Listen to a Trailer for Let’s Get Lit, a Podcast where Comedians Read H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds
Main image by Henrique Alvim Corrêa, from the 1906 French edition of The War of the Worlds. Public domain.
We’ve all been there: reading H.G. Wells’ seminal 1898 sci-fi novel The War of the Worlds (as one does), and realizing that it’d be even better if we could listen to it instead, and with comedians constantly interjecting with their thoughts and observations. Sadly that was always but a dream just out of grasp, fading away right as our outstretched ears were poised to hear it.
Well, soon we’ll all owe Blaze Mancillas a massive thank you. The comedian, actor and host of SongPop Live will help us all realize that dream with the new podcast Let’s Get Lit. It launches on October 7 wherever podcasts are streamed or downloaded, and features Mancillas reading through the entire book, chapter by chapter, as a different comedian per episode keeps a live running commentary on the century-old pillar of science fiction.
Comedians include Judah Friedlander, who you might know from 30 Rock; Shalewa Sharpe, who’s appeared on The Tonight Show, The New Negroes, and 2 Dope Queens; Josh Gondelman, a stand-up comedian and writer on Desus & Mero on Showtime; Anna Roisman, a host of HQ Trivia; Lane Moore, comedian, author and creator of Tinder Live; and more.
A new episode (and guest) will come out every week. And apparently Mancillas is committed to reading the whole damn book, and encourages listeners to grab their own copy and follow along at home. Reading a book while hearing another voice speak it at the same time sounds like some crazy kind of cognitive dissonance.
Want an idea of what it’ll sound like? Well, here’s a preview. Check it out, and look for more information and the official release schedule below.
