THE HOPKINS MANUSCRIPT

Sherriff's 1939 dystopian classic about the moon crashing into Earth and the ensuing worldwide unrest springs to life in a compelling performance by Nicholas Boulton. The preface/lecture by an Abyssinian professor 1,000 years in the future, perfectly performed by Lameece Issaq, introduces the action. Boulton flawlessly executes the manuscript left by Edgar Hopkins, a stoic middle-aged bachelor who details his observations for future scholars--as took place with the Rosetta Stone. Boulton magnificently captures Hopkins's moods as he waffles on telling the secret of the impending crash, observes people preparing for the apocalypse, realizes there are other survivors afterward, and feels disgust at the regrowth of political greed. Quotations by other characters are thoughtfully nuanced. Fans of H.G. Wells will appreciate this timely tale. S.D.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2023]