Mars in culture by its dramatic red color and by nineteenth century scientific speculations that its surface conditions not only might support life, but intelligent life. Thus originated a large number of science fiction scenarios, among which is H. G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds", published in 1898, in which Martians seek to escape their dying planet by invading Earth. A subsequent US radio adaptation of "The War of the Worlds" on October 30, 1938 by Orson Welles was presented as a live news broadcast, and became notorious for causing a public panic when many listeners mistook it for the truth. Influential
Dracula (radio drama) Dracula (radio drama) "Dracula" is an episode of the American radio drama anthology series "The Mercury Theatre on the Air". It was performed as an episode of the series on Monday, July 11, 1938, and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network. Directed and narrated by actor and future filmmaker Orson Welles, the episode was an adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula" (1897). "Dracula" was the first episode of the CBS Radio series "The Mercury Theatre on the Air", which was broadcast at 8 pm ET on Monday, July 11, 1938. Recalling Welles's sound-effects preparations for the series debut