combined with the War of the Worlds. Cleverly delivered.

MY GRADE: B plus to A minus.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wells (with Welles) and HPL Mash-up is MARVELOUS!
HPLHS have used HP Lovecraft's short story "Dagon" and mashed it up with Orson Welles's infamous take on HG Wells's "War of the Worlds" to come up with a sequel to their DART adaptation of "The Shadow Over Innsmouth". The result is FANTASTIC! Bravo on this step away from straight adaptations (not that there is anything wrong with them) and a step towards original DART programs. Highly recommended, especially the CD version which comes with supporting props.

[Ursula Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely fantastic edition of the H.P. Lovecraft Society’s dramatization of the classic story Dagon. The original story was very short and ambiguous. The Society has crafted a frightening tale, mirroring the spirit of the old time radio dramas. Superb cast and production make a highly entertaining work come alive. I definitely need to get more of these!

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange adventure where humanity's very existence is threatened. A classic.

[Cesse · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit different than the other Dark Adventure Radio Theatre's I've listened to so far. Unfortunately that's not a good thing in this case. It gets a bit convoluted after a while.

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you take all the versions of "War of the Worlds" and put them in a large dice cup; it would be difficult to cover as much material and yet be entertaining as much as Dark Adventure Radio Theatre's version.Loved it!!!

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ocean’s imponderable depths contain mysteries far beyond the grasp of mortal men. From the adventurous mariners of ancient times, to simple fishermen of our own New England of yesteryear, mankind has found the seven seas to be both the source of life, and a watery grave. When man seeks to delve too deeply into that abyss, what appalling secrets will rise to the surface? And what will mankind do when faced with the unnamed horrors of the deep?

I am slowly working my way through these wonderful adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft's stories, which are always a joy.

This episode tackles this very short Dagon and the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society freely admit they had to greatly expand the story to make it work. With ties to The Shadow Over Innsmouth, they explore what happens next as Deep Ones rise up.

Taking the form of a 'breaking news' story, a plucky reporter gives increasingly frantic updates whilst also interviewing experts and military personnel. This format took a little away for me, meaning that I am only giving this 4 1/2 stars.

This thrilling episode was brought to you by our sponsor, Bub-L-Pep! Keep them smiling with Bub-L-Pep. It’s the nerve quencher!

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, the horror!

Why do I keep listening to these terrible Lovecraft faux radio shows?

[Marco Baier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit hectic at times, but fun once you get into it.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is my favorite so far. Apparently it´s quite different from the original story.

[CrowMagnumMan · Rating 4 out of 5]

6/7

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This radio play is an absolute blast!

I had the privilege of seeing the people behind the Dark Adventure Radio Theatre series and H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (HPLHS) perform Dagon: War of World back in August 2013 at NecronomiCon Providence, a Lovecraft-inspired festival held in his Rhode Island hometown every two years. While inspired by the stories Dagon (1917) and The Shadow Over Innsmouth (1931), writers Sean Branney and Andrew Leman take things in a very different fashion than the original tales. This is an epic horror story taking place over much of the world and is done in a style similar to Mercury Theatre on the Air’s infamous War of the Worlds broadcast that drew hysteria across the United States on October 30, 1938. It features characters original to HPLHS and has plenty of humor.

From the HPLHS’s website:

“Previous episodes of Dark Adventure Radio Theatre have all been adaptations of a single classic Lovecraft story. As the series expanded, we knew we wanted to adapt some of HPL’s shorter works, and yet still provide full feature-length episodes of audio drama. “Dagon” was on the list of favorite and often-requested stories, but being only five pages long, and having only one character and no real plot, we realized we’d need to rework it substantially to make it fit the Dark Adventure line. Written in 1917, “Dagon” was one of HPL’s stories which was directly inspired by a dream. It was also one of his first returns to writing fiction after a nine-year hiatus. This brief story foreshadowed the theme of great undersea horrors that would reappear in his greater works “The Call of Cthulhu and “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”.

“Lovecraft incorporated elements from “Dagon” into “The Shadow Over Innsmouth.” We had already done a Dark Adventure episode of that story, but the tale ends with many questions unanswered. Old Zadok Allen hints that the Deep Ones have a master plan for world domination, and that they are in league with Shoggoths. He also says that the old Kanaky islanders knew of certain symbols that could drive Deep Ones away. The town has been raided and no one really knows what has become of the Marsh family and the other members of the Esoteric Order of Dagon. And in the closing lines, the protagonist Robert Olmstead declares his intention to bust his cousin out of the insane asylum and join the Deep Ones in Y’ha-nthlei. We saw an opportunity to pick up where Innsmouth left off, incorporate “Dagon”—and maybe even more than that—and create an exciting new adventure unlike anything our audience has ever heard.”

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[Image: Book Cover]

Citation:

Title: Dagon: War of the Worlds
Author(s): The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, Sean Branney & Andrew Leman (writers), based on Dagon (1917) and The Shadow Over Innsmouth (1931) by H.P. Lovecraft
Series: Dark Adventure Radio Theatre®
Year: 2015
Genre: Fiction - Audio Play: Horror
Length: 1 hour & 15 minutes
Date(s) read: 6/22/25
Book 129 in 2025
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[J. Griff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is a great tribute to H.G. Well's "War of the Worlds" with a beautiful altering of the story to be from the ocean instead of another planet. HPLHS's production is wonderfully done in that '50s style radio drama.

I would highly recommend this book/audiobook.

[Gil Pan Zastor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly creative adaptation