H. G. Wells Books

Where Joe R. Lansdale's Zeppelins West was a wild and glorious romp, its sequel, Flaming London, is a much more controlled and philosophical novel. That being said, it's got more scatological material (poop jokes, hole jokes, colon references, lots of flatulence, tons of doo, etc.,) than any other work in literature than, perhaps Ben Jonson's "On the Famous Voyage" (Poem CXXXIII from Epigrams). Though less highfalutin, Lansdale's a lot more fun than Jonson. So there. The only surviving characters from Zeppelins West are Ned the Seal (whose diary relates approximately half the story), Sitting Bull, and Cat. The new characters added to this tale of Martians and vicious pirates invading earth through time rips (somehow this mixture actually works, believe it or not) are tremendous: Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain, drunk and down and out and not selling a thing in the Casbah [Tangiers]); H. G. Wells (an idealistic divorcee who's lost in his own world that ultimately is the only hope for them all); Rikwalk (a giant Martian / Extraterrestrial ape hero that's as pitiable and powerful as King Kong); the unforgettable Steam Man of the Prairie (ten thousand tons of Martian-stomping steel); and Jules Verne (who, in the end, may or may not have saved the day; we just don't know). The book's winning virtue is Ned's humor, self-deprecation, and good-willed sarcasm. Lansdale's prose wins its reader over with its down-to-earth take on all things heroic (Rikwalk's desire to help humanity in spite of his nihilistic loneliness) and things all too human (Mark Twain's explanation to John Feather that good cursing makes all language universal). All in all, this is an excellent off-kilter but (at the same time) finely polished adventure. As to art work, Tim Truman's painted cover is magnificent, his interior illustrations are pretty good (though his Martian machines were awesome, I wasn't taken with his pterodactyls). As to editions: Even if you're a die-hard Lansdale fan, the only thing the limited edition boxed set (ranging from $55 - $200) gets you is a four-page sketchbook section and a yellow faux snakeskin slipcase. There is, however, one rather cool picture of an octopus-inspired Martian with a Giger-type head that's got teeth that would make a shark tearful with jealousy. This is replaced on the cover with a picture of Twain?! I don't understand it, but it's true. I don't know if this one picture makes it worth the extra price. All the other sketches are of variations of the Martian machines and not all that good, to be frank. All in all, if you're new to Lansdale, this is an excellent place to start as long as you realize this is Lansdale, the raw version. If you're a reader of Southern fiction (especially modern Southern Gothic), rip-roaring humor, or the other side of genre fiction, you'll like it. If you're a Lansdale fan, you simply can't afford to miss it. I read it non-stop from start to finish in spite of myself and loved every single minute of it. I mean, how can you go wrong with a book whose first chapter is entitled "Huck Bites It and Mark Twain Moves Out"?! Lansdale's London is as flammable and flamboyant as it gets.

A flipper War of the Worlds.


Where the coolest guy is a seal. Yes, literally.

Here he teams up with Mark Twain and Jules Verne, among others.

The problem? A Martian invasion. What else would be good in such a Victorian adventure? (of course, given it is Mr. Lansdale, rather a bit more irreverent tha your usual tales of the era)

Yep, giant talking apes, and mechanical men.

Raybeams, bashing, and throw in a time machine later on for a continuing possibility.

All very silly, but pretty likely to make you chuckle, too.


3.5 out of 5

JRL continues his Philip Jose Farmer like bizarro scifi excursion into the strange with supreme success. Twisted literary humor and good old fashioned appeal, buy this book from one of the most prolific authors ever. Highly recommended.

When you want full-bore weirdness, Joe Lansdale is the go-to guy. Flaming London is the sequel to Zeppelins West (and also to Joe's novella "The Steam Man of the Prairie"). If you haven't read Zeppelins West, you should probably do that before you read any further here because I'm going to tell you that Ned the Seal was about the only survior of the earlier book, although a couple of others put in a brief appearance. In this one Ned teams up with Mark Twain and Jules Verne as they try to save an alternate Victorian earth from the Martian invasion described by H. G. Wells in The War of the Worlds.

Flaming London is a very short novel, but there's a lot going on. It has Martians with tentacles and two anuses, a giant ape, the Steam Man, trips by balloon (and several other gadgets), pirates, the Flying Dutchman, and, well, a lot of other stuff. If you're looking for tight plotting, look somewhere else. What you've got here is action, scatalogical (and other) humor that provides plenty of laughs, and some commentary on the human condition courtesy of a literate seal. You also have one of the most blatant set-ups for a sequel since the heyday of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Mark Twain may the one of the major characters, but it's Ned the Seal who gets all the best lines. Tim Truman's artwork is a fine complement to the text. You know you need this book, so what are you waiting for? Go get it.

For folks who work within a budget, being able to have a book that encompasses an affordable and unique game is a must! You will have a blast with this variation on "Floor Games".

Little Orcs Wars is a great book! It breaks down the simple HG Wells orignial Little Wars rules into even easier, and very playable, rules for use with fantasy (or really any) miniatures. Really fun to play for everyone!


So now me and some friends been playing this game, and refining the rule set, for the past year and it's awesome! Now there are rules that incorporate more fantasy options, like giants, elementals, mages and monsters. My personal favorite is that giants can launch boulders as well as attack as a melee unit, so it's like having a walking, smashing, catapult! Just sucks when tehy get knocked over...

As a long time fan of H.G. Wells, I was super excited to hear that someone was coming out with some H.G. Wells stuff and as an owner of this book I can honestly say that anyone who is a fan should have this book and doesn't have a complete collection if they don't!

H.G. Wells would be proud of this publishing company! What will Skirmisher come up with next? This is one of the most addicting games I've played in a long time.... Don't want a game that makes you think too much? Don't want a game which forces you to learn arcane and complicated rules? Want a game where you can drink a few cold ones and not have it negatively impact your game (some would say there ought to be a two beer minimum!) I recommend this book to all!

H.G.Wells' Outline of History rings more than one bell from some forgotten toddler era of one's paidaia and it comes as a shock to discover this complot behind the original bestseller, and still for many in small town public libraries their intro to world history. It is therefore significant to have record set straight. The author revives the nearly misplaced story of Florence Deeks and her manuscript's fate at the hands of her publishers and presents the convincing case for Wells' use of the text as an 'outline' prefab and accelerant for his otherwise unaccountable haste in producing his very long work. There is a curious sort of last judgment at least--the facts of the case resurface to expose the deed to history and memory. Well done sherlocking.

I read this book while conducting some "extra-curricular" research on plagiarism. What I found most interesting in this book by A.B. McKillop was the incredible determination of Florence Deeks to achieve justice, even if it meant appealing to the highest courts in the Canadian and British judicial systems. Deeks lost these appeals, but A.B. McKillop's documentation of Wells' plagiarism of a woman author--in a time when women weren't really supposed to aspire to authorship--will ensure that the facts of this unfortunate case are there for anyone wanting to know where many of Well's "brilliant" ideas/plots/books really came from.

As McKillop notes, Deeks wasn't the only author Wells had stolen from. When Ms. Deeks came forward, other authors came forward with their allegations about Wells' appropriation of their ideas. But they lacked the determination which compelled Florence Deeks to pursue her case, even if it meant crossing the Atlantic, spending fortunes in legal fees, and sparring with unsympathetic judicial big wigs.

Wells' wholesale copying/minimal paraphrasing was so blatant that he even left in some of the very mistakes Deeks had made in her book manuscript, and McKillop documents such mistakes thoroughly with photos of original manuscript pages included among other evidence such as log book entries for Macmillan Publishers. Copying of errors from one text to another is a sort of basic error which gets more than a few modern plagiarists in trouble, for example, students who forget to "update" an Internet paper download.

Such errors that McKillop documents in this excellent book are the most convincing aspect of the work. Wells may continue to receive post-humous accolades and honors from the world of science fiction and from the movie industry. And irony of ironies-- the book that he plagiarized from Ms Deeks, "Outline of History" is still available in moder format under his name! And the royalties from such works continue to enrich the agents for his work, not to mention his family.

Such is the life of a plagiarist. The wordthief gets the $$$, recognition and fame, immortality as an author. Those who do things the "right" way barely scrape by, remain obscure, and are altogether forgotten.

Dr. Herbert Ulysses Quickwit

Although largely forgotten today, H.G. Wells' "Outline of History" was one of the great bestsellers of the post-World War I era. Readers by the thousands eagerly consumed this work, a tale of humankind from the prehistoric era to the present day. Although Wells was a well-established literary figure, he had made his repoutation as a popular novelist; the appearance of the "Outline" would be somewhat akin to a similar work appearing under the signature of Tom Clancy or Stephen King today.

Florence Deeks, meanwhile, was a Canadian woman of no literary reputation or fame. But a few years earlier, she had set for herself the ambitious task of writing a history of humankind, with an emphasis on the contributions of women. She submitted her manuscript for publication, and was surprised to receive it back, rejected, only after an eight-month interval. Even more puzzling was the condition of the document--dogeared, soiled, generally well worn.

For Deeks, at least, the mystery was solved when she read a review, which led her to purchase a copy of "The Outline of History." It immediately became clear to her that Wells had based his work on hers. Not only was the general structure virtually the same, whole passages were lifted verbatim.

The bulk of this well-researched, well-written book is the saga of Deeks' unsucessful, decade-long struggle for justice in the legal system of Canada and the U.K. It becomes sadly, abundantly clear, that the authorities never considered her plagarism suit on its obvious merits. As is so often the case, reputation triumphed over the right.

A.B. McKillop has taken a now obscure literary and legal episode and brought it vividly to life again in this outstanding work. McKillop's sympathies are clearly (and correctly) with Deeks, who struggled so long for justice against overwhelming odds. Her telling of the tale is so compelling that the reader is swept up in a sense of outrage, and even though the outcome is foreordained, a wish that somehow things could turn out differently in the end. Sadly, the only true vindication for Deeks is in the pages of this book. But at least posterity will know the true story.--William C. Hall

This book is foremost a look at the position of women in Canada (and the UK) in the literary and legal worlds. It is also very well written, with interesting information about H.G. Wells' personal life, his attitude toward women (including his long suffering wife and Rebecca West), his sense of self-importance and his scorn for
"unimportant" writers.

H. G. Wells's book "The War of the Worlds" has been interpreted by many people like Steven Spielberg, Byron Haskin, and Orson Welles. I have seen and heard all of them, but there is nothing that can prepare you for this book. I would recommendthis book to any sci-fi lover.
This book takes place on the island of Great Britain. It is in the 1890s when few cars existed and most travel is done by train or horse and buggy. So in the story the main character is an astronomer who saw some kind of jet of gas on Mars. Later you find that it was a gun that shot pods with Martians in them. The Martians looked like gigantic heads on three little legs. They didn't eat what they did was inject human blood into them. They used machines to distory the humans.
I realy like this and I think you would too.

We are in 1898 England. Yep we see something happening on the surface of Mars. Later what looks like a meteor comes to earth. Once we realize the significant of the situation (or think we do) Different people approach the situation in different ways. The true story is how the different people meet the situation.
Many people want to equate this story with real potential invasions others as the bad guys vs. the good guys. However from the very first we see that they are the greater (more evolved) intelligence and we are the equivalent of vermin or the ants that are being held under the magnifying glass. From our point of view they seem like cruel creatures, from theirs is indifference. Their way of consuming nourishment is appalling yet look at what and how we eat.
The writing its self is of the time in which Wells lived so the descriptions of our world may seem a little alien to today's younger readers. However the suspense is still there and the story will hold their attention.
Do not miss the 1953 movie. Even thought it adds more religious overtones it is still pretty much the same story with similar characters. Of course this one names the narrator and adds a love interest.

Basically, it is a good, fast moving story. It keeps you glued to your chair both by its plot, but also by its writing. This is not fast food writing. This is not the kind of writing that you consume like french fries, enjoy and forget instantly. The prose is beautiful, every word seemingly chosen with care to build up a scene or create a mood. The quote that began this review is one example. Here is another to describe the collapse of the government and the end of law and order, "All organizations were losing coherency, losing shape and efficiency, guttering, softening, running at last in that swift liquefaction of the social body."

Right from the start, the reader is given a growing sense of danger, dread and horror. The narrator (who seems to be Wells, himself) describes the ancient, doomed civilization of Mars. It is doomed because Mars itself is a dying planet and the Martians must look elsewhere if they are to survive. They look to the earth and they have a technology so advanced and a moral sense so non-existent, that people do not exist for them except as a nuisance to be gotten rid of.

Having given the reader that background information, Wells describes the landing of a mysterious object near the small English town where he is living happily with his wife. The object is regarded at first as a meteorite, then as a curiosity and then as an enigma as it slowly opens. No one sees it as dangerous until it lashes out with a deadly heat ray, killing people. (Clearly Wells anticipated the invention of the laser!) When these first deaths occur, the narrator hastily sends his wife to stay with relatives a few miles away, not anticipating any real danger, but just being sensibly cautious. He himself quite matter of factly returns home and is suddenly plunged into the midst of chaos and danger. The Martians are on the move. More and more of the strange objects are landing. The Martians ignore all efforts to communicate and contemptuously destroy all human efforts at attack or defense. The Martians begin a sweep of the countryside, slaughtering everyone in their path.

So everyone expects that the moment the British army goes into action against the Martians, the Martians will be doomed. Instead, the Martians simply annihilate the British army. The highest technology known to man is slapped aside like the stinging of mosquitoes. That is all man is to the invader, a pesky insect. Or, as a soldier who is the sole survivor of his unit tells the narrator, their best efforts were: "It's bows and arrows against the lightning." I doubt that we, reading it today, can fully grasp how shocking that must have sounded to the average Victorian reader.

That was Well's intention -- to shock the reader. It's no accident that he used the simile of bows and arrows against the lightning. Great Britain (along with the other Western powers) had been able to conquer "savages" around the world because the British had the lightning (guns) and the "savages" had only bows and arrows. Out of those victories came a sense of moral superiority the concept that Western civilization was superior instead of admitting that it was only Western technology that was momentarily superior. Wells was a writer on social issues and he used science fiction to show what would happen if the British Empire came up against aliens who were as far beyond them as they were beyond the "savages" they had conquered and who treated them as they did the "savages." In War of the Worlds, it is made very clear that the Martians really don't behave any worse towards humans than humans behave towards each other. In fact, he comments early in his story, "Before we judge of them (the Martians) too harshly, we must remember what ruthless and utter destruction our own species has wrought...Are we such Apostles of Mercy as to complain if the Martians warred in the same spirit?"

Wells wanted his readers to think and feel what it means to be a conquered people who are conquered and destroyed not through lack of courage or effort but simply because the enemy's technology is superior. I have no idea how many readers of the day understood the message and learned humility from it. War of the Worlds began that popular part of science fiction that imagines invasions from outer space, the most recent being the blockbuster Independence Day. Here the message is, unfortunately, that even though alien technology is superior, humans are able to cleverly find a way to defeat the enemy. That makes for a good, exciting story, but it is not the message Wells was giving.

War of the Worlds does have a happy ending. The aliens are defeated, but not by the cleverness and resourcefulness of man. Something else defeats them and saves the human race. The message of War of the Worlds then is as timely today as it was in 1898. Man is not the master of the earth, much less the universe. Man needs to learn to walk humbly upon the earth and value what he has before it all is lost.

I think it was Brian Aldiss who said that Wells has practically every gift that a novelist can have. That is not something that becomes obsolete, whereas the state of scientific knowledge inevitably does. Just one short century ago, the atom was unsplittable (which is what 'atom' means), time was the universal constant that Newton thought it was, and the popular notion of raw power in action was represented by steam engines. If there really were, across the gulfs of space, `minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish', it would have taken a very brave as well as a very gifted novelist to envisage their technology. It's hardly surprising that Wells doesn't foresee that there was a science that utterly transcends chemistry and mechanics and comes to the very heart of creation with nuclear physics. What surprises me rather more is not that these advanced intelligences have either never invented a wheel or never seen a use for one, but that they seem to have fallen for something like the three-card trick in failing to identify the bacteria and viruses that would spell near-instant doom for their first expedition to the inner planets on which they hoped to set up a new home.

Give or take such details, what The War of the Worlds is about is domination - domination of one species by another, of one race by another and of one class by another. I think it's possible to overstate the socialistic element in Wells's thinking. Wells is either pessimistic, or, if not precisely pessimistic, at least deeply apprehensive. In creating scenarios of a class-struggle Wells does not seem to me to resemble Marx in any important respect. Marx is not pessimistic for the very good and sufficient reason that he sees a solution, or what he takes for a solution, to the whole issue. Wells feels no such certainty or confidence, and he foresees possibilities that are not pretty in the least, from any political perspective, as his readers will recall from the Eloi and Morlocks in The Time Machine. That work at least was restricted within the confines of this one planet. In The War of the Worlds Wells lets his imagination go further afield. As I read the book, there is one real oddity in the plot. The Martians presumably intend to conquer the whole earth, but their first expeditionary force, consisting of only 10 vessels of which Wells accounts for 7, is restricted to a small corner of south-east England. The British empire at that time was of course extremely influential and important, but not in the kind of way that would have made the invaders' task easier just by setting up bases in Woking, Chobham and Shepperton. There might be some kind of symbolism in this, but my own suspicion is that Wells was playing to his audience, whose perceptions were in general as provincial as those of Mrs Elphinstone in the book, to whom the Martians were hardly if at all more alien or terrifying than the French.

In general it's very easy, and probably rather pointless, to pick holes in the author's concept of his Martians. Their invasion was over almost before it had begun, and humanity had no opportunity, or were allowed no opportunity, to make contact with them. If the Martians were one-half as intelligent as the author lets on then they can hardly have perceived humanity as anything like the `infusoria' viewed under a microscope that he talks about on that wonderful first page of the book. Wells himself says that there was no need to assume that the Martians were pitiless. They had come because they had to go somewhere as their own planet was dying under their feet or whatever they used for feet. Humanity itself is not notably considerate of other species when it wishes to expand its operations for far less urgent reasons, and Wells is something of an early environmentalist in making this point. Where he is much more on his own home ground (in every sense) is in his speculations as to how the race accustomed to being dominant might be liable to behave when itself under subjection. He puts the thoughts on this topic into the mouth of the artilleryman rather than expressing them himself, and I take this to indicate not (as has often been argued) that these were his own convictions but precisely that they were scenarios viewed in a murky crystal ball, uncertain and hazy but all the more deeply unpleasant for that.

At another level The War of the Worlds can be read simply as a story, and what a storyteller Wells is! The picture of the pre-motor London home counties is as fresh and vivid as surely it can have ever been from the day it was first published. The sense of awe and strangeness about the alien interlopers is hardly equalled in the more recent fiction, far more aware and savvy technically than is that of Wells himself, which has poured out since his time. There is real, palpable, drama here, and a sense of pity as well as irony in the final fate of the Martian expedition, laid low by creatures as literally beneath their notice as that wonderful but hyperbolic first page asks us to believe that we may have seemed to the Martian civilisation in a more figurative sense. In its own way, one of the greatest novels there can ever have been.

All in all, H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds is indeed a masterpiece of scientific fiction. While the chances of intelligent creatures living on Mars "are a million to one", as the character Ogilvy puts it in the book, Wells gives a very realistic and detailed account of a Martian invasion, if one were to occur. He describes how the Martians have difficulty walking on Earth, because the gravity is much stronger. He also discusses the fact that the Martians have difficulty breathing in Earth's atmosphere, because the atmosphere on Earth contains far more oxygen and far less argon than the Martian atmosphere. Biology also plays an important role, as the Martians never need to rest. The explanation for this is that the Martians have no extensive muscle system that requires rest, and so the Martians are able to work sleeplessly. Of course, there is also the famous role of bacteria in defeating the Martians, because there are supposedly no bacteria on Mars, and so the Martians are not immune to bacteria.
Wells also provides a detailed look at the British military, and its brave but hopeless fight against the Martians. He accurately describes the pre-World War I British Army as being composed of hussars (cavalry), grenadiers, and artillerymen who operate cannons. The army is also mentioned as having the Maxim gun, an early machine gun. The Royal Navy is said to have ironclads, and the HMS Thunder Child, which battles the Martians at sea, is called a "torpedo ram". Wells describes how the British artillery batteries are positioned all over the countryside of southern England, and their firing madly at the Martian tripods. The Royal Navy's Channel Fleet is described as steaming all along the British coast, protecting ships full of refugees fleeing the Martian advance. It was nice of Wells to provide a sense of hope in the first half of the book by mentioning the destruction of some tripods by the British, unlike the recent movie, in which the tripods are equipped with energy shields and are therefore invincible.
The only negative aspects of the book were that it used some old-fashioned language, which was a little hard to understand. Also, the names of many small, unfamiliar British towns are used in the book, so it can be hard to keep track of the geography. However, the story was excellent for the most part.

We are in 1898 England. Yep we see something happening on the surface of Mars. Later what looks like a meteor comes to earth. Once we realize the significant of the situation (or think we do) Different people approach the situation in different ways. The true story is how the different people meet the situation.
Many people want to equate this story with real potential invasions others as the bad guys vs. the good guys. However from the very first we see that they are the greater (more evolved) intelligence and we are the equivalent of vermin or the ants that are being held under the magnifying glass. From our point of view they seem like cruel creatures, from theirs is indifference. Their way of consuming nourishment is appalling yet look at what and how we eat.
The writing its self is of the time in which Wells lived so the descriptions of our world may seem a little alien to today's younger readers. However the suspense is still there and the story will hold their attention.
Do not miss the 1953 movie. Even thought it adds more religious overtones it is still pretty much the same story with similar characters. Of course this one names the narrator and adds a love interest.

The War of the Worlds (Special Collector's Edition)

Unknown to the inhabitants of Earth, the planet Mars is aging and nearing its exhaustion. The Martians, not even perceiving humans to be anything other than animals, decide that it is time to seize this lush, young planet. Landing in several locations in southeastern England they begin their conquest of the planet. Can man, with his most advanced technology hope to stop the Martians with their much more advanced technology?

You've seen the 1953 movie, War of the Worlds, and want to read it in book form? Well, then don't look here. Herbert George Wells wrote this book in 1898, a mere one year after The Invisible Man, and two years after The Island of Doctor Moreau. The moviemakers of the 1950s made a wonderful movie, but one that, alas, bears very little resemblance to the original!

This book is one of the crowning examples of nineteenth century fantastic fiction. It is a gripping story that masterfully combines horror and suspense, keeping you at the edge of your seat until the final page.

What can you say about this? A total classic of sci-fi. It's a little difficult to read this these days, because everything in this book has inspired 100 cheap imitations. (See any movie used for MST, for example.)

But the footnotes help show how this book fit into the times, and the sociological points Wells was making. I especially enjoyed the bit where they explained how the aliens really represent Wells' view of what humans may evolve to in the far future.

The story inspired a lot of debate within a book club I joined. A couple things I found odd were: 1) What happens with the super-advanced aliens in the end. (Not too much spoiler here!) 2) The man who had all the great ideas for forming a resistance turned out to be a lazy drunkard. I couldn't take much uplifting from that. :-)

I was disappointed with a couple of the footnotes. Specifically, 2 of the footnotes completely gave away the ending, halfway through the book. I felt that the reader could have been given some warning of this.

Overall though, a very enjoyable read, for the sci-fi and the social commentary, and (mostly) good footnotes.

Alright, well, i started reading this book a few days ago. I was going to read it for a book talk/paper thingy....but since it dwells upon relgion, and i just got a new LA teacher in the middle/near end of the school year, i went with another H.G Wells book. (this book is so captivating though, there is no way im gonna stop reading it) This means that im not finished with it...but i want to encourage anyone who stumbles across this book to pick it up. (i'll do a much better review when im done with the book, never fear)
Alright, so like i said, this book is based upon religion. At first i was cautious at buying this...because it does deal with the christian god, and i myself follow no religion. And personally, i didnt want to get stuck reading a bunch of stuff that i have already deemed irrelevant and end up wasting my money. Nothing of the sorts has happened, and let me tell you why.
1) i had faith in Wells. I wouldnt call myself a huge science fiction fan and i certainly do not take to most book well. The style in which he writes is just....breath taking, i love it, if thats a strong enough word.
2) I decided to buy this book, because i do believe Wells wasnt a 100% christian. He believed in the christian god, but he had his own viewpoints, which i very much wanted to see.
3) the convos had in the story are....truly insightful. Many a times have the same thoughts run through my head, have i argued with myself, and only to return emptyhanded. No matter which side you take on the story, the arguements are supported to the fullest. Its like sitting down to a meal that feeds your eternal hunger. Not much in this world can satisfy that hunger.
4)When i started reading this, i tried to keep an open mind...just because i dont believe in a god does not mean there is nothing worthwhile in this book. If people never review their beliefs and try to understand the other viewpoint, they are just as ignorant as the next.
4) alright, i know i really didnt do well in this review, but please, if the thoughts of life have ever trickled through your mind, grab this book: i can assure you that regrets you'll have none, i know i didnt.

and i'll leave off with a quote (which was very hard to choose...theres so many of them....i write down page numbers as i read, just so i can go back and reread some of them...)
"It is a commonplace of pietistic works that natural things are perfect things, and that the whole world of life, if it were not for the sinfulness of man, would be perfect. Paley, you will remember, Sir Eliphaz, in his 'Evidences of Christianity,' for which we have both suffered, declares that this earth is manifestly made for the happiness of the sentient beings living thereon. But i ask you to consider for a little and dispassionately, whether life through all its stages, up to and including man, is not rather a scheme of uneasiness, imperfect satisfaction, and positive miseries...."

okay, heres what Job is saying right before he says that.....i like it so much, i have to add it, heh.
"...I have thought of many things that men in their days of prosperity are apt to dismiss from their minds; and i am no longer sure of the goodness of the world without us or in the plan of Fate. Perhaps it is only in us, within our hearts that the light of God flickers- and flickers insecurely. here we had thought a God, somehow akin to ourselves, ruled the universe, it may be there is nothing but black emptiness and a coldness worse than cruelty."

H.G. Wells struggled with the issue of "what man can make of man" in the course of his many novels and other writings. In The Undying Fire, Wells give us an updated Book of Job, focusing on the tribulations of an actual descendant of the biblical Job. The various characters from the Biblical narrative are all there, in updated (circa World War One) form. This allows Wells the freedom to move around and speak from different perspectives and to explore the issue of humanity and its relation to the deity. This is a generally optimistic treatment, but the hints of Wells' eventual frustration are evident as well. A very well-written book.

Did you read any H.G Wells books growing up ? IF you enjoyed the War of the Worlds, Time Machine or the Invisible Man, then get ready for another classic.

Job suffered pain and sickness, the death of his sons and daughters, everything he had was lost. Ever try to console anyone with troubles bigger then your own ? Ever try to find the answers for lifes problems ? Ever wondered what life is about or your purpose or destiny ?

God has a plan for all of us, only most don't care to hear that and choose not to believe. It is the result of our own choices and decisions that create the situations we are in. Some find out and others will resist and never find out.

The Star by H.G. Wells; illustrated by Brad Teare. In Graphic Classics, H.G. Wells, Vol. III.

The Star is interesting because it deals with man's survival in the face of certain death. The graphic novel paints two pictures: one, the decline of humanity; and two, the overall impact of the "star" on the earth.

--- The review above was submitted by a student in my class. (J.C.) ---

The use of graphic novels and stories in my classroom has been inspiring to my students. Sometimes, students need the visual aids to process the vocabulary used in these stories, many of which do not translate to our technology-driven culture. It is difficult for a student who has never lacked for clean water and electricity to comprehend a situation in which they had none of the standard accomodations we take for granted.

H.G. Wells wrote some amazing stories. There are so many classic tales it is easy to forget that they all come from the same talented man. Of course, he is one of the founders of Science Fiction, single-handily creating many of the sub-genres that can be found within its boarders. The alien invasion, the insane scientist who falls victim to his own experiment, the vision of a dark apocalyptic future, they all come springing from Wells's brain.

Graphics Classics has again taken these fantastic tales and mixed them with talented illustrators for a unique storytelling experience. Nine stories in total have been adapted, from his most famous epics to a few sharp satires. The blend is nice, highlighting Wells's skills beyond what is generally known.

This volume contains:

The Invisible Man - One of Wells's most renowned adventures, and one of the best-adapted from the Graphics Classics series. The story is longer than is usually found in Graphics Classics, and is allowed to play out in its brutal entirety. The art is especially well-suited to the story, giving a cartoony and Victorian feel.

The Inexperienced Ghost - What starts off as a humorous tale of a ghost who isn't sure how to be a ghost, this ghost story takes an odd turn when a human tries to enter the ghost world. A melancholy ending.

The Man Who Could Work Miracles - A cautionary tale about the dangers of wish-fulfillment. Especially when the Miracle Worker isn't too bright.

The Temptation of Harrington - A text-with-pictures adaptation of an artist and his business.

The War of the Worlds - Instead of adapting Wells's popular invasion yarn, this tells the tale of the infamous Halloween night when Orson Welles broadcast his radio adaptation, and the US nation panicked.

Le Mari Terrible - Another text-and-pictures adaptation. Short and sassy with a great piece by Lisa K. Weber.

The Man with a Nose - A very odd story of a man with the world's ugliest nose.

The Time Machine - Another long adaptation, with some great art. A fearful vision of the future of mankind, with the Morlocks looking nice and freaky.

The Star - A short but interesting tale of the unimportance of humanity, when seen in context of the whole planet. The art is excellent.

Being a big fan of classic and horror literature I happened across these books quite by accident . I was immediatley struck by the talent of the artists across the board ranging from the comedic interpretations to the serious. These graphic novels are a wonderful way to access Well's work whether you are a novice or devoted follower. But be warned they are addictive and you will want to colleect the whole series .

I was so very pleased with this book. I started playing war games when I was a small boy, with plastic soldiers. It was wonderful fun. As I grew older, I graduated to Chess, Tactics II, Blitzkrieg, Panzer Blitz, Panzer Leader, Squad Leader, etc. Eventually, I joined the Army National Guard and served proudly for 17 years achieving many awards and decorations. I have the career that I have because of my military training in electronics. To think that it all started with my brother and I playing with little toy soldiers; it is a true wonder. I now have a son, only 6 months old. I can't wait to share this book with him and to enjoy a golden time in his life with him, side by side, playing with little plastic men. Either you understand, or you will think I am nuts. It won't matter to my son and I. The one problem I have discovered from reading the book is; where can I get the little cannons that actually shoot?

Wells provided a means of spending countless enjoyable and educational hours with my son that continue to this day. Now 19, he was introduced to Little Wars at age 9. It is in no small part responsible for his current knowledge of, and interest in, History and Geography (and, by extension, other things as well).

I find it interesting that H.G.Wells and Sir Winston Churchill shared this hobby. Interesting, but, I suppose, not really surprising after seeing first-hand what a child's imagination does with Wells' ideas.

The hard-cover copy I found back in the early 70's is loaded with drawings and pictures.

This is a light read, describing the famous author's system for taking children's toy soldiers and making a "Kriegspiel" (the Prussian General Staff method of wargaming) for the common man, and boy, of whatever age (and, Wells adds, for "girls of the better sort"). Wells' game used the famous Britain's toy soldiers, employed rules for movement and melee, and utilized toy cannon to provide the firepower. This is a delightful book, enriched by HG Wells imagination and skillful writing

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

Widely regarded as a founder of science fiction, H.G. Wells predicted, among other things, nuclear and biological warfare ("The War of the World" and "The Island of Dr. Moreau." His longer works are well known, but his short stories deserve critical acclaim as well. In "The Land Ironclads," Wells also accurately predicted the use of tanks in battle, although they did not appear until years later. His description of the gunsights and navigational systems are incredibly accurate... his gunners use a sort of "heads-up display" and a kind of laser sighting. "The sighting was ingeniously contrived. The rifleman stood at the table with a thing like an elaboration of a draughtsman's dividers in his hand, and he opened and closed those dividers, so that they were always at the apparent height --- of it was an ordinary sized man... of the man he wanted to kill."
"Changes in the clearness of the atmosphere, due to changes of moisture, were met by an ingenious use of the meteorologically sensitive substance, catgut and when the land ironclad moved forward the sights got a compensatory deflection in the direction of its motion." His prediction of technology using thermal imaging, laser sighting and gyro-controlled stabilization is amazing.
But it isn't technological innovation, but social analysis that makes his short stories worth reading. Technology is a double-edged sword: it improves man's ability to deal with the environment but diminishes his quality of life.

I recently read all the stories in this book over a period of a week. They are arranged in a nice, thematic way, so that similar stories are grouped together. I was amazed at the breadth of the subject matter of the stories, having previously restricted myself to Wells' speculative short stories such as "The Land Ironclads". But "The Valley of Spiders" is a spooky story of what apparently are cowboys on a chase, and the first story in the book, "A Slip Under the Microscope", is a realistic story of college students, that shows how little has changed in over 100 years. In fact, if one thing struck me about all the stories it is how modern they all are; there were no anachronisms that spoiled any story, though of course you have to put yourself back before airplanes and tanks were invented in "The Argonauts of the Air" and "The Land Ironclads". Rather than reviewing all the stories individually, I will just say that anyone who enjoys imaginative short stories will surely find much to like here.

This is one of the most exciting volumes of Wells' work I've ever come across, not only for the works themselves, but for Le Guin's brilliant introduction, commentary, and overall selection. She truly acts as a guide throughout the volume, and I can think of no greater heir to Wells' vision than the brilliant author of The Dispossessed, Left Hand of Darkness, Lathe of Heaven, etc. Unlike other editors/critics, she is uninterested in matters of political correctness, and instead urges us to read the historical and the universal Wells--in other words, the Wells that revolutionized the science fiction story, and the one who continues to be relevant through his vision and insight.

The stories here are brilliantly written--science fiction could never be written like this today. Wells was a master of style (and as Le Guin points out, of description), and without his voice in the stories, even the most fantastic ideas might seem second rate. Yet all of his stories marry style with vision; Wells understood the dangers of technology and progress as well as its achievements. In a story like "The New Accelerator," we see the moral dilemma of marketing a formula that could create an entirely new class of criminals (and indeed, even the protagonists act a bit criminal and childish under the influence of their accelerator). There are many stories like this, that chart the great promise of science twisted for immediate, selfish ends, and how powerless mankind is to stop it.

Even more exciting are the stories that take us entirely to new dimensions of thought, such as "The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes," where a man exists in two worlds--his physical body in London, while his eyes and perception on a remote Pacific island. The way Wells describes the man's dilemma is both amazing and terrifying in its realism. The same is true for the surreal "Under the Knife," where a patient undergoes a near-death experience and floats through the cosmos to oblivion. Again, the style conjures up a sense of tactile experience and lived terror that is hard to shake off.

We also find stories that hint at the masterpieces to come, such as "The Crystal Egg," which has resonances of The War of the Worlds, as does the frightening "The Star," which ends with a paragraph very similar to the opening of WOTW. And a story like "The Stolen Body" dabble in familiar Stevensonian doppleganger territory, but is in no way derivative. In short, this is a fascinating volume showing Wells' true range not only as a science fiction writer, but as a true literary stylist who exerted a profound influence on an entire century of writers. If you enjoy Wells or works of true fantasy and scientific speculation, this volume should find its way to the top of your wish list.

Read it with my 3rd grader and could not put it down. He was enthusiastic to read chapter after chapter.

HE LOVED TO READ THESE CLASSICS AS THEY WERE QUICK AND HE FELT ACCOMPLISHED READING CLASSIC NOVELS. A GREAT BOOK FOR A GUY!