Wells, H. G.

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The Time Machine
intelligent and intriguing sci-fi
Entertaining, influential story
H.G. Wells is the classic sci-fi writer.
The Alien Voices Presents: The Time Machine (Alien Voices)

The Time Machine (Signet Classics)
H.G. Wells
Manufacturer: Signet Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451528557

Book Description

The story that launched Wells's successful career-the classic tale of the Time Traveler and the extraordinary world he discovers in the far distant future. A haunting portrayal of Darwin's evolutionary theory carried to a terrible conclusion.

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When the Time Traveler courageously stepped out of his machine for the first time, he found himself in the year 802,700--and everything had changed. H.G. Wells's famous novel of one man's astonishing journey beyond the conventional limits of the imagination is regarded as one of the great masterpieces in the literature of science fiction.

Customer Reviews:

The Time Machine.......2007-05-18

The Time Traveler was dirty and disheveled when he finally came to dinner. His friends asked what happened and he began to tell them that he finished his time machine and of his trip to the year 802,701. He encountered a descendent of the human race called the Elois. He found these people very friendly. They took him to their dining hall and he began to learn their uncomplicated language. When he finished eating he found that his time machine was gone. For many days he and his new friend Weena looked for it. The Time Traveler decided to look down in one of the shafts. There he encountered one of the Elois' greatest fears, the cannibalistic Morlocks. He escaped and thought that they might be the ones that took his machine. A few days later, they encountered the Morlocks again. Weena fainted and the Time Traveler tried to scare them off with fire but the fire started to spread. He never saw Weena again. He found the time machine and head back to his own time. A few days after telling his friends he went back in his time machine and never returned. This is a great book about time traveling and the mysteries of the future.

The first two chapters would introduce the topic of which the story was based upon. It opened up with a group of men talking about the dimensions--length, thickness, width, and time. They were discussing whether or not it was possible to travel through time, either in the past or in the future. Then the Time traveler brought in a metallic clock. He had one the Psychologist pull a lever and the little clock began to spin then it disappeared. After a little more discussing, the meeting ended. The next meeting was when the Time Traveler told of his adventures.

The novel was very uniquely written. At the very beginning and at the end of the book the story was told in first person by an onlooker who apparently "wrote" the story on paper. The majority of the novel was written in first person limited to the Time traveler. He told his amazing adventures to his friends at one of their meetings.

Although most of the novel did not involve many major characters, the author gave the characters very interesting names. He mentioned a few of their real names but other than that they were called based their occupation. Some of the characters were named the Psychologist, the Journalist, the Provincial Mayor, and the Medical Man. The Silent Man and the Editor were a couple of other characters.

The element I liked most about The Time Machine was that the author used very elaborate and sophisticated details. When the Time Traveler first came to the year 802,701 A.D. he described himself as an African, who was just brought from his tribe in the middle of Africa to the busy streets of London. The Elois were delicate four foot tall people. They had a very limited and simple language. They wore elegant fabrics and sandals. Weena was very child like. She would cling to the Tim Traveler and give him flowers. The evil Morlocks were of a hazy whitish color with pink eyes. This novel was a great story about the future in a way that is different than machinery and robots. This is definitely a great book to read if you like tales of the future.

By K. Lissner

intelligent and intriguing sci-fi.......2007-05-14

visionary short novel, one of the best science fiction novels ever without a doubt. not only does it deal with one of the most fascinating mysteries of science (time travel), the storyline itself is also very interesting. apart from his views on communism and capitalism and their consequences in the long run, the author provides a very interesting, though mostly pessimistic, view of the future. the last few chapters are especially chilly and really stick to the mind.

Entertaining, influential story.......2007-02-20

It's hard to believe it took this long for the concept of time travel to enter the body of literature. Of course, it's so obvious once you're aware of the possibility, that's it's probably unfair to judge in hindsight.

Overall the book was quite entertaining. I've seen something like three or four renditions on TV and in movies, and while each puts its own stamp on the telling of the story (e.g. the 1970's version has a model that travels forward five minutes into the future; and the most recent remake includes the death of the inventor's wife), the basic elements all come directly from the book. There's also a scene from the book that takes place in the far future, and that I haven't seen done in any of the movies.

A brilliant example of what happens when one asks "what if..." and follows the answer to its logical conclusions, this book has been hugely influential in opening up entirely new avenues for fiction storytelling.

H.G. Wells is the classic sci-fi writer........2007-02-20

Well written and imaginative, The Time Machine demonstrates the immense talent and creativity that H.G. Wells possessed all through his writing career. The Time Machine began my love for science fiction when I was only seven and it continues even till this day.

The Alien Voices Presents: The Time Machine (Alien Voices).......2007-02-18

This is a review of the audibook "The Alien Voices Presents: The Time Machine (Alien Voices)"

An original script, full-cast, full-production, original score, radio adaptation. If there was an audio-book "Hollywood", this is what it would sound like. Leonard Nimoy stars as the time traveler. It is helpful that Nimoy's reputation as a space faring time traveler gives the story an extra degree of verisimilitude. Although many of the finer details from Well's original story are lost in this abbreviated version, for the most part it sticks to the original plot and is highly entertaining and makes for a wonderful listening experience. Recommended.

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The classic
Good timeline; poor theory
Wonderful book!
Preoccupation with Race Ruins an Otherwise Enjoyable Read
A MAJOR PRE POST-WESTERN WORK

Outline Of History (2 Volumes)
H. G. Wells
Manufacturer: Reprint Services Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0781206618

Customer Reviews:

The classic.......2006-10-02

Wells's classic is still a useful book. It is most out of date on the early history and archeology, which has changed substantially in recent years. One only needs to look at the great volume by Jacquetta Hawkes and Sir Leonard Wooley, Prehistory and the Beginnings of Civilization, which covers the period from the end of the Calcolithic (about 40,000 years ago) down to the founding of the earliest towns (about 10,000 years ago), to see how much that has changed since their volume was published in the early 60s. But it shows Wells's range and depth of intellect, and it's interesting to note that Wells was considered the universal intellect of his day, and before people said "As smart as Einstein," they said, "As smart as H.G. Wells." The section on Alexander the Great I found one of the best. As a serious work of pedagogy intended for the intelligent layman, it presaged by decades later similar works. But although much of the history is still valid, today the book will be of most interest to Wells fans and scholars, though, rather than as an "Outline of History."

Good timeline; poor theory.......2005-10-21

For those interested in reading about the species' history, Wells' _Outline_ is a nice supplement to new, more scholarly history books that make closer studies of power distributions and events in certain places at certain times. His timeline of Western European History is generally accurate (though by no means comprehensive) and makes for enjoyable reading.

While a well-educated reader will overlook Wells' racism (he holds the absurd belief that a monolithic culture once ranged from Ireland to China and is destined to be recreated by the superior Germanic builders of Europe) and skim for facts, a younger or less-informed reader might find it difficult to recognize the author's regular slips into a defunct worldview.

Above all, this book will gratify those readers whose memories of papal, royal, and cultural (primarily Western European) successions need to be revamped.

Wonderful book!.......2005-08-04

The earliest chapters of this remarkable book deal with the actual history of the planet we call Earth and the rudiments and development of early life. Afterward the book tells a fairly succinct story of the Dawn of Time and the lifestyles and development of early hominids leading up to and including Man. Once Wells reaches periods of written history, the story bogs down while he attempts to cover the rise of early cities, political and economic development, and early empires, which he does fairly ably though switching back and forth between the histories of individual continents is somewhat tedious. Wells speaks of the development of early religion and early communities in a very cogent, convincing and interesting way, but the disjointed concurrent treatment of ongoing empires (China, India, Rome, Egypt, Greece, etc) tends to choke and even halt the fluid style as we try to catch up on coexisting cultures around the globe. South America, Antarctica, and Australia are almost nonexistent in this book as Wells reconstructs the history of Europe, Asia and to a lesser extent, Africa. Still a very enjoyable and highly informative book.

Preoccupation with Race Ruins an Otherwise Enjoyable Read.......2005-04-24

H.G. Wells is a fine writer and 'The Outline of History' is generally enjoyable to read. However after a while one gets tired of his emphasis on race and the centrality of Aryans in history and his anti-semitism. Wells is an example of that mixture of socialism and racism that appeared at the beginning of the Twentieth Century. Other examples are Jack London and the young Adolph Hitler.

It is ironic that his general thesis that there is a progression in human history, though not a necessary or inevitable one, is a reasonable proposition and flatly contradicts his racist notions. Wells appears to be recounting from books recently read and frequently gets his facts just plain wrong. Most of his writing is conveying his personal and generally intelligent reflections on general stereotypes of various periods of history.

Were it not for its persistent emphasis on race, 'The Outline of History' would be a valuable and enjoyable book. I wish I could recommend it to the general reader, because there is a real need for a readable one volume survey of world history, but I cannot. Race has been shown over and over again to have little or no explanatory power. Wells' racist preoccupations will annoy informed readers and mislead uninformed ones.

A MAJOR PRE POST-WESTERN WORK.......2005-02-01

Today, when there is little but propaganda on TV and at the bookstore, it is astonishing to read a 20th century English-speaking author write in a way devoid of the propaganda. I doubt that the work could be published as is today were it new, even if by such a well-known author. Those were the days of free, or at least freeer press.

Because the time span is so great, more attention is paid to 19th Century history up to the end of WW I, where it stops than to older periods. But earlier periods are treated in ways according to the information available to the non-specialist. Wells' history is easier to read than that of the Durants and lacks their obvious bias. With the exception of Spengler, Wells' History is perhaps the last history or biography in which the European point of view is taken as matter-of-fact.

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Science and Morals
WOW THAT WAS A GREAT BOOK
A Bit Dated in Parts, but Otherwise Has Stood the Test of Time
My review of the Invisible Man
A real fun classic

The Invisible Man (Signet Classics)
H.G. Wells
Manufacturer: Signet Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451528522
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Book Description

This masterpiece of science fiction is the fascinating story of Griffin, a scientist who creates a serum to render himself invisible, and his descent into madness that follows.

Customer Reviews:

Science and Morals.......2007-06-05

Having read the Ralph Ellison novel many years ago, I felt compelled to finally lift Wells' of the shelf recently. What a clever and accomplished man, and so prolific in his writing.
So, what did I make of this one?
Wells obviously explores the age-old tension between science and morality, examining what happens when the latter is not regarded in pursuits of the former. Naturally the story is largely, therefore, allegorical (aren't most?).
We meet the invisible man and hear his story, after which we follow him closely to his final breath, relieved that he is gone.
Personally I felt no sympathy for the character and did not feel I 'owned' him, unlike other novels where I have felt I could, to some degree, sympathise and identify with a protagonist with a distorted sense of reality or even a murderer. Yet, the story was effective,well written and achieved what it set out to do.
It is one of the classics that you need to have read also, because there are so many references to it in other works, such as Joanne Harris' 'Gentleman and Players'.

WOW THAT WAS A GREAT BOOK.......2007-04-13

THE INVISABLE MAN BY H.g. Wells is a great book that any one 9 and older would enjoy. It all begins on a cold December night and a blizzard just struck a quiet English country village. A train also arrived and a strange looking man got off. His name was Griffin. He was wearing a long heavy coat, he had bandages all over his face and the only thing you could see was his nose, dark glass, gloves, and a hat. When he got off he started going towards town. He fought his way through the storm and came across a hotel. So he got his room, he had tons of boxes full of things. Little did the hotel keeper know this short tempered man would cause this town more trouble then it could handle. Slowly the small town realizes there is something different about Mr. Griffin then meets the eye.
Mr. Griffin is a scientist who found a way to become invisible and it has gone to his head. He is trying to terrorize every one and overpower the small town and will kill anyone in his way. Griffin was not always this way once he was a scientist who was working on medicine and graduated top of his class. Then he switched his studies. He found out how to make a human transparent. My favorite part is when the town gets together and searches for the invisible man. They use attack dogs and lock their doors so the invisible man has no where to stay, and nothing to eat, but that doesn't stop him.
All in all this is a great book that you should read.

A Bit Dated in Parts, but Otherwise Has Stood the Test of Time.......2007-03-12

H.G. Wells certainly wasn't the first author to write stories involving something or someone who is invisible but his novel was definitely the first big hit of the invisible man genre. It is also easily the best known and widely circulated of the invisibility stories written before the 20th century. In fact with maybe the exception of H.F. Saint's Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1987) (which was later turned into a Chevy Chase movie which although enjoyable, was nowhere near the masterpiece that book was), Wells' 1897 classic is still probably the most well known of the genre today. This book also has had a number of movies made based on its story and as well has had a few sequel books written by other authors in the modern era such as Legacy of the Invisible Man by Dave Ulanski and The Invisible Dirty Old Man by Richard S McEnroe, both based on relatives of or people who found possessions of characters from Wells' story.

This was one of H.G. Wells first stories, it was actually originally a short story as were most other invisible man stories pre dating it which Wells later came back and expanded to the length it is now. Being one of his first stories the quality of the storyline isn't always sensational and is in fact rather slow moving in parts for the reader. A large number of words Wells picked to use, unfortunately for him have also dropped out of the English language meaning you've either got to look them up or just take a wild guess as to what he is referring to. The best parts of the story were when Griffin was recounting how he became invisible and the events straight after in London to his friend Kemp. The novel really would have benefited from more of this type of storyline. Saying that though if you're a fan of the invisible man genre you definitely need to check this out. Better stories have been written in the modern era that go more into depth with the problems an invisible man faces and have a lot faster paced storylines such as H.F. Saint's Memoirs of an Invisible Man as well as Donald E Westlake's novel Smoke.

The version of this book I have also has a lengthy intro by someone called Christopher Priest who is obviously a hard core fan of Wells. While it is great for fans of this genre to learn about other stories about invisible people (although it is certainly no comprehensive list there's many titles missing) unfortunately though Priest's bias shows as he makes some ludicrous claims about other stories being based on Wells' story which if he actually read these books, aside from having an invisible character have nothing more to do with this storyline at all then the this book does when compared to the invisibility stories that Wells must have read before writing this.

Anyway if you have no idea what this novel's about the basic storyline is a man named Griffin wrapped in bandages who never takes of his coat or gloves checks into a small town hotel. Obviously trying to keep his secret Griffin is quite short with the busybody landlady and others who just walk into his room uninvited and keep pestering him about things that are non of their business. Small town bigotry and gossip has locals assuming he is either a member of an undesirable to them race, criminal or something worse, so when there is a burglary in town he is the main suspect. Not being treated the way he should be he decides he'll become even more abusive back to them so it is not long before a physical fight breaks out, the police get involved and he is forced to shed his clothing, expose his secret and escape. Not having the most pleasant of personality certainly doesn't help stop those he has enlisted to assist him from betraying him and stealing his possessions. Griffin decides that if he is going to be labelled and treated as a ruthless monster he will go one better and become an even worse and feared villain then their lies ever wrote in the papers.

My review of the Invisible Man.......2007-01-29

The Invisible Man, written by H.G. Wells, is an outstanding book. I give it a 4 out of 5. The characters in this book are amazing to read about. Especially the Invisible Man himself. Wells is a master at shaping the feelings and emotions of the characters. Mrs. Hall, caretaker of the inn, was not properly greeted one day by a man who showed no skin an all. He wore a hat and large blue sunglasses and kept his whole head covered by a white bandage. He also wore a tan overcoat and gloves so you could not see his feet or hands. He demanded that he would need a room and Ms Hall gave him one. The strange occurrences that happened throughout the book are too many to name, bt some were the 1001 bottles that the Invisible Man ordered to do tests and experiments to find out if he could reverse his invisibility, or the disturbing interview with the Invisible Man where the interviewer could see, or well, couldn't see under the cloak of secrecy where the Invisible Man hid. I will not give away the fantastic climax to this book so you will have to buy or check out a copy yourself and experience the fantastic story of the Invisible Man. Some titles that I would recommend for you would be The Giver, Hoot, War of the Worlds (also written y H.G. Wells), and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I am a 7th grader who enjoys music and the escape you get when you read.

A real fun classic.......2007-01-11

What is a man capable of when he doesn't have to look at himself in the mirror? What can he do when there is no reflection holding him accountable of his own guilt? This is what Wells tries to answer in his book, among other things. He also flirts with the idea that what we may want, that thing that gives us an advantage over others, may really be a curse.

I love this story. A strange man enters the village, surrounded my mystery. He takes a room at the inn, and like the villagers, the reader wants to know more about him. Then as we see the stranger's story mature we begin to feel sorry for him. His pursuits in science are at first genuine, then they become more a quest for fame, and when the experiments work, the brilliant man turned mad-scientist is consumed by his own disturbing creation, forced to see it through to the end. But while he is stuck in his invention, he is faced with moral choices-- do what is right, or do what is self-serving.

H.G. Wells does a brilliant job telling this story. It's written as if it were an account of witnesses analyzed and compiled by the author. It's almost more like a report of a curious writer, rather than a fictional story. It's only a hint of reporting, though, just enough to suggest that it might even be a true story. I enjoyed this novel and encourage others to read it, too.

The Outline Of History (Being A Plain History Of Life And Mankind By H. G. Wells) (Two Volume Set)

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The Outline Of History (Being A Plain History Of Life And Mankind By H. G. Wells) (Two Volume Set)
H. G. Wells
Manufacturer: Garden City Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Outline of History

The Outline of History (Volumes 1and 2)
H. G. Wells
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000B5S95C

Customer Reviews:

Outline of History.......2007-03-22

This work ranks among the premier volumes on the subject of world history.
The writing is of the highest order as to sentence structure, vocabulary
and general usage. The author discusses the history of the world from the
BC period up to the 20th century. There is a considerable coverage of the
Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, the Industrial Period and the global
struggles of the early 20th century. The life and times of the Mediterranean peoples, Mesopotania and Asia are explained . The author discusses both the historical and cultural dimensions of world history
including some reference to the pre-historic period and longstanding
Chinese dynasties.

The contents could fill a dozen or more dissertations.
The presentation is geared for collegiate study/review or well-read/sophisticated readers. These volumes
would make a good starting point for a dissertation on world history,
culture or politics. The contents of this book could be helpful in
crafting a global framework for better understanding in today's world.

Sample topics include the following:
1. Space and Time
2. The Beginnings of Life, Fishes, Reptiles , Birds and Mammals
3. Primitive Thought and Early Civilizations
4. Sumeria, Early Egypt and Writing
5. Nomads and Seafaring Peoples
6. Egypt, Babylon, Assyria and Ancient Greece
7. The Wars of the Greeks and Persians, Alexander the Great
8. Confucius and Lao Tse
9. The Roman Empire, the Huns, Chinese Dynasties, Muhammad and Islam
10. The Crusades, Popes and the Great Schism, European Revival
11. The Industrial Revolution, the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars
12. Steamship, Railways, the Rise of Germany and Japan
13. The British Empire, World War I, Russian Famine
14. Political and Social Reconstruction

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The War of the Worlds
H. G. Wells
Manufacturer: Classics Illustrated Junior
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1894998812

The War of the Worlds (Modern Library Classics)

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Martian invasion
A science fiction classic
The War of the Worlds
Absolutely Beautiful
Perhaps the greatest sc-fi story ever

The War of the Worlds (Modern Library Classics)
H. G. Wells
Manufacturer: Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375759239
Release Date: 2002-03-12

Amazon.com

This is the granddaddy of all alien invasion stories, first published by H.G. Wells in 1898. The novel begins ominously, as the lone voice of a narrator tells readers that "No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's..."

Things then progress from a series of seemingly mundane reports about odd atmospheric disturbances taking place on Mars to the arrival of Martians just outside of London. At first the Martians seem laughable, hardly able to move in Earth's comparatively heavy gravity even enough to raise themselves out of the pit created when their spaceship landed. But soon the Martians reveal their true nature as death machines 100-feet tall rise up from the pit and begin laying waste to the surrounding land. Wells quickly moves the story from the countryside to the evacuation of London itself and the loss of all hope as England's military suffers defeat after defeat. With horror his narrator describes how the Martians suck the blood from living humans for sustenance, and how it's clear that man is not being conquered so much a corralled. --Craig E. Engler

Book Description

“No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man’s and yet as mortal as his own.” Thus begins one of the most terrifying and morally prescient science fiction novels ever penned. Beginning with a series of strange flashes in the distant night sky, the Martian attack initially causes little concern on Earth. Then the destruction erupts—ten massive aliens roam England and destroy with heat rays everything in their path. Very soon mankind finds itself on the brink of extinction. Wells raises questions of mortality, man’s place in nature, and the evil lurking in the technological future—questions that remain urgently relevant in the twenty-first century.

Customer Reviews:

Martian invasion.......2007-06-11

War of the Worlds is considered the book that started science fiction. The action in the story is lacking for today's generation of action junkies, but is still an interesting look at possible human annihilation. Its popularity has created countless books and movies about aliens and other fantasy writings making it the father of Star Wars, Star Trek and Independence Day. This is a great book that is worth the read.

A science fiction classic.......2007-06-02

I don't care about the supposed disguised attacks on British imperialism that Wells portrayed in this book. I enjoyed this classic by what I think it is: a gripping narrative of an alien invasion, cleverly written, intelligent, fast-paced, without naming even the main characters!

The other merit is that this book is the genesis of all "invasion" books that followed.

A great read.

The War of the Worlds .......2007-05-18

Mars has long since sparked our imagination. For centuries, mankind has wondered whether this cold, dark, and barren planet has ever supported intelligent life. When an observer in the English conutryside, whose name is never mentioned, notices gas flumes coming from the surface of the alien world, he becomes intrigued, especially when, ten days later, a green star impacts a near-by farm. However, curiousity changes to terror,when a cylinder rises from above the wreckage and shoots out and invisble heat ray that kills everyone around but himself. Confused, bewildered, and overwhelmed, he grabs his wife and heads to the town of Leatherhead, where he leaves his wife behind to look back at the wreckage. Over the course of the novel, he discovers more and more about these machines of terror in secret. However, he learns that even the great English army is no match for these weapons, as the army is quickly devastated. The Martian cylinders continue to come and transform into menacing tripods that spray a poisonous black smoke, silencing England and eventually, London. However, when the main character walks through a deserted street, he notices that several Martians have died. With the death toll of one billion people, humanity had survived the invasion, thanks simple microbes, which were not present in the Martians' own environment. Thus, the Martians were brought to their demise when they first invaded. As the main character walks on, he sees his wife, alive, and a new life ahead. The War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells, is an excellent science-fiction novel for its suspense, its action, and its revolutionary science-fiction.

H.G. Wells wrote a great suspense novel when he wrote War of the Worlds. When the main character notices a shooting green star fall across the sky, he becomes curious. The reader is wondering what will happen next, until the alien machine lets out all fury on the crowd before it. The reader is then thrown into amazement as the machines of terror devastate the English countryside. When the machines arrive at a small port town, the masses trying to evacuate panic, the army tries to take them down, and so the war of the worlds begins.

Action is also prominent in the War of the Worlds. When the tripods first impact the port town, there are mass sequences of explosions, in which the Royal Army does manage to shoot down one of the tripods. But the only problem is that there are several more left standing, advancing with great speed. The tripods shoot their heat rays into the water, causing it to be boiling-hot, literally frying the fleeing people who used the water as a refuge. The main character is almost crushed by one of the feet of the machine, and is almost boiled to death by the sheer heat of the water. This signifies how much action this novel contains.

H.G. Wells revolutionizes the word "science-fiction" in writing the War of the Worlds. Written at the turn of the nineteenth century, Wells wrote of intelligent life on Mars, in fact, more intelligent than us. He imagines a cold Martian world that is getting colder and less inhabitable, which is why the Martians invade, to find a warm planet to thrive in. He invents the alien cylinders and the tripods, 100 feet tall weapons with tentacle-like arms and an invisible heat ray that turns anything to flames. H.G. Wells also created the Martians themselves, creatures crushed under the weight of Earth's gravity and creatures that have no resemblance to mankind what-so-ever.

The War of the Worlds tells a story of the Martian invasion and an Englishman's attempt to survive in the process. It's best trait, however, is the fact that it has been a classic for nearly a century. Children, teens, and adults alike still find fascination in his works. The results are in the sales: his books have sold millions of copies. Besides this, the War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells, is a an excellent science-fiction novel for its thrills, its climatic battles, and for its futuristic appeal. I rate this novel five stars out of five.

A. Chappell

Absolutely Beautiful.......2007-04-04

The illustrations contained in this edition are simply amazing. If you only buy one version of H. G. Wells' classic story, make it this one.

Perhaps the greatest sc-fi story ever.......2007-03-22

If you only saw the Tom Cruise version movie version of this classic book, you really must read the original novel. Much like Mary Shelly's masterpiece, Frankenstein, no movie: not the 1953 version, not the 2005 version (with all due respect to Steven Spielberg), has captured the essence of absolute fear of alien invasion this book ignited in its prime. Written in 1898, this book spans time because it is not caught up in the vernacular of its day, but in the general paranoia of being displaced as the dominant species on Earth.

Yes, the book was a political statement. Yes, Wells was famous for his thinly-veiled diatribes. Yes, Orson Welles' [no relation] 1938 Halloween production of it over radio caused such mass hysteria that even Hitler tried to capitalize on it in a speech. Yes, yes, and yes - the book is THAT good. Now for the bad news: It has been actually read by less people than many other books that pale in comparison. If you haven't yet had a chance to experience the xenophobia of a true classic "aliens are evil" tale, you owe it to yourself to read the original (this copy) over the course of a few dark nights (preferably during a conveniently-timed power outage for added effect).

Average customer rating:

Prepare to see the world!

Complete Short Stories of H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Manufacturer: Phoenix Press, WC2
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1842124021

Book Description

Herbert George Wells was perhaps best known as the author of such classic works of science fiction as The Time Machine and War of the Worlds. But it was in his short stories, written when he was a young man embarking on a literary career, that he first explored the enormous potential of the scientific discoveries of the day. He described his stories as "a miscellany of inventions," yet his enthusiasm for science was tempered by an awareness of its horrifying destructive powers and the threat it could pose to the human race. A consummate storyteller, he made fantastic creatures and machines entirely believable; and, by placing ordinary men and women in extraordinary situations, he explored, with humor, what it means to be alive in a century of rapid scientific progress. At the dawn of a new millennium, Wells' singular vision is more compelling than ever.

Customer Reviews:

Prepare to see the world!.......2000-10-10

This book is a "must have" for any fan of literature, science fiction, or just plain good story telling!

"The Time Machine" is the opening story in this book and starts the reader moving through the world of H.G. Wells. He will entice you with stories that pique the imagination, that range from the ancient past into the far future.

Over sixty short stories adorn this classic work, including:

The Empire of the Ants - killer ants from South America?

The Land Ironclad - land ships with guns can change trench warfare? (written in December 1903)

The Door In The Wall - a man recounts his boyhood memories of a door leading to a magical garden...

The Tempatation of Harringay - an artist is tempted by the devil himself

The Country of the Blind - is the one eyed man King in the land of the blind?

The Flowering of a Strange Orchid - Vampire flowers?

The New Accelerator - a man creates a mixture that allows him to move at ten times normal speed (concept adapted for a "Wild Wild West" episode)

Get the book, you won't be sorry.

(review based on hardback edition)

H. G Wells.: The Outline of History.
Average customer rating:
H. G Wells.: The Outline of History.
H.G Wells
Manufacturer: Garden City Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LXV4OW

Five Great Science Fiction Novels (Thrift Edition)
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Five Great Science Fiction Novels (Thrift Edition)
H. G. Wells
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 048643978X

Book Description

Here, in an attractive gift box, are unabridged editions of the five most popular science-fiction novels of H. G. Wells: The First Men in the Moon, The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, and The War of the Worlds, a grippingly realistic tale of hostile invaders from Mars.

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