H. G. Wells Books

What more can I say about this classic, this book is a must real for all ages.

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

Wells evaluated the philosophical systems and traced their confusion back to lack of agreed definitions of words - in his book The First and Last Things. The sequel being a similar analysis of religions, was titled God The Invisible King.

Here Wells defines his position as a strong believer in one God and proceeds to evaluate the dogmas of the Christian Churches. He describes the notion of Trinity as an Alexandrian contamination three centuries after Jesus from the Nile, declared into creed in council of Nicea, and made fundament of all Churches of Christianity since then. Well calls the bluff of mysteries of the Triune or trinity, attributing an anti-religion motive to the institution that has been instilling this dogma into children. He describes his own childhood experience and how he was driven away from the Creater by the dogma.

It should be read together with Thomas Paine for a complete perspective of scriptures, institutions and effects on which the religion in the West is based.

It is a pity that the other two boks of Wells which make a series with this one are not included among books offered here. I thought they were missing even among books out of print. These are, as said above, First and Last Things and The Open Conspiracy.

Wells is going to make a spectacular come back in one of these days, to take most established institutions by surprize, as very graphically and prophetically described in When the Sleeper Awakes! Also an immortal book.

Have fun.

War of the Worlds is one of the most important science fiction novels, but its importance can be difficult to see without some knowledge of the time in which it was written. Using essays (some by Wells himself) and copious footnotes, this critical edition does a fine job of placing War of the Worlds into its proper context

I give five stars to "The Croquet Player" by HG Wells not only because it is one of his better, more symbolically controlled works, but because of its overall modern styling & texture. In a mere novella, Wells is able to build up a powerful character analysis that still has far-reaching implications to Western Civilization. Of course, much of the finesse of the narrative is in its openness of interpretation. When I read this book, I think of Orson Welles directing the action in his high, sinister style. The narrative is framed by a man in his thirties whose life has been shaped by his single aunt's wealth. They are excellent croquet players, & live a life of ease. One day meets a man on a terrace, a man with an unusual story. From there it gets more & more intense--& then another man appears--& suddenly answers & questions become indistinguishable! The role of croquet is skillfully understated yet poignant, culminating in more than an evening's worth of introspection/discussion. One of the better writings of Wells', challenging any living writer to express timeless ideas so artistically & succinctly. Plus, for the time investment, this book gives a thousand times back in stimulation!

H.G. Wells was one of those writers who could only be counted as too good for the Nobel Prize, just like James Joyce or Tolstoy or Proust. In 'The Croquet Player' he has not only produced his best book but one of the greatest books ever written.

I would rather not reveal details of the story. It will suffice to say that it concerns the origins of human nature, or rather, of human brutality, selfishness, greed. (In fact, I could hardly reveal any details of the story, since the last chapter negates the entire book!)

What tells it apart from so many treatises on human nature and the origins of evil is that it is narrated by an altogether down-to-earth bloke, the eponimous croquet player, which gives it an even sharper feeling of reality and foreboding. Nothing wrong or criminal actually happens in the croquet player's world, so to speak. And in the story he is told, the contours of evil are elusive: a dog beaten to death; a drunked parson beating up his wife; that dreadful fear and paranoia in a land that never was. That is what makes it ultimately so compelling. So mind-changing as 'Catcher in the rye'. So disquieting.

Jorge Luis Borges, the greatest of Argentinian writers, once made a list of the greatest books ever. In it he included 'The Croquet Player', for reasons that you will find obvious once you read it. As all masterpieces, exactly why is it so good is not entirely explainable. Be warned, though: this book leaves a disquiet behind that can last for days, weeks, even months. Do not read it if you like your books harmless and cosy. Do not read it unless you are unable to agree with Borges: 'in here he [Wells] describes a degenerating society that could be London or Buenos Aires and the guilty ones, my friend, are you and I.'

but few remember his classic short stories. 'The Empire Of The Ants' is one short story with a huge impact, even being made into a sci-fi B-movie. Ants in South America has always been part of the landscape, from leaf-cutter ants to army ants, they are part of daily life. But what happens when the ants come and refuse to leave?
Other stories in this tiny collection are 'The Man Who Could Work Miracles' which was also a movie, 'The Country Of The Blind' which proves that sight is NOT an advantage, 'The Crystal Egg' which is a must for any War of the Worlds' fan and 'The Magic Shop', a very weird short story.
A must for any fan of H.G. Wells or for anybody who loves 'The War Of The Worlds'.

When an absent minded scientist and a hard headed playwright find the secret of a gravity defying substance, they set about building a vessel that will take them into space. What begins as a light hearted adventure on the moon's surface turns into terrifying danger. Held captive by the wierd insectlike inhabitant's of the moon's caverns and threatened by the deathly cold lunar night, the two desperate explorers must attempt a near impossibly escape.

I loved this when it first aired on TV and I love the CD. I wish they were still in business and recording more of these. I am a Trekkie so I may be prejudiced, but it's a great combination of story, dialog, and acting.

This fascinating book is a collection of five of H.G. Wells' (1866-1946) greatest works of science fiction. Mr. Wells was a pioneer in the genre of science fiction. Indeed, he did not simply write stories to entertain; instead, each one uses the scientific angle to teach a lesson. All of these stories are thought-provoking and quite interesting to read.

So, if you are a fan of great literature, or great science fiction, then this book is for you. I highly recommend it. By the way, the five stories in this book are:

The First Men in the Moon - 1901 - When an adventurous young man and an eccentric inventor use a fantastic invention to travel to the Moon, they find more than they bargained for.

The Invisible Man - 1897 - When a strange, bandaged man moves into town, tongues begin to wag. But, when strange things begin to happen, the town soon finds itself facing a nightmare in the form of an invisible man.

The Time Machine - 1895 - A dinner party is disrupted when the host arrives all disheveled, and telling what he found when he ventured into the far future.

The Island of Dr. Moreau - 1896 - A castaway finds himself on an island inhabited by unnatural seeming people and ruled by a mad scientist.

The War of the Worlds - 1898 - The Martians have exhausted the resources of their planet, and decide to take the Earth as their new home. Can man, with his most advanced technology hope to stop the Martians with their much more advanced technology?