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+--- Thread: (Re)Reading H.G. Wells (/showthread.php?tid=3332)
(Re)Reading H.G. Wells - King Bob - 02-05-2015
I found a book of his short stories (The Stolen Bacillus) at the library booksale and since it was a small investment decided to go for it, although I didn't really like the only oher stories of his I had read - "The Land Ironclads" and another one involving airships that I can't remember the title of. Anyway, this was quite good. The title story is probably the first story that references germ warfare. All fall into a pretty standard SF short story template: character thrust into strange situation, ensuing confusion and then reveal of what was happening, often wrapped in a framing story of someone telling the story. But they are clever.
After that I decided to re-read and read some novels of his:
The Time Machine
Of course it's a classic, but the concept of split evolution of humans is weak. However it has good atmosphere and some great passages.
The Island of Doctor Moreau
Today this suffers from the impossibility of surgically modifying animals into men, so you have to accept that. There is a good feeling of growing dread combined with growing understanding in the narrator, and the ending (last page or two) is so great that it was stunning. It is short, and so worth reading it just for the great ending.
First Men in the Moon
I have a particular fondness for this one, probably from seeing the movie as a child (and I bought a paperback of it at ACWLP in the Oaks when I was in high school). It is good. A good setup of an alien race, some action, and cleverly tied up at the end. I recommend it.
The War of the Worlds
I think this is perhaps his masterpiece. He does a great job of rendering the narrator's incredulity of what is going on, and the loneliness and utter strangeness he feels. The concept of the Martians wanting our blood is goofy, but you have to go with it. And the idea of them being defeated by our bacteria is great. I think there is at least one recent novel related to this, but I have not read it.
Of course with all of them you have to have a fondness for a (now) archaic writing style, but since no doubt you have all read the convoluted style of Lovecraft then you can handle it.