Books by H. G. Wells

Kipps (Penguin Classics)

by H. G. Wells

A hilarious tale of one man’s struggle for self improvement and a witty satire of pretension

Orphaned at an early age, raised by his aunt and uncle, and apprenticed for seven years to a draper, Artie Kipps is stunned to discover upon reading a newspaper advertisement that he is the grandson of a wealthy gentleman - and the inheritor of his fortune. Thrown dramatically into the upper classes, he struggles desperately to learn the etiquette and rules of polite society. But as he soon discovers, becoming a 'true gentleman' is neither as easy nor as desirable as it at first appears.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The History of Mr. Polly

by H. G. Wells

Well's brilliant social novel, ranked #39 on The Guardian's list of 100 Best Novels

Mr Polly is an ordinary middle-aged man who is tired of his wife's nagging and his dreary job as the owner of a regional gentleman's outfitters. Faced with the threat of bankruptcy, he concludes that the only way to escape his frustrating existence is by burning his shop to the ground, and killing himself. Unexpected events, however, conspire at the last moment to lead the bewildered Mr Polly to a bright new future - after he saves a life, fakes his death, and escapes to a life of heroism, hope and ultimate happiness.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Time Machine

by H. G. Wells

Illus. in black-and-white. When a turn-of-the-century scientist travels into the distant future in his time machine, he expects to find progress and superior people. But instead he discovers a world in decay. Reading level: 2.4.

Time Machine

by H. G. Wells

“I’ve had a most amazing time....”So begins the Time Traveller’s astonishing firsthand account of his journey 800,000 years beyond his own era—and the story that launched H.G. Wells’s successful career and earned him his reputation as the father of science fiction. With a speculative leap that still fires the imagination, Wells sends his brave explorer to face a future burdened with our greatest hopes...and our darkest fears. A pull of the Time Machine’s lever propels him to the age of a slowly dying Earth. There he discovers two bizarre races—the ethereal Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks—who not only symbolize the duality of human nature, but offer a terrifying portrait of the men of tomorrow as well. Published in 1895, this masterpiece of invention captivated readers on the threshold of a new century. Thanks to Wells’s expert storytelling and provocative insight, The Time Machine will continue to enthrall readers for generations to come.

The Time Machine (Dover Thrift Editions: Classic Novels)

by H. G. Wells

English novelist, historian and science writer Herbert George Wells (1866–1946) abandoned teaching and launched his literary career with a series of highly successful science-fiction novels. The Time Machine was the first of a number of these imaginative literary inventions. First published in 1895, the novel follows the adventures of a hypothetical Time Traveller who journeys into the future to find that humanity has evolved into two races: the peaceful Eloi — vegetarians who tire easily — and the carnivorous, predatory Morlocks.
After narrowly escaping from the Morlocks, the Time Traveller undertakes another journey even further into the future where he finds the earth growing bitterly cold as the heat and energy of the sun wane. Horrified, he returns to the present, but soon departs again on his final journey.
While the novel is underpinned with both Darwinian and Marxist theory and offers fascinating food for thought about the world of the future, it also succeeds as an exciting blend of adventure and pseudo-scientific romance. Sure to delight lovers of the fantastic and bizarre, The Time Machine is a book that belongs on the shelf of every science-fiction fan.

The Country of the Blind and Other Science-Fiction Stories

by H. G. Wells

Six entertaining short stories from the foremost science-fiction writer of the early 20th century include "The Star," a gripping tale about a massive celestial object hurtling toward the Earth, as well as "The New Accelerator," "The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes," "Under the Knife," and two others.

The War of the Worlds (Dover Thrift Editions: Classic Novels)

by H. G. Wells

One of the most famous science-fiction stories ever written, The War of the Worlds helped launch the entire genre by exploiting the concept of interplanetary travel.
First published in 1898, the novel terrified readers of the Victorian era with its account of an invasion of hostile creatures from Mars who moved across the English landscape in bizarre metal transports, using deadly heat rays to destroy buildings and annihilate all life in their path. Its power to stir the imagination was made abundantly clear when Orson Welles adapted the story for a radio drama on Halloween night in 1938 and created a national panic.
Despite readers' increasing sophistication about space travel and interplanetary invaders, The War of the Worlds remains a riveting reading experience. Its narrative energy, intensity, and striking originality remain undiminished, ready to thrill a new generation of readers with old-fashioned storytelling power.

The Invisible Man (Dover Thrift Editions: Classic Novels)

by H. G. Wells

First published in 1897, The Invisible Man ranks as one of the most famous scientific fantasies ever written. Part of a series of pseudoscientific romances written by H. G. Wells (1866–1946) early in his career, the novel helped establish the British author as one of the first and best writers of science fiction.
Wells' years as a science student undoubtedly inspired a number of his early works, including this strikingly original novel. Set in turn-of-the-century England, the story focuses on Griffin, a scientist who has discovered the means to make himself invisible. His initial, almost comedic, adventures are soon overshadowed by the bizarre streak of terror he unleashes upon the inhabitants of a small village.
Notable for its sheer invention, suspense, and psychological nuance, The Invisible Man continues to enthrall science-fiction fans today as it did the reading public nearly 100 years ago.

The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents

by H. G. Wells

Review "Wells is a prophet." -- New York Times Product Description Ranging from a plot to wipe out London through biological terrorism, to an unknown creature preying on scientists at a remote astronomical observatory, this collection of short stories by H.G. Wells displays the imagination and plot twists that are characteristic of his later works. About the Author Herbert George Wells (1866–1946), historian, journalist, philosopher, and political commentator, is best known for his foundational books in science fiction, including The Time Machine (1895), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898).

The War of the Worlds Adventure Classic (Adventure Classics)

by H. G. Wells

Now, one of the greatest sci fi thrillers of all time in an action–packed format with snap–in–place model of a Martian craft. Just in time for the Tom Cruise/Steven Spielberg summer blockbuster!

The Island of Dr Moreau

by H. G. Wells

Adrift in a dinghy, Edward Prendick, the single survivor from the good ship Lady Vain, is rescued by a vessel carrying an unusual cargo—a menagerie of savage animals. Nursed to recovery by their keeper Montgomery, who gives him dark medicine that tastes of blood, Prendick soon finds himself stranded upon an uncharted island in the Pacific with his rescuer and the beasts. There, he meets the sinister Dr. Moreau—a brilliant scientist whose notorious experiments in vivisection have caused him to abandon the civilized world. It soon becomes clear that he has continued to develop these experiments with truly horrific results.

The edition includes a newly established text, a full biographical essay on Wells, a list of further reading, and detailed note. Margaret Atwood’s introduction explores the social and scientific relevance of this influential work.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Tono-Bungay (Penguin Classics)

by H. G. Wells

One of the greatest of all satires of the power of advertising and the modern press

Presented as a miraculous cure-all, Tono-Bungay is in fact nothing other than a pleasant-tasting liquid with no positive effects. Nonetheless, when the young George Ponderevo is employed by his Uncle Edward to help market this ineffective medicine, he finds his life overwhelmed by its sudden success. Soon, the worthless substance is turned into a formidable fortune, as society becomes convinced of the merits of Tono-Bungay through a combination of skilled advertising and public credulity. As the newly rich George discovers, however, there is far more to class in England than merely the possession of wealth.

This edition includes a newly established text, a full biographical essay on Wells, a list of further reading, and detailed notes. Edward Mendelson’s introduction explores the many ways in which Tono-Bungay satirizes the fictions and delusions that shape modern life.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The War of the Worlds (Penguin Classics)

by H. G. Wells

The first modern tale of alien invasion, H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds remains one of the most influential science fiction novels ever published.

The night after a shooting star is seen streaking through the sky from Mars, a cylinder is discovered on Horsell Common in London. At first, naïve locals approach the cylinder armed just with a white flag - only to be quickly killed by an all-destroying heat-ray, as terrifying tentacled invaders emerge. Soon the whole of human civilisation is under threat, as powerful Martians build gigantic killing machines, destroy all in their path with black gas and burning rays, and feast on the warm blood of trapped, still-living human prey. The forces of the Earth, however, may prove harder to beat than they at first appear. The War of the Worlds has been the subject of countless adaptations, including an Orson Welles radio drama which caused mass panic when it was broadcast, with listeners confusing it for a news broadcast heralding alien invasion; a musical version by Jeff Wayne; and, most recently, Steven Spielberg's 2005 film version, starring Tom Cruise.

This Penguin Classics edition includes a full biographical essay on Wells, a further reading list and detailed notes. The introduction, by Brian Aldiss, considers the novel's view of religion and society.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The Country of the Blind and Other Stories (Penguin Classics)

by H. G. Wells

The early short stories of an essential 20th century literary personage

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.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The War in the Air (Penguin Classics)

by H. G. Wells

A cornerstone of early science fiction and a haunting image of world war

Following the development of massive airships, naïve Londoner Bert Smallways becomes accidentally involved in a German plot to invade America by air and reduce New York to rubble. But although bombers devastate the city, they cannot overwhelm the country, and their attack leads not to victory but to the beginning of a new and horrific age for humanity. And so dawns the era of Total War, in which brutal aerial bombardments reduce the great cultures of the twentieth century to nothing. As civilization collapses around the Englishman, now stranded in a ruined America, he clings to only one hope - that he might return to London, and marry the woman he loves.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The Invisible Man (Penguin Classics)

by H. G. Wells

Depicting one man's transformation and descent into brutality, H.G. Wells's The Invisible Man is a riveting exploration of science's power to corrupt

With his face swaddled in bandages, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses and his hands covered even indoors, Griffin - the new guest at The Coach and Horses - Is at first assumed to be a shy accident-victim. But the true reason for his disguise is far more chilling: he has developed a process that has made him invisible, and is locked in a struggle to discover the antidote. Forced from the village and driven to murder, he seeks the aid of his old friend Kemp. The horror of his fate has affected his mind, however - and when Kemp refuses to help, Griffin resolves to wreak his revenge. This edition includes a full biographical essay on Wells, a further reading list and detailed notes on the text. In his introduction, Christopher Priest considers the novel's impact upon modern literature.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The War of the Worlds (Penguin Clothbound Classics)

by H. G. Wells

The first modern tale of alien invasion, H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds remains one of the most influential science fiction novels ever published.

The night after a shooting star is seen streaking through the sky from Mars, a cylinder is discovered on Horsell Common in London. At first, naïve locals approach the cylinder armed just with a white flag - only to be quickly killed by an all-destroying heat-ray, as terrifying tentacled invaders emerge. Soon the whole of human civilisation is under threat, as powerful Martians build gigantic killing machines, destroy all in their path with black gas and burning rays, and feast on the warm blood of trapped, still-living human prey. The forces of the Earth, however, may prove harder to beat than they at first appear. The War of the Worlds has been the subject of countless adaptations, including an Orson Welles radio drama which caused mass panic when it was broadcast, with listeners confusing it for a news broadcast heralding alien invasion; a musical version by Jeff Wayne; and, most recently, Steven Spielberg's 2005 film version, starring Tom Cruise.

This Penguin Classics edition includes a full biographical essay on Wells, a further reading list and detailed notes. The introduction, by Brian Aldiss, considers the novel's view of religion and society.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The World Set Free (MIT Press / Radium Age)

by H. G. Wells

In a novel written on the eve of World War I, H. G. Wells imagines a war “to end all wars” that begins in atomic apocalypse but ends in an enlightened utopia.

Writing in 1913, on the eve of World War I’s mass slaughter and long before World War II’s mushroom cloud finale, H. G. Wells imagined a war that begins in atomic apocalypse but ends in a utopia of enlightened world government. Set in the 1950s, Wells’s neglected novel The World Set Free describes a conflict so horrific that it actually is the war that ends war.

Wells—the first to imagine a “uranium-based bomb”—offers a prescient description of atomic warfare that renders cities unlivable for years: “Whole blocks of buildings were alight and burning fiercely, the trembling, ragged flames looking pale and ghastly and attenuated in comparison with the full-bodied crimson glare beyond.” Drawing on discoveries by physicists and chemists of the time, Wells foresees both a world powered by clean, plentiful atomic energy—and the destructive force of the neutron chain reaction.

With a cast of characters including Marcus Karenin, the moral center of the narrative; Firmin, a proto-Brexiteer; and Egbert, the visionary young British monarch, Wells dramatizes a world struggling for sanity. Wells’s supposedly happy ending—a planetary government presided over by European men—may not appeal to contemporary readers, but his anguish at the world’s self-destructive tendencies will strike a chord.

Sarah Cole is the author of Inventing Tomorrow: H.G. Wells and The Twentieth Century (2019). The Parr Professor of English and Comparative Literature and Dean of Humanities at Columbia University, she is the cofounder of the NYNJ Modernism Seminar and founder of the Humanities War and Peace Initiative at Columbia. She is also the author of Modernism, Male Friendship, and the First World War (2003) and At the Violet Hour: Modernism and Violence in England and Ireland (2012).

Joshua Glenn, who was the first to describe the years 1900–1935 as science fiction’s “Radium Age,” has helped popularize stories from the era for over a decade now. A former Boston Globe staffer and publisher of the indie intellectual journal Hermenaut, he is coauthor of The Idler’s Glossary (2008), Significant Objects (2012), and the family activities guide UNBORED (2012). He is also cofounder of the brand consultancy Semiovox; and he publishes the blogHiLobrow.

The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds: Introduction by Margaret Drabble (Everyman's Library Classics Series)

by H. G. Wells

Gathered together in one hardcover volume: three timeless novels from the founding father of science fiction.

The first great novel to imagine time travel, The Time Machine (1895) follows its scientist narrator on an incredible journey that takes him finally to Earth’s last moments—and perhaps his own. The scientist who discovers how to transform himself in The Invisible Man (1897) will also discover, too late, that he has become unmoored from society and from his own sanity. The War of the Worlds (1898)—the seminal masterpiece of alien invasion adapted by Orson Welles for his notorious 1938 radio drama, and subsequently by several filmmakers—imagines a fierce race of Martians who devastate Earth and feed on their human victims while their voracious vegetation, the red weed, spreads over the ruined planet.

Here are three classic science fiction novels that, more than a century after their original publication, show no sign of losing their grip on readers’ imaginations.

The War of the Worlds (Modern Library Classics)

by H. G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke

Introduction by Arthur C. Clarke
Commentary by Jules Verne and an anonymous reviewer from The Critic

“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 humankind finds itself on the brink of extinction. H. G. 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.

Includes a Modern Library Reading Group Guide

The Island of Dr. Moreau (Dover Thrift Editions: Classic Novels)

by H. G. Wells

Considered one of the fathers of science fiction, H. G. Wells (1866–1946) brought enormous inventiveness and an underlying social vision and moral concern to his strange tales and bizarre imaginings. A student of Darwinian biology, he formed his romantic conceptions of the scientific world at an early age.
This novel, one of his first forays into the science fiction genre, concerns a mad surgeon-turned-vivisectionist who, in his laboratory on a remote island, performs ghoulish experiments in an attempt to transform animals into men, with monstrous results. It is one of Wells' earliest and most sinister personifications of the scientific quest to control and manipulate the natural world, and, ultimately, human nature itself.
First published in 1896, The Island of Dr. Moreau has intrigued and horrified readers for generations. It will gain legions of new fans in this inexpensive Dover edition.

The Time Machine (Vintage Classics)

by H. G. Wells

The first great novel to imagine time travel, H. G. Wells’s The Time Machine (1895) follows its narrator on an incredible journey that takes him eventually to the earth’s last moments. When a Victorian scientist invents a machine that allows him to travel to the year A.D. 802,701, he encounters a highly evolved society of people called Eloi, for whom suffering has apparently been replaced by refinement and harmony. First impressions are misleading, however, and his discovery of the Eloi’s true relationship to the brutish Morlocks who lurk in tunnels beneath them leads him to a horrifying insight into the fate of mankind and its roots in his own time.

The War of the Worlds

by H. G. Wells, H.G. Wells

Accompanied by Edward's Gorey's masterful, timelessly haunting illustrations, H. G. Wells's classic story of alien invasion.

When massive, intelligent aliens from Mars touch down in Victorian England and threaten to destroy the civilized world, humanity's vaunted knowledge proves to be of little use. First published in 1898, H. G. Wells's masterpiece of speculative fiction has thrilled and delighted generations of readers, spawned countless imitations, and inspired dramatizations by such masters as Orson Welles and Steven Spielberg. The War of the Worlds is a fantasy that is both startlingly up-to-date and in touch with the most ancient of human fears.
In 1960, Edward Gorey prepared a set of his inimitable pen-and-ink drawings to illustrate a new edition of Wells's The War of the Worlds for the legendary Looking Glass Library. Characteristically quirky, elegant, and entrancing, Gorey's visual take on Wells's seminal tour de force has been unavailable for close to fifty years. This special hardcover edition from NYRB Classics brings back for today's readers a richly rewarding collaboration between two modern masters of all that's wonderful and strange.

The War of the Worlds

by H. G. Wells, H.G. Wells

The seminal masterpiece of alien invasion, The War of the Worlds (1898) conjures a terrifying, tentacled race of Martians who devastate the Earth and feed on their human victims while their voracious vegetation, the red weed, spreads over the ruined planet. After the novel’s hero finds himself trapped in what is left of London, despairing at the destruction of human civilization, he discovers that life on Earth is more resilient than he had imagined. Adapted by Orson Welles for his notorious 1938 radio drama and subsequently by many filmmakers, H. G. Wells’s timeless story shows no sign of losing its grip on readers’ imaginations.

The War of the Worlds

by H. G. Wells, H.G. Wells

“This isn't a war," said the artilleryman. "It never was a war, any more than there's war between man and ants.” ― H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds

The War of the Worlds is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells. It first appeared in serialized form in 1897, published simultaneously in Pearson's Magazine in the UK and Cosmopolitan magazine in the US. The first appearance in book form was published by William Heinemann of London in 1898.

It is the first-person narrative of an unnamed protagonist in Surrey and that of his younger brother in London as Earth is invaded by Martians. Written between 1895 and 1897, it is one of the earliest stories that detail a conflict between mankind and an extraterrestrial race. The novel is one of the most commented-on works in the science fiction canon. The War of the Worlds has two parts, Book One: The Coming of the Martians and Book Two: The Earth under the Martians.

The narrator, a philosophically inclined author, struggles to return to his wife while seeing the Martians lay waste to the southern country outside London. Book One also imparts the experience of his brother, also unnamed, who describes events as they deteriorate in the capital, forcing him to escape the Martian onslaught by boarding a paddle steamer near Tilling ham, on the Essex coast.

A True Classic that Belongs on Every Bookshelf!

The War of the Worlds

by H. G. Wells, H.G. Wells

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.

"For a time I believed that mankind had been swept out of existence, and that I stood there alone, the last man left alive."

When a strange, meteor-like object lands in the heart of England, the inhabitants of Earth find themselves victims of a terrible attack. A ruthless race of Martians, armed with heat rays and poisonous smoke, is intent on destroying everything that stands in its way. As the unnamed hero struggles to find his way across decimated wastelands, the fate of the planet hangs in the balance . . .

H. G. Wells was a pioneer of modern science fiction. First serialised in the UK in 1897, The War of the Worlds is one of the earliest stories to depict conflict with an extraterrestrial race, and has influenced countless adaptations and sequels.

The War of the Worlds

by H. G. Wells, H.G. Wells

The classic and terrifying HG Wells novel of alien invasion is now a landmark series for the BBC from the makers of Poldark, Victoria and And Then There Were None.

One night a shooting star is seen over the skies of Surrey. The next day, it's discovered to have been a mysterious metallic cylinder from Mars. What comes next is a terrifying alien attack, as tentacled Martian invaders emerge from the cylinder and prey on humankind using shocking new weapons against which the people of Victorian England can offer no resistance.

The aliens begin to devastate the area in their tripod machines, and as our narrator struggles to return to his wife, the fight for London - and the world - begins.

Now with a new introduction by Stephen Baxter.

'A true classic'
GUARDIAN

'Immortal science fiction'
TELEGRAPH

The War of the Worlds

by H. G. Wells, H.G. Wells

For the first time since their original publication in Pearson's Magazine, Warwick Goble's illustrations for The War of the Worlds are available in this exquisite hardcover edition. Combining the magazine's original art with the revised text from the story's subsequent publication in book form, this edition boasts more than fifty of Goble's black-and-white illustrations, providing an unforgettable visceral and atmospheric accompaniment to H. G. Wells's classic tale.

The War of the Worlds

by H. G. Wells, H.G. Wells

Now in paperback, and accompanied by Edward's Gorey's masterful, timelessly haunting illustrations, H. G. Wells's classic story of alien invasion.

When massive, intelligent aliens from Mars touch down in Victorian England and threaten to destroy the civilized world, humanity’s vaunted knowledge proves to be of little use.

First published in 1898, H. G. Wells’s masterpiece of speculative fiction has thrilled and delighted generations of readers, spawned countless imitations, and inspired dramatizations by such masters as Orson Welles and Steven Spielberg. The War of the Worlds is a fantasy that is startlingly up-to-date yet in touch with the most ancient of human fears.

In 1960, Edward Gorey prepared a set of his inimitable pen-and-ink drawings to illustrate a new edition of The War of the Worlds for the legendary Looking Glass Library. Characteristically quirky, elegant, and entrancing, Gorey’s visual take on Wells’s seminal tour de force was unavailable until 2005, when NYRB Classics reissued it in a special hardcover edition.

Now in paperback, this edition brings back for today’s readers a richly rewarding collaboration between two modern masters of all that’s wonderful and strange.

The Invisible Man

by H. G. Wells

The Invisible Man (1897) blends comedy and tragedy in its story of a scientist who discovers a way to make himself invisible. His inability to reverse the process leads to a radical disconnection from society—and eventually from his own sanity. Arriving in a town where no one knows him, disguised in bandages and dark glasses, the invisible man is driven to violent and criminal extremes before his secret is revealed. This prescient parable of the dark side of scientific progress demonstrates H. G. Wells’s signature gift for dramatizing humanity’s grandest possibilities and darkest fears.

The War of the Worlds (Bantam Classics)

by H. G. Wells

H.G. Wells's science fiction classic, the first novel to explore the possibilities of intelligent life from other planets, it still startling and vivid nearly after a century after its appearance, and a half-century after Orson Wells's infamous 1938 radio adaptation. The daring portrayal of aliens landing on English soil, with its themes of interplanetary imperialism, technological holocaust and chaos, is central to the career of H.G. Wells, who died at the dawn of the atomic age. The survival of mankind in the face of "vast and cool and unsympathetic" scientific powers spinning out of control was a crucial theme throughout his work. Visionary, shocking and chilling, The War Of The Worlds has lost none of its impact since its first publication in 1898.

The Island of Dr. Moreau (Bantam Classics)

by H. G. Wells

Ranked among the classic novels of the English language and the inspiration for several unforgettable movies, this early work of H. G. Wells was greeted in 1896 by howls of protest from reviewers, who found it horrifying and blasphemous. They wanted to know more about the wondrous possibilities of science shown in his first book, The Time Machine, not its potential for misuse and terror. In The Island of Dr. Moreau a shipwrecked gentleman named Edward Prendick, stranded on a Pacific island lorded over by the notorious Dr. Moreau, confronts dark secrets, strange creatures, and a reason to run for his life.

While this riveting tale was intended to be a commentary on evolution, divine creation, and the tension between human nature and culture, modern readers familiar with genetic engineering will marvel at Wells’s prediction of the ethical issues raised by producing “smarter” human beings or bringing back extinct species. These levels of interpretation add a richness to Prendick’s adventures on Dr. Moreau’s island of lost souls without distracting from what is still a rip-roaring good read.

The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance (Bantam Classic)

by H. G. Wells

Spine-tingling and entertaining, The Invisible Man is a science fiction classic–and a penetrating, unflinching look into the heart of human nature. To its author, H. G. Wells, the novel was as compelling as “a good gripping dream.” But to generations of readers, the terrible and evil experiment of the demented scientist, Griffin, has conveyed a chilling nightmare of believable horror. An atmosphere of ever-increasing suspense begins with the arrival of a mysterious stranger at an English village inn and builds relentlessly to the stark terror of a victim pursued by a maniacal invisible man. The result is a masterwork: a dazzling display of the brilliant imagination, psychological insight, and literary craftsmanship that made H. G. Wells one of the most influential writers of his time.

The War of the Worlds (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))

by H. G. Wells

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of H. G. Wells's famous novel about a Martian invasion. To celebrate, we are reissuing our adaptation of this sci-fi classic with brand-new cover art.

Selected Stories of H. G. Wells (Modern Library Classics)

by H. G. Wells

Ursula K. Le Guin’s selection of twenty-six stories showcases H. G. Wells’s genius and reintroduces readers to his singular talent for making the unbelievable seem utterly plausible.

He envisioned a sky filled with airplanes before Orville Wright ever left the ground. He described the spectacle of space travel decades before men set foot on the moon. H. G. Wells was a visionary, a man of science with an enduring literary touch, and his originality and inventiveness are fully on display in this essential collection.

“Wells imagined both dark and bright futures because his creed allowed both while promising neither, and because the eighty years of his life were years of immense intellectual and technological accomplishment and appalling violence and destruction.”—Ursula K. Le Guin, from the introduction

“Everything one imagines in the way of genius and fun.”—Rebecca West

Including these stories:

“A Slip Under the Microscope”
“The Remarkable Case of Davidson’s Eyes”
“The Plattner Story”
“Under the Knife”
“The Crystal Egg”
“The New Accelerator”
“The Stolen Body”
“The Argonauts of the Air”
“In the Abyss”
“The Star”
“The Land Ironclads”
“A Dream of Armageddon”
“The Lord of the Dynamos”
“The Valley of Spiders”
“The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham”
“The Man Who Could Work Miracles”
“The Magic Shop”
“Mr. Skelmersdale in Fairyland”
“The Door in the Wall”
“The Presence by the Fire”
“A Vision of Judgment”
“The Story of the Last Trump”
“The Wild Asses of the Devil”
“Answer to Prayer”
“The Queer Story of Brownlow’s Newspaper”
“The Country of the Blind”

The War of the Worlds: Gilded Pocket Edition (Arcturus Ornate Classics)

by H. G. Wells

This handsome gift edition presents H. G. Well's classic work of science fiction, The War of the Worlds, featuring a luxurious, silver-embossed cover design, gilded page edges and patterned endpapers.

In this thrilling tale of alien invasion, H. G. Wells changed the face of the science fiction genre. Following the travails of an unnamed narrator, The War of the Worlds reveals the true terror of life under an implacable and enigmatic foe. Armed with terrifying killing machines, black smoke and Heat-Rays, the Martians arrive in London and quickly subdue the resistance put up by British forces. Faced with extraordinary odds and a world changed beyond all recognition, nothing less than the survival of the human race is at stake.

This pocket gift edition contains the classic and unabridged text, presented with a silver embossed cover design, ivory pages, beautifully designed endpapers and silver gilded page edges. Part of the Arcturus Ornate Classics series, this book makes wonderful gift for any lover of classic fiction.

ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Ornate Classics are beautifully bound editions of iconic literary works across history. These compact, foil-embossed hardbacks are printed using deluxe ivory paper and make the perfect gift.

The Wheels of Chance: A Bicycling Idyll (Breakaway Books Series)

by H. G. Wells

A delightful romance on bicycles, and H. G. Wells' funniest novel.

The Invisible Man (Calico Illustrated Classics Set 3)

by H. G. Wells, Lisa Mullarkey

H.G. Wells's classic tale of scientific discovery and its consequences begins with a mysterious man entering the small village if Iping. When the town becomes suspicious of the stranger and the odd things happening since his arrival, he flees. Tales of the Invisible Man travel through the villages, but Dr. Kemp doesn't believe them--until the Invisible Man visits him! Young readers discover the chilling truth behind Griffin's scientific triumph in the Calico Illustrated Classics adaptation of Wells's The Invisible Man. Calico Chapter Books is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO Group. Grades 3-8.

Classic Tales of Science Fiction & Fantasy (Leather-bound Classics)

by H. G. Wells, Jack London, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, Edgar Rice Burroughs

Blast off into the unknown with this collection of ten classical works of science fiction and fantasy.

Long before we ventured into outer space or explored the most remote regions of the planet, writers have spun stories of what might lie in those unknown worlds, or what awaits humanity in the future. Classic Tales of Science Fiction & Fantasy is a collection of ten novels and short stories that blazed the trail for the popular genre. Works by acclaimed authors such as Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jack London, and H. P. Lovecraft will transport the reader to distant places and times—and set the imagination ablaze!

The War of the Worlds (Volume 32) (Knickerbocker Classics, 32)

by H. G. Wells

Find yourself caught in the middle of an alien invasion in the late 1800s in this thrilling science fiction classic.
A classic science fiction novel, The War of the Worlds tells the story of the martian invasion of Planet Earth. This late-ninteenth century novel plays on the mood of the period in which it was written - a world with great fears for its security and long-term stability. H.G. Wells predicts the brutal savagery of twentieth-century warfare through the lens of interplanetary conflict. This elegantly designed clothbound edition features an elastic closure and a new introduction by Aaron Parrett.
The Knickerbocker Classics bring together the works of classic authors from around the world in stunning gift editions to be collected and enjoyed. Complete and unabridged, these elegantly designed cloth-bound hardcovers feature a slipcase and ribbon marker, as well as a comprehensive introduction providing the reader with enlightening information on the author's life and works.

The Time Machine (Classics Illustrated Vintage Replica Hardcover)

by H. G. Wells

Wells's classic tale tells the story of the unnamed time traveller, who travels thousands of years into the future, where he encounters the strange, child-like people, the Eloi, and the terrifying underground race, the Morlocks.

Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colourful comic strip form, offering an excellent introduction for younger readers. This edition also includes a biography of H. G. Wells, theme discussions and study questions, which can be used both in the classroom or at home to further engage the reader in the story.

The Classics Illustrated comic book series began in 1941 with its first issue, Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers, and has since included over 200 classic tales released around the world. This new Vintage Replica hardback edition is part of a continuing effort to make Classics Illustrated available to all, be they young readers just beginning their journeys into the great world of classic literature, or collectors who have fond memories of this much loved comic book series.

The Magic Shop

by H. G. Wells

Out for a walk in London one day, Gip and his father happen upon a magic shop. At Gip's urging, the two go in — and things grow more and more curious by the minute. Counters, store fixtures, and mirrors seem to move around the room, and the shopkeeper is most mysterious of all. Gip is thrilled by all he sees, and his father is at first amused, but when things become stranger and sinister father is no longer sure where reality ends and illusion begins. Fantastical illustrations underscore the macabre atmosphere of the tale, make this a perfect book read aloud together again and again.

The Shape of Things to Come (Penguin Classics)

by H. G. Wells

The Shape of Things to Come tells of an intellectual who dies and leaves behind a "dream book" inspired by visions that are remarkably prescient.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

A Modern Utopia (Penguin Classics)

by H. G. Wells

In A Modern Utopia, two travelers fall into a space-warp and suddenly find themselves upon a Utopian Earth controlled by a single World Government.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The Sleeper Awakes (Penguin Classics) [ THE SLEEPER AWAKES (PENGUIN CLASSICS) ] By Wells, H G ( Author )Apr-25-2006 Paperback

by H. G. Wells

A fascinating and prescient account of a future dominated by capitalist greed and mechanical force

A troubled insomniac in 1890s England falls suddenly into a sleep-like trance, from which he does not awake for over two hundred years. During his centuries of slumber, however, investments are made that make him the richest and most powerful man on Earth. But when he comes out of his trance he is horrified to discover that the money accumulated in his name is being used to maintain a hierarchal society in which most are poor, and more than a third of all people are enslaved. Oppressed and uneducated, the masses cling desperately to one dream - that the sleeper will awake, and lead them all to freedom.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

A Novel Journal: H. G. Wells (Compact)

by H. G. Wells

If you're stranded on an island, you'll want this journal with you!

If you're looking for a new book in which to record your thoughts, lists, and more, you're in luck! Canterbury Classics, known for publishing fine works of literature, has released their next set of writing journals for your story recording pleasure! Tiny print encompassing the entire text of three stories by H. G. Wells creates the lines throughout this notebook, so you can pen your words right next to those of one of the greatest authors of all time. With heat-burnished Svepa covers featuring a clever quote, illustrated endpapers, foil stamping, colored edges, and an elastic band to hold it all together, you'll want to collect the whole Novel Journal series.

The Great Science Fiction The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, Short Stories

by H. G. Wells

'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'

Exploring the primordial nightmares that lurk within humanity's dreams of progress and technology, H. G. Wells was a science fiction pioneer. This new omnibus edition brings together four of his hugely original and influential science-fiction novels - The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man and The War of the Worlds - with his most unsettling and strange short stories. Containing monstrous experiments, terrifying journeys, alien occupiers and grotesque creatures, these visionary tales discomfit and disturb, and retain the power to trouble our sense of who we are.

With an introduction by Matthew Beaumont

H.g. Wells: The Essential Collection (Knickerbocker Classics)

by H. G. Wells

Product description This superb collection of classic science-fiction writing features the most notable works of H.G. Wells, including The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), War of the Worlds (1898), and The First Men in the Moon (1901). Considered the Father of Science Fiction (along with Jules Verne), H.G. Wells achieved overnight literary success upon the publication of The Time Machine. Infusing his novels with social, scientific, and prophetic ideas, Wells predicted--he was a futurist--modern inventions and world events. Now his classic and influential sci-fi works are available--complete and unabridged--in this gorgeous edition. The stylish edition also features a historical timeline and comprehensive introduction, enlightening the reader on the author’s life and works. About the Author Herbert George "H.G." Wells (1866–1946) was a prolific English writer best known for his timeless science fiction novels, including The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, and The War of the Worlds. After winning a scholarship to the prestigious Normal School of Science in London, where he studied biology and helped found The Science School Journal, he became a teacher and embarked on an impressive literary career that resulted in four Nobel Prize nominations. Wells also wrote extensively on politics and social matters and was one of the foremost public intellectuals of his day. Allen Grove is a Professor and Chair of the English Department at Alfred University. He holds a PhD in English from the University of Pennsylvania and his research and teaching focus primarily on eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and early twentieth-century British fiction.

The War of the Worlds (Signet Classics)

by H. G. Wells

For more than one hundred years H. G. Wells’ classic science fiction tale of the Martian invasion of Earth has enthralled readers with a combination of imagination and incisive commentary on the imbalance of power that continues to be relevant today.

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....

So begins The War of the Worlds, the science fiction classic that first proposed the possibility of intelligent life on other planets and has enthralled readers for generations. This compelling tale describes the Martian invasion of earth. When huge, tireless creatures land in England, complete chaos erupts. Using their fiery heat rays and crushing strength, the aliens just may succeed in silencing all opposition. Is life on earth doomed? Will mankind survive? A timeless view of a universe turned upside down, The War of the Worlds is an ingenious and imaginative look into the possibilities of the future and the secrets yet to be revealed.

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY KARL KROEBER AND AN AFTERWORD BY ISAAC ASIMOV

The Invisible Man (Signet Classics)

by H. G. Wells

From the twentieth century's first great practitioner of the novel of ideas comes a consummate masterpiece of science fiction about a man trapped in the terror of his own creation.

A stranger emerges out of a freezing February day with a request for lodging in a cozy provincial inn. Who is this out-of-season traveler? More confounding is the thick mask of bandages obscuring his face. Why is he disguised in such a manner? What keeps him hidden in his room? The villagers, aroused by trepidation and curiosity, bring it upon themselves to find the answers. What they discover is not only a man trapped in the terror of his own creation, but a chilling reflection of the unsolvable mysteries of their own souls.

“My fantastic stories do not pretend to deal with possible things. They aim indeed only at the same amount of conviction as one gets in a gripping good dream.”—H. G. Wells

With an Introduction by W. Warren Wagar
and an Afterword by Scott Westerfeld

The Time Machine

by H. G. Wells

Wells was interested in the implications of evolutionary theory on the future of human beings at the biological, sociological, and cultural levels, and The Time Machine, short and readable, draws on many of the social and scientific debates of the time. The Broadview edition of this science fiction classic includes extensive materials on Wells’s scientific and political influences.

H.G. Wells: Timeless Adventures from the Father of Science Fiction

by H. G. Wells

A superb collection of the most famous works by H.G. Wells, the father of science fiction.

Few can claim a literary legacy to match that of H.G. Wells, who conjured fantastic tales that continue to stir both wonder and terror in readers after more than a century. His messages remain strikingly relevant today, with cutting social critiques and almost visionary portrayals of the future. This collection contains Wells’s most notable science fiction works, including his four most popular novels: the eerily prescient The Time Machine; The War of the Worlds, with its paranoia of an alien invasion; The Invisible Man; and The Island of Dr. Moreau. In addition, the book includes ten of his very best short stories, making this an essential addition to every sci-fi fan’s library.

The War of the Worlds (Union Square Kids Unabridged Classics)

by H. G. Wells

What would happen if Martians landed on Earth—and none of our weapons could stop them? H.G. Wellss timeless masterpiece—which spawned many a movie adaptation—imagines this frightening scenario. The horrifying bug-like extraterrestrials, which can wipe out entire crowds with a single heat-ray and poisonous gas, first appear in the English countryside … and then wreak havoc. Narrated by an unnamed protagonist who flees home to seek out safe ground, this terrifying tale creates a shockingly realistic vision of what might happen if fearsome, technologically superior aliens attacked us. Beautifully illustrated by acclaimed artist Scott McKowen, this Unabridged Classic will rivet kids and adults alike.

The Time Machine An Invention

by H. G. Wells

When the intrepid Time Traveller finds himself in the year 802,701, he encounters a seemingly utopian society of evolved human beings but then unearths the dark secret that sets mankind on course toward its inevitable destruction. An insightful look into a distant, bleak, and disturbing future, The Time Machine goes beyond the reaches of science fiction to provide a strikingly relevant discussion of social progress, class struggle, and the human condition.

Hailed as a masterpiece of its genre, H. G. Wells’s famous novella about the perils of history and the hubris of modernity comes vividly alive in this remarkable reissue of a unique 1931 illustrated edition.

The Time Machine (Legend Classics)

by H. G. Wells

Part of the Legend Classics series
A brilliant scientist constructs a machine that allows him to journey into the future. He travels to the year AD 802,701 where he discovers that humanity has evolved into two separate races: the beautiful vegetarian Eloi people who live purposeless lives and the terrifying carnivorous Morlocks who lives under the ground. After barely escaping the Morlocks, the time-travelling scientist has to make yet another trip even further into the future
The Time Machine is considered one of the best science-fiction novel of all time and the first to popularize the concept of a time machine – a term coined by Wells.

Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Stories

by H. G. Wells, Andrew Erikson

Science fiction and fantasy have gone hand-in-hand since their emergence at the end of the 19th century.

Containing the best short stories from the two genres' masters, this collection brings together the outstanding imaginations of writers, including:

H. G. Wells George Griffith Robert E. Howard William Morris Charles B. Stilson Nathaniel Hawthorne W. L. Alden Ambrose Bierce John York Cabot Harry Gore Bishop Robert Barr Nictzin Dyalhis Kenneth Morris
Both lovers of science fiction and fantasy tales as well as those new to the genres will appreciate this unique collection.

The Classic Science Fiction Collection

by H. G. Wells, Jules Verne

For more than 100 years, science fiction writers have told tales of alien encounters and fascinating technologies and they have warned of the dangers of dystopian governments. From Victorians experimenting with time travel to pioneers exploring the depths of space, the stories collected here are a tribute to the imagination of the inventors of the modern science fiction genre. Some tales are filled with boundless optimism for the ingenuity of humanity while others provide fearful warnings of the risks of war and the dangers of technology. This collection includes stories from H. G. Wells, Jules Verne, Stanley Weinbaum, Jack London, Austin Hall, and George Griffith amongst others. Includes short stories by such esteemed writers as H. G. Wells, Jules Verne, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Jack London. Spans the range of the science fiction genre from dystopian futures to deep space adventures to time travel.

The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance (Modern Library Classics)

by H. G. Wells

A gripping and entertaining tale of terror and suspense as well as a potent Faustian allegory of hubris and science run amok, The Invisible Man endures as one of the signature stories in the literature of science fiction. A brilliant scientist uncovers the secret to invisibility, but his grandiose dreams and the power he unleashes cause him to spiral into intrigue, madness, and murder. The inspiration for countless imitations and film adaptations, The Invisible Man is as remarkable and relevant today as it was a hundred years ago. As Arthur C. Clarke points out in his Introduction, “The interest of the story . . . lies not in its scientific concepts, but in the brilliantly worked out development of the theme of invisibility. If one could be invisible, then what?”

The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance (The Art of the Novella)

by H. G. Wells

ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED WORKS OF SCIENCE FICTION

H.G. Wells' classic The Invisible Man is an artful combination of a psychological thriller and science fiction novel. A young scientist who discovers the secret of invisibility feels initial joy at his newfound freedoms and abilities, but quickly turns to despair when he realizes the many things he has sacrificed in the pursuit of science. While he struggles to create the formula that will restore his visibility and his connection to other people, murder and mayhem ensue.

THE ART OF THE NOVELLA
Too short to be a novel, too long to be a short story, the novella is generally unrecognized by academics and publishers but beloved and practiced by literature's greatest writers. The Art of the Novella Series celebrates this renegade art form and its practitioners. The series has been recognized for its "excellence in design" by AIGA.

The Rights of Man (Vintage Classics)

by H. G. Wells

H. G. Wells’s passionate and influential manifesto—never before available in the United States—was first published in England in 1940 in response to World War II. The progressive ideas Wells set out were instrumental in the creation of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the UK’s Human Rights Act. In the face of a global miscarriage of justice, The Rights of Man made a clear statement of mankind’s responsibilities to itself.

Seventy-five years later we are again witnessing a humanitarian crisis, with human rights in developed nations under threat and millions of refugees displaced. A new introduction to Wells’s work by award-winning novelist Ali Smith underlines the continuing urgency and relevance of one of the most important humanitarian texts of the twentieth century.

Classics Reimagined, The Time Machine

by H. G. Wells

Retold with stunning modern illustrations by the artist team Ale + Ale, The Time Machine is a masterpiece of invention and storytelling from the father of science fiction, H. G. Wells.

In this unabridged classic, the time-traveling protagonist is propelled by his machine to the distant year of 802,701 AD. To his horror, he finds only a decaying Earth that is being gradually swallowed by the Sun, and where two strange species—the delicate Eloi and the fierce, subterranean Morlocks—inhabit an eerie dystopia. The Time Machine is a must-read for any science-fiction fan.

The collage illustrations enhance the story through vivid imagery and detail. Key passages of the book are highlighted in eye-catching typography, further enriching the experience for new readers and those familiar with this masterwork.

The Classics Reimagined series is a library of stunning collector's editions of unabridged classic novels illustrated by contemporary artists from around the world. Each artist offers his or her own unique, visual interpretation of the most well-loved, widely read, and avidly collected literature from renowned authors. From Frankenstein to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and from Jane Austen to Edgar Allan Poe, collect every beautiful volume.

Anticipations of the Reaction of Mechanical and Scientific Progress Upon Human Life and Thought

by H. G. Wells

In 1901, the great writer and social critic attempted to predict the future in this book, a fascinating mix of accurate forecasts — development of cars, buses and trucks, use of flying machines in combat, decline of permanent marriage — and wild misses, including the prediction that submarines will suffocate their crews and founder at sea.

The Island of Doctor Moreau (Oxford World's Classics)

by H. G. Wells

A shipwrecked Edward Prendick finds himself stranded on a remote Noble island, the guest of a notorious scientist, Doctor Moreau. Disturbed by the cries of animals in pain, and by his encounters with half-bestial creatures, Edward slowly realizes his danger and the extremes of the Doctor's experiments.

Saturated in pain and disgust, suffused with grotesque and often unbearable images of torture and bodily mutilation, The Island of Doctor Moreau is unquestionably a shocking novel. It is also a serious, and highly knowledgeable, philosophical engagement with Wells's times, with their climate of scientific openness and advancement, but also their anxieties about the ethical nature of scientific discoveries, and their implications for religion. Darryl Jones's introduction places the book in both its scientific and literary context; with the Origin of Species and Gulliver's Travels, and argues that The Island of Doctor Moreau is, like all of Wells's best fiction, is fundamentally a novel of ideas.

The War of the Worlds (Oxford World's Classics)

by H. G. Wells

One of the most important and influential invasion narratives ever written, The War of the Worlds (1897) describes the coming of the Martians, who land in Woking, and make their way remorselessly towards the capital, wreaking chaos, death, and destruction.

The novel is closely associated with anxiety about a possible invasion of Great Britain at the turn of the century, and concerns about imperial expansion and its impact, and it drew on the latest astronomical knowledge to imagine a desert planet, Mars, turning to Earth for its future. The Martians are also evolutionarily superior to mankind.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Classic Starts®: the Time Machine

by H. G. Wells

Travel into the future in this abridged retelling of The Time Machine, part of the bestselling Classic Starts® series that has sold more than 8 million copies!

After inventing a time machine, the Traveler leaves Victorian London and goes far, far into the future. At first, the world he discovers seems peaceful and prosperous. But as he looks farther below the surface, he realizes that things are not exactly as they first appeared. . . .



This abridged retelling is the perfect way to introduce young readers to the imaginative world of science fiction and time travel.

Classic Starts®: the War of the Worlds

by H. G. Wells

An abridged and illustrated chapter book retelling of the sci-fi classic--part of the bestselling Classic Starts® series that has sold more than 8 million copies!



H. G. Wells, a revolutionary science fiction writer and the author of The Time Machine, dazzles in this sci-fi classic about Martians invading Earth. One of the first stories to imagine a war between humankind and extraterrestrials, The War of the Worlds is an adventure that has inspired artists and scientists since it was first published.



The Classic Starts® series has sold more than 8 million copies since it launched in 2004. These abridged, kid-friendly editions are the perfect way to introduce beloved stories to the next generation. Each book includes discussion questions by early childhood educator Arthur Pober, EdD.

The Country of the Blind

by H. G. Wells

"Over the mountains I come," said Nunez, "out of the country beyond there--where men can see. From near Bogota, where there are a hundred thousands of people, and where the city passes out of sight."

One of the acknowledged masters of speculative fiction, H.G. Wells conducts in this short story a disconcerting thought experiment. What would become of a community if its members were somehow deprived of sight? How would society evolve in the absence of the very concept of visibility? And what if, one day, a sighted outsider suddenly found himself in this country of the blind?

Eris Gems make available in the form of beautifully produced saddle-stitched booklets a series of outstanding short works of fiction and non-fiction.

Gothic Horror Stories Frightful Tales of the Supernatural

by Robert Louis Stevenson, Mary Shelley, H. G. Wells, Ambrose Bierce, Edgar Allan Poe, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

This chilling collection brings together 15 classic tales by landmark gothic writers, including Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, Sheridan Le Fanu, presented in a luxury hardback edition with striking sprayed edge designs.

Gothic fiction emerged in the 18th century, recognized for its bleak and sinister landscapes which housed unnatural forces of evil. Often controversial in their time, these stories pushed the boundaries of what was possible in fiction and evoked unsettling emotions as they told their tales of mysterious places, lost secrets, and sudden, shocking violence.

This collection brings together the very best within the genre, featuring crumbling castles, chilling cathedrals, and haunted manors as their eerie settings. Supernatural terrors lurk around every corner.

Includes:
- The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe
- The Red Room by H.G. Wells
- Oglala by Robert Louis Stevenson
- The Dream by Mary Shelley
- A Chapter in the History of a Tyrone Family by Sheridan Le Fanu

Presented in a striking gift edition with a silver-embossed cover design, sprayed edges, ivory paper and beautiful endpaper designs, this anthology makes a wonderful treasury for lovers of gothic horror.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Gilded Classics series presents luxury gift editions of classics works, printed on opulent ivory paper, featuring hardcover Wibilin binding, foil-embossed cover designs, striking page edges and beautiful endpaper designs . These make perfect collectibles for lovers of classic literature.

Stories for Seafarers Boxed Set Three Unforgettable Tales from Above and Below the Waves

by Robert Louis Stevenson, H. G. Wells, Jules Verne

Plunge into a trio of high-seas adventures! A perfectly curated gift for ocean lovers, this elegant boxed set houses three compelling classics in artful new editions.





Stories for Seafarers brings together three timeless tales in one beautiful collection:

• Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island offers classic swashbuckling charm.
• H. G. Wells' The Sea Lady delivers satirical social commentary in the guise of a mermaid story.
• Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a kaleidoscopic tour of the ocean and a fascinating character study.

• Classic literature fans
• Bibliophiles and collectors of special editions
• Readers of pirate stories, mermaid stories, and other adventure tales
• Fans of sailing and other ocean sports
• Anyone looking for sea-themed decor for their home
• Fans of artist Jim Tierney