Select Works of H. G. Wells (5 vols.)

by H. G. Wells

Publishers:

Bernhard Tauchnitz; Henry Holt & Co.; Harper & Brothers; Stone & Kimball

, 1895–1898

Overview

Sometimes called “the Father of Science Fiction” (alongside greats such as Jules Verne and Hugo Gernsback), H. G. Wells played a pivotal role in shaping the science fiction world. Over the decades, science fiction pioneers have paid homage to Wells, alluding to his works and often even including him as a character. Wells’ wealth of writings grappled with England’s scientific, ethical, and political issues, confronting the reality he inhabited with the realities he constructed.

The Select Works of H. G. Wells collection contains four of his best-known novels—The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The Island of Doctor Moreau—as well as a collection of 30 short stories. Fans of science fiction and lovers of literature will enjoy these classic works.

In the digital editions, these volumes are enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Powerful searches help you find exactly what you’re looking for. Tablet and mobile apps let you take the discussion with you. With Logos, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Five works by one of the fathers of science fiction
• Some of the most influential works of science fiction
• 30 imaginative short stories

Praise for the Author

. . . by the time [Wells] was forty, his influence was wider than any other living English writer.

—Malcolm Cowley, author, Blue Juniata

. . . the most important writer [science fiction] has yet seen.

—John Clute, science fiction historian

Product Details

• Title: Select Works of H. G. Wells
• Author: H. G. Wells
• Volumes: 5
• Pages: 1,536

The War of the Worlds

• Author: H. G. Wells
• Publisher: Bernhard Tauchnitz
• Publication Date: 1898
• Pages: 288

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

The War of the Worlds is a classic science fiction novel. The story follows an unnamed narrator through Surrey and London in the midst of a Martian invasion. It is one of the first stories to present a confrontation between humans and extraterrestrials. Since its first publication over 100 years ago, The War of the Worlds has never gone out of print. The novel has influenced both popular culture and science, and it continues to be one of the most discussed works of science fiction.

The Time Machine

• Author: H. G. Wells
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
• Publication Date: 1895
• Pages: 216

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

The Time Machine is a classic science fiction novella. It is the origin of the term “time machine,” used to describe a vehicle that allows the main character to travel thousands of years into the future, where he lives among the evolved versions of humanity. The story has been adapted numerous times, and its revolutionary concepts are now commonplace in the science fiction genre.

The Invisible Man

• Author: H. G. Wells
• Publisher: Edward Arnold
• Publication Date: 1897
• Pages: 279

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

In The Invisible Man, a scientist named Griffin discovers a way to manipulate his body’s refractive index so that it absorbs and reflects no light, making him invisible. After successfully conducting the experiment on himself, Griffin fails to reverse the procedure, and must live as an invisible man. The story has been adapted, expanded upon, and used as a premise for numerous other works in a wide range of media.

The Invisible Man is as much an investigation of the human psyche as it is a story of an amazing invention. . .

—Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review

The Island of Doctor Moreau

• Author: H. G. Wells
• Publisher: Stone & Kimball
• Publication Date: 1896
• Pages: 249

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

The Island of Doctor Moreau is a science fiction novel in which a man becomes stranded on an island inhabited by Dr. Moreau and the humanoid creatures he has made from animals through vivisection. The story explores questions of scientific ethics, humanity, and nature.

Thirty Strange Stories

• Author: H. G. Wells
• Publisher: Harper & Brothers
• Publication Date: 1898
• Pages: 504

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Thirty Strange Stories contains a selection of H. G. Wells’ short stories. The stories fall into the genres of scientific romance, science fiction, and horror.

Contents:

• The Strange Orchid
• Æpyornis Island
• The Plattner Story
• The Argonauts of the Air
• The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham
• The Stolen Bacillus
• The Red Room
• A Moth (Genus Unknown)
• In the Abyss
• Under the Knife
• The Reconciliation
• A Slip under the Microscope
• In the Avu Observatory
• The Triumphs of a Taxidermist
• A Deal in Ostriches
• The Rajah’s Treasure
• The Story of Davidson’s Eyes
• The Cone
• The Purple Pileus
• A Catastrophe
• Le Mari Terrible
• The Apple
• The Sad Story of a Dramatic Critic
• The Jilting of Jane
• The Lost Inheritance
• Pollock and the Porroh Man
• The Sea Raiders
• In the Modern Vein
• The Lord of the Dynamos
• The Treasure in the Forest

About H. G. Wells

Herbert George Wells (1866–1946) was an English writer, sometimes referred to as “The Father of Science Fiction,” along with Jules Verne and Hugo Gernsback. While Wells is best-known for his classic works of science fiction, he wrote successfully in a number of genres. His politically charged writings offered unique perspectives on culture, class, government, war, and science. Wells’ works were highly influential, and he himself frequently appears as a character in the works of other writers, both in literature and in film. His other works include Kipps: The History of Mr. Polly, Tono-Bungay, Anticipations of the Reaction of Mechanical and Scientific Progress upon Human Life and Thought, When the Sleeper Wakes, The First Men in the Moon, and “The Country of the Blind.”