https://archive.org/details/war-of-the-worlds
For your discussion this week, I would like you to listen to the radio broadcast of War of the Worlds (from archive.org above) and think about how listening is different from reading or watching a story unfold. How is the show using the fact that you can only hear it? In particular:
Write 1-2 paragraphs about 1-2 sounds that the show uses. This can be from a special effect to the tone of someone’s voice. Why is it effective? How different would it be if you could see it?
Comment on another person’s post. Does the sound they mentioned get repeated? Is it any different later? Or, is it similar or different to the sound you posted about.
THIS IS THE OTHER PERSON’s POST
The scary and frightening Martian heat-ray is one of the most effectively used noises in the War of the Worlds radio broadcast. A blend of alarming vibrating tones, deep mechanical rumbling, and crackling electricity make up the sound design that accompanies the appearance of the heat ray. The listener is fully drawn into the turmoil and fear occurring thanks to this audio representation, which powerfully communicates the devastating power and alien aspect of Martian technology. The lack of visual cues makes the listener completely dependent on their imagination, which heightens the tension and anxiety as they picture the destruction caused by the invisible heat-ray. If this event had been shown visually, the impact could have been lessened since instead of being shown a picture of the heat ray, the audience would have been shown. The tone of this book is realistic and detached. Its main narrative is a first-person account of a timeline of events, starting with the first Martian cylinder touching down on Horsell Common and ending with the narrator’s return to Earth after the Martians are wiped out. The idea of a higher power and religion, both present and absent, are important themes in The War of the Worlds. Wells’ book explores whether or not one may maintain religion in the midst of destruction and calamity. Despite being a work of fiction, Orange’s tale has an autobiographical tone. Each character’s function is subtly described, and the novel’s explosive conclusion is hinted at to heighten interest. Themes of love, mortality, time, and human weakness are also universal.
