Tag: H. G. Wells

The Time Machine
The Complete & Unabridged Original Classic
by H. G. Wells

While this tale involves the theme of time travel, Wells not only constructed an adventure story around the theme, but also delved into human nature and the role of humans in forming societies and the relationship of humans, collectively and individually, to the society in which they live.

Now a common theme in the science fiction genre, this “time travel” tale by Wells represents one of the earliest and most influential such stories and is credited with being the first appearance of a “vehicle” which travels through time, controlled by a time traveler acting as pilot or passenger. In the context of this story, Wells invites the reader to ponder the possible future of humanity, what factors influence the development of human societies, and the range of possible human responses. Continue reading “The Time Machine [Large Print]”

The Invisible Man
The Complete & Unabridged Original Classic
by H. G. Wells

The Invisible Man originally appeared in serialized form in Pearson’s Weekly in 1897 and was published as a novel the same year telling the story of “Griffin,” a former medical student and scientist who has, through research into the science of optics, invented a process to make a human body invisible. He has successfully applied the procedure to himself but finds that he is unable to reverse the effects, leading to a series of events that spiral out of control. The extent to which “runaway science,” Griffin’s personal psychological makeup, or human nature in general drive the events echoes a theme that recurs throughout Wells’ works. Continue reading “The Invisible Man [Large Print]”

The Island of Dr. Moreau
The Complete & Unabridged Original Classic
by H. G. Wells

In this 1896 science fiction classic, a shipwrecked Englishman named Edward Prendick is rescued from the sea and subsequently abandoned on a secluded island, which he soon finds is owned by a once-eminent British physiologist named Dr. Moreau. Shunned when his gruesome experiments with vivisection were exposed, Moreau continued his experiments on his island with horrific results, creating animals surgically altered to mimic human beings. Continue reading “The Island of Dr. Moreau [Large Print]”

The War of the Worlds
The Complete & Unabridged Original Classic
by H. G. Wells

This tale involves the theme of humanity coming into conflict with strange alien societies, in this case the invasion of the earth by hostile Martians. Wells would revisit this theme, in the context of the encounter between human explorers and the native inhabitants, in The First Men in the Moon. A common theme in the science fiction genre, these tales by Wells represent two of the earliest and most influential such stories. But unlike so many of the similar stories that have followed, Wells did not posit either the innate superiority of humanity or man’s scientific achievements as the earth’s salvation. Rather, Wells’ story portrays humanity as more or less at the mercy of forces beyond its control, reflecting an underlying fear that scientific discovery and progress might not make man the unchallenged master of the universe after all. Continue reading “The War of the Worlds [Large Print]”

The First Men in the Moon
The Complete & Unabridged Original Classic
by H. G. Wells

This story, an early and influential tale of humans traveling through space, involves the theme of humanity coming into conflict with alien societies, in this case the encounter between human explorers and the native inhabitants of the moon. Wells had previously considered this theme, in the context of the invasion of the earth by hostile Martians, in The War of the Worlds. A common theme in the science fiction genre, these tales by Wells represent two of the earliest and most influential such stories. But unlike so many of the similar stories that have followed, Wells did not indulge assumptions of the innate superiority of humanity or man’s scientific achievements. Rather, Wells portrays humanity as engaged in a struggle with forces beyond its control, reflecting an underlying fear that scientific discovery and progress might not make man the unchallenged master of the universe after all. Continue reading “The First Men in the Moon [Large Print]”