Alien Voices

was was a science fiction/adventure anthology that grew out of a collaboration between Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy (Spock) and John de Lancie (Q), and writer-producer Nat Segaloff. The project began in 1996 after the three had produced a re-creation of "The War of the Worlds" for L.A. Theatre Works. From 1997 to 2000, they commercially released 8 classic works of science fiction and adventure. Episodes were in 60-minute or 120-minute format.

These are sometimes referred to as audiobooks but clearly they are not; they are fully-dramatized works backed by music especially written for each episode. The scripts have been adapted from the original, with portions added or deleted as necessary to make the production more suitable for an aural medium.

Included were modern versions of several stories by Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In the future they hope to offer "The Canterville Ghost", "Cask of Amontillado", and "Mark of the Beast", but the prospects look dim...

According to de Lancie, "The problem with Alien Voices was we had four really terrific years. And then it began to be about selling: Simon & Schuster wanted whatever, 40,000 units sold a year. And what we wanted to do was create really well-produced shows and have a library so that people in the future will simply know to come to an Alien Voices production that will always be good. And they didn't see it that way, and I thought, "Oh my God, what am I doing? I'm going around peddling audio books! This is not what I want to do." I loved writing them and directing them and doing them live, but I just didn't want to get involved any more." --- from Slice of Sci-Fi, 2009

Alien Voices® is a registered trademark of Alien Voices, Inc.
This series is still under copyright protection. To purchase episodes visit the official Alien Voices website.

Sources used to create my own log and double-check titles, dates and cast members: Alien Voices official website, Mary Jensen's fan website and Slice of Sci-Fi.

Currently this archive contains 8 of 8 plotlines and 8 reviews

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First Men in the Moon, The

Jeremiah Bedford, an indebted businessman, moves to the English countryside, where it is peaceful and quiet, in order to write a play and acquire some quick cash. His solitude is disturbed daily, however, by an absent-minded inventor, James Cavor, who ambles past his cottage buzzing happily to himself. One day Bedford strikes up a conversation with Cavor and learns the inventor is working on a way to neutralize gravity. Aroused by the economic possibilities of such, Bedford tags along. Within a month they have created a sphere large enough for two and are on their way to the moon where they discover an ancient civilization and encounter dangers beyond their wildest imagination...

Leonard Nimoy

(James Cavor);

John de Lancie

(Jeremiah Bedford);

Keegan de Lancie

(Simon the cautious paperboy);

Owen de Lancie

(threatening Selenites);

Ethan Phillips

(Silas the wireless operator, O'Neil the fishing boat 1st mate, Edgar one of Cavor's workmen, and Phi-oo the Selenite);

Mike Richards

(additional Selenite sounds, production assistance);

Dwight Schultz

(Introduction, Tsi-puff the Selenite, Julius Wendigee the wireless owner, Cavor's other workman Henry, the rebel Selenite Be-hay);

Kurtwood Smith

(George Triplehorn the contractor, the rebel Selenite duShay, the fishing boat skipper, the Selenite Elder King Po-Lop);

William Shatner

(Grand Lunar, the Moon-King).

Invisible Man, The

A very talented graduate student, Herbert Griffin, on the verge of discovering invisibility, is offered a chance to work with the brilliant Professor Kemp. At the last minute Griffin discovers that the stories about Kemp are true—he steals student's researches and claims them as his own. Griffin goes public, but the faculty believe Kemp and Griffin is expelled. In a fit of rage he trashes the lab... the authorities are called... Griffin is trapped... and out of desperation he injects himself with an experimental chemical and becomes invisible. The story picks up years later as Griffin feverishly pursues his research and attempts to find a way to become visible again before he loses his mind. The intervening years are told as flashbacks.

Leonard Nimoy

(opening narrator, Professor Kemp);

John de Lancie

(Herbert Griffin the invisible man);

Susan Bay

(woman, drinker #1, mother);

Richard Doyle

(bartender, Taylor, Teddy Henfrey the clock jobber, drinker #2, narrator);

Robert Ellenstein

(mayor, dean, Constable Jaffers, father);

Jerry Hardin

(man #1, Thomas Marvel the vagabond, security guard);

Marnie Mosiman

(Tart);

Kate Mulgrew

(Mrs. Hall);

Ethan Phillips

(Peter, Harding, Bunting the vicar, clerk);

Dwight Schultz

(Bates, Cuss the general practitioner, man #2, Frannery, clerk);

Nana Visitor

(Rebecca).

Journey to the Center of the Earth

The learned Professor Liedenbrock purchases a priceless treasure—a used book which turns out to have been written by Heims Kringla of Snorre Turlleson, the most famous Icelandic author of the twelfth century! It's a runic manuscript which chronicles the Norwegian princes who ruled in Iceland. The professor is fascinated, however, when a dirty slip of parchment falls from the back of the manuscript. It is a cryptogram written by the great alchemist Arne Saknussemm sometime in the 16th century... a cryptogram, which when decoded and translated reads:

"Descend into the crater of Sneffels jokul, into which the shadow of the mountain Scartaris falls before the kalends of July, bold traveller, and you shall reach the centre of the earth. I have done this. Arne Saknussemm."

The professor bullies his nephew, Axel, to accompany him to Iceland where they hire a guide. The rest of the tale is an account of their journey... into the centre of the Earth!

Leonard Nimoy

(Professor Otto Liedenbrock);

John de Lancie

(Axel the professor's nephew);

Susan Bay

(Martha the professor's housekeeper);

Roxann Dawson

(Grauben the fiancée);

Owen de Lancie

(background voices);

Richard Doyle

(Hans Bjelke the Icelandic guide);

Robert Ellenstein

(Mr Fridrikssen the Icelandic Professor);

Marnie Mosiman

(background voices);

Andrew Robinson

(background voices);

Armin Shimerman

(background voices).

Lost World, The

The famous zoologist, Professor George Edward Challenger, claims to have found an isolated, nearly inaccessible plateau in the depths of the Amazon basin which hosts a unique ecosystem complete with plants (and dinosaurs) presumed to be extinct! None of his peers at the Zoological Society believe him. He proposes an impartial expedition to the Amazon to verify his discovery. The Zoological Society concurs and The Daily Gazette agrees to fund the expedition in exchange for exclusive coverage.

Performed before a live performance, but the audience was not audible except for brief applause at the beginning and ending of each act.

5 versions were produced for the BBC.

Leonard Nimoy

(Angus McArdle the newspaper editor);

John de Lancie

(Lord John Roxton);

Roxann Dawson

(Professor Summerlee);

Richard Doyle

(Dr Emile Illingworth, Constable, Ape King, others);

Marnie Mosiman

(Gladys Hungerton the reporter's girlfriend);

Ethan Phillips

(Copy Boy, Dr Meldrum, Chief, others);

Dwight Schultz

(Edward Dunn Malone the reporter);

Armin Shimerman

(Professor George Edward Challenger the famous zoologist).

Spock vs Q

Spock, giving a speech at a Science Fiction Convention, is interrupted by the arrival of Q who warns Spock against violating the Federation's precious Prime Directive... even to save the Earth from almost certain destruction. Spock denies he is about to do any such thing. A humorous discussion follows: Q, excitable and emotional; Spock, cool and deliberate.

Leonard Nimoy

(Spock);

John de Lancie

(Q).

Spock vs Q - The Sequel

After a wonderful dinner, Spock and Q return to the Science Fiction Convention and continue their discussion... but something distinctly odd happens. Spock becomes excitable and emotional while Q becomes cool and deliberate. Something is clearly wrong with the Universe!

Leonard Nimoy

(Spock);

John de Lancie

(Q).

Time Machine, The

In the late 1800s a scientist of the old-school type—physicist, philosopher, mathematician, inventor—ruminates over the nature of 'time' and tries to convince his friends that travel through time is possible. His friends—a medical doctor, a psychologist, a botanist, and the mayor—are skeptical. The scientist displays a model of a 'time machine', asks his friends to examine it carefully for trip wires, mirrors or hidden tricks... and then makes it disappear, claiming it has 'travelled through time'. His friends are even more skeptical. A week later, the scientist arrives for their weekly dinner looking like he hasn't eaten in a week—filthy, dishieveled, with blood-soaked feet—and tells of his trip 800,000 years into the future...

Leonard Nimoy

(John the time traveller);

John de Lancie

(opening narrator, Filby the time traveller's best friend);

Roxann Dawson

(Weena the Eloi in the future);

Keegan de Lancie

(Meendo the Eloi);

Owen de Lancie

(Eloi);

Richard Doyle

(voice of the hologram);

Robert Ellenstein

(James the doctor friend);

Marnie Mosiman

(Mrs. Watchett the housekeeper);

Andrew Robinson

(Colin the friend);

Armin Shimerman

(Samuel the friend).

War of the Worlds, The

A modern dramatization of Howard Koch's script, popularized by Orson Welles and The Mercury Theatre on the Air in 1938. Martians invade the Earth... death and destruction... confusion and panic. The story is presented as a simulated music program interrupted by 'news flashes'.

This was actually a production of L.A. Theatre Works, not Alien Voices, but it was the first time Leonard Nimoy and John de Lancie worked together and its success inspired the creation of Alien Voices, so I am including it here. Also, to my knowledge, this is the only sci-fi production of L.A. Theatre Works.

Leonard Nimoy

(Pierson);

John de Lancie

(the talk show host);

Megan Fay

(the bag lady);

Jerry Hardin

(Wilmuth);

Gates McFadden

(announcer);

Dwight Schultz

(announcer);

Armin Shimerman

(Philips);

Brent Spiner

(the stranger);

Tom Virtue

(Captain);

Wil Wheaton

(Commander).

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