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Classic Tales of Science Fiction & 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!
Table of Contents:
• The Diamond Lens by Fitz James O’Brien (1858)
• A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (1864)
• Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy (1888)
• The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (1897)
• A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1912)
• The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (1912)
• The Scarlet Plague by Jack London (1915)
• Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1915)
• Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan (1928)
• The Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft (1928)
Table of Contents:
• The Diamond Lens by Fitz James O’Brien (1858)
• A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (1864)
• Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy (1888)
• The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (1897)
• A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1912)
• The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (1912)
• The Scarlet Plague by Jack London (1915)
• Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1915)
• Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan (1928)
• The Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft (1928)
1024 pages, Leather Bound
Published October 1, 2016
91 people are currently reading
586 people want to read
About the author
Jules Verne
6,540 books12.1k followersNovels of French writer Jules Gabriel Verne, considered the founder of modern science fiction, include
Journey to the Center of the Earth
(1864) and
Around the World in Eighty Days
(1873).
This author who pioneered the genre. People best know him for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870).
Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before people invented navigable aircraft and practical submarines and devised any means of spacecraft. He ranks behind Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie as the second most translated author of all time. People made his prominent films. People often refer to Verne alongside Herbert George Wells as the "father of science fiction."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_V...
This author who pioneered the genre. People best know him for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870).
Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before people invented navigable aircraft and practical submarines and devised any means of spacecraft. He ranks behind Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie as the second most translated author of all time. People made his prominent films. People often refer to Verne alongside Herbert George Wells as the "father of science fiction."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_V...
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 16, 2016
Classic Tales of Science Fiction & Fantasy is an anthology reprinting of, well, science fiction and fantasy stories from the period 1858 to 1928. Ten stories are included. I like the fact that the editor chose a mix of very well known and somewhat less known stories. Old familiar favorites like Verne's A Journey to the Center of the Earth, Wells's The War of the Worlds, Burroughs's A Princess of Mars, and Doyle's The Lost World, were leavened with stories I hadn't yet read, although the author's names were familiar: London's The Scarlet Plague and Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror, for example. It was nice to discover some early works from the fathers of science fiction and fantasy. Too bad Shelley's Frankenstein wasn't in there as well. While the copyright-expired stories can be accessed online at Project Gutenberg, the physical packaging of this anthology definitely adds value. It sturdy cover with old-fashioned art complements the contents. It also has lovely end papers, gold leaf on the page edges, and an integrated ribbon bookmark, which together make this a good-looking book worthy of a place on fans' bookshelves.
January 26, 2020
I am very happy they decided to do a series of books of the great authors and their timeless tales. I recommend these books to every bookworm young and old.
September 30, 2017
This huge book is a hodgepodge of some well-known sci-fi and fantasy tales, with some lesser known ones. The editors arranged them in order of publication, which also makes this book an interesting glimpse into the progression of fantasy/sci-fi through the mid-nineteeth to early twentieth century. With all the racist and sexist attitudes from those times, unfortunately. Thankfully some are better than others.
The Diamond Lens by Fitz James O'Brian (1858): The opening story shows us a young man obsessed with microscopy who stumbles across the secret to create the world's most powerful lens, which leads to an unexpected discovery. Really reminded me of Edgar Allan Poe, right up until the ending when I think the author looked at his watch and realized he was late for something important? Content warnings for murder.
A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (1864): The classic sci-fi tale of the professor and his nephew who decipher a text from a mysterious Iceland/ic explorer and embark on a trek to the planet's core is one of my favourites.
Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy (1888): Less a story and more a “Communism: You Should Try It!” instructional pamphlet. If pamphlets were 150 pages long. I struggled to get through this one, but it was interesting to read a story about one author's vision of the world over 100 years in the future, which is set 17 years in our past. The things Bellamy assumed would change (which mainly didn't), and the things he assumed would stay the same (which mainly haven't), and the changes he didn't predict made for a unique take. Not quite enough to make up for the dullness of the plot, but I gave him extra points for effort. Even if it wasn't his doing.
The War of the Worlds by HG Wells (1897): Another fantastic sci-fi classic. Wells' tale of a Martian invasion – and its unexpected resolution – is something everyone should read.
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1912): Opening the “John Carter of Mars” series by the author of Tarzan is this action-filled novel where the main character discovers a mysterious cave which transports him instantaneously to an inhabited Mars. Fortunately it has a breathable atmosphere or this would have been a very short series.
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (1912): The original Jurassic Park, with dinosaurs and egos larger than life.
The Scarlet Plague by Jack London (1915): Did not live up to the high hopes I had for it, after having read White Fang and The Call of the Wild. A multi-generational band of apocalypse survivors roaming the States listens to its oldest member reminiscing about the disease that nearly ended the world.
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1915): Tied with Looking Backward for worst title, but a far better plot. Wealthy, mismatched college students chasing a rumoured all-women society bite off more than they can chew when they find that society and think they can just waltz in and be the cock of the rock. Content warnings for sexual assault.
Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan (1928): In this extravagently racist tale, Nowlan imagines the second World War will be everyone ganging up on America...because industry? Who knows, because now China rules everything and only a few stalwart forest bands stand between us and total moral degredation in a society where ease and luxury abound (and that's bad). Super duper racist, but not as sexist as you would think for 1928. Overall an interesting story, despite the somewhat unbelievable premise.
The Dunwich Horror by HP Lovecraft (1928): Classic Lovecraftian fantasy has this small town attacked by an interdimensional monstrosity whose origins may be alarmingly local. A great story for when you feel like something creepy. Content warnings for animal mutilation.
The Diamond Lens by Fitz James O'Brian (1858): The opening story shows us a young man obsessed with microscopy who stumbles across the secret to create the world's most powerful lens, which leads to an unexpected discovery. Really reminded me of Edgar Allan Poe, right up until the ending when I think the author looked at his watch and realized he was late for something important? Content warnings for murder.
A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (1864): The classic sci-fi tale of the professor and his nephew who decipher a text from a mysterious Iceland/ic explorer and embark on a trek to the planet's core is one of my favourites.
Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy (1888): Less a story and more a “Communism: You Should Try It!” instructional pamphlet. If pamphlets were 150 pages long. I struggled to get through this one, but it was interesting to read a story about one author's vision of the world over 100 years in the future, which is set 17 years in our past. The things Bellamy assumed would change (which mainly didn't), and the things he assumed would stay the same (which mainly haven't), and the changes he didn't predict made for a unique take. Not quite enough to make up for the dullness of the plot, but I gave him extra points for effort. Even if it wasn't his doing.
The War of the Worlds by HG Wells (1897): Another fantastic sci-fi classic. Wells' tale of a Martian invasion – and its unexpected resolution – is something everyone should read.
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1912): Opening the “John Carter of Mars” series by the author of Tarzan is this action-filled novel where the main character discovers a mysterious cave which transports him instantaneously to an inhabited Mars. Fortunately it has a breathable atmosphere or this would have been a very short series.
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (1912): The original Jurassic Park, with dinosaurs and egos larger than life.
The Scarlet Plague by Jack London (1915): Did not live up to the high hopes I had for it, after having read White Fang and The Call of the Wild. A multi-generational band of apocalypse survivors roaming the States listens to its oldest member reminiscing about the disease that nearly ended the world.
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1915): Tied with Looking Backward for worst title, but a far better plot. Wealthy, mismatched college students chasing a rumoured all-women society bite off more than they can chew when they find that society and think they can just waltz in and be the cock of the rock. Content warnings for sexual assault.
Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan (1928): In this extravagently racist tale, Nowlan imagines the second World War will be everyone ganging up on America...because industry? Who knows, because now China rules everything and only a few stalwart forest bands stand between us and total moral degredation in a society where ease and luxury abound (and that's bad). Super duper racist, but not as sexist as you would think for 1928. Overall an interesting story, despite the somewhat unbelievable premise.
The Dunwich Horror by HP Lovecraft (1928): Classic Lovecraftian fantasy has this small town attacked by an interdimensional monstrosity whose origins may be alarmingly local. A great story for when you feel like something creepy. Content warnings for animal mutilation.
December 14, 2023
Reading this book was and interesting and informative experience, if not all enjoyable. Also the book itself is so gorgeous to look at and to go trough. Sci-fi and fantasy are two of my favourite and most read genres so it was interesting seeing how they developed and what ideas were going around 150ish years ago. I also liked the stories were ordered by publication date because it made it much clearer to see the writing trends change and evolve over the years. Also examining them through a modern lens, it is heartening to observe the significant strides we have made in diminishing the prevalence of racism and sexism in literature. Some of the stories I have read before but when I was much younger and much less red in the genre so it is also fun to see how my tastes changed over time.
The Diamond Lens by Fitz James O'Brian (1858): - 2.75
This story was okay, I don't remember much about it except that the protagonist was an unlikable foolish person and that it just ends abruptly, all in all nothing special.
A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (1864): 3
This is one of the ones I remember reading and loving as a child. Eight year old me was really into Jules Verne and I remember this being a very fun adventure. Sadly as an adult I did not enjoy it that much. The idea was okayish and interesting although looking at it from a modern day view very outlandish and the adventure got tiring at some poing.
Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy (1888): 3
This one did stick out to me more, it was fun to see how the author envisioned life in the year 2000 and all the ways in which it was wrong. I wished it was written differently, it is more conversation between two men about the world and those envisioned changes, more telling and ideas than seeing. Also it is "interesting", in the lack of the better world to see ,how the role of women in society was perceived and imagined even when writing a sci-fi, time travel story.
The War of the Worlds by HG Wells (1897):3.5
This one is definitely a classic for a reason, very interesting premise. The only thing holding it back is that I found it a bit hard to get into the bit arhaic language and I wished it was longer, I wished we learned more about the world and the martians.
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1912): 4
This one I also liked a lot (also very implausible from a modern viewpoint) but very, very interesting, imaginative, filled with action and interesting characters. Also wished it was longer and we learned more about the world on Mars but overall very enjoyable.
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (1912): 2.75
This one also barely stuck with me, not sure why but I found it very hard to get trough.
The Scarlet Plague by Jack London (1915): 3.25
This one is very short and I did kind of liked it, it reminded me of Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower a bit.
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1915): 4.5
This one I definitely liked because I read it inside this collection so reading it I was much more aware of the context in which was written, if not for that I might not have liked it. The utopian world of women that self reproduce is of course not very realistic but I do not think it was meant to be. I saw it more of a response to the stories of that time, and the way women were written in them, but also the way they were treated by the society around them. And looking at it trough that lense I really liked it.
Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan (1928): 3
This was okay. Women do exist and have functional roles in society in this imagined future. It is entertaining but did not leave an inpact.
The Dunwich Horror by HP Lovecraft (1928): 3
This one is also okay, creepy, all you would expect from HP Lovecraft and I kind of get some of Stephen King's inspirations a bit better now.
The Diamond Lens by Fitz James O'Brian (1858): - 2.75
This story was okay, I don't remember much about it except that the protagonist was an unlikable foolish person and that it just ends abruptly, all in all nothing special.
A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (1864): 3
This is one of the ones I remember reading and loving as a child. Eight year old me was really into Jules Verne and I remember this being a very fun adventure. Sadly as an adult I did not enjoy it that much. The idea was okayish and interesting although looking at it from a modern day view very outlandish and the adventure got tiring at some poing.
Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy (1888): 3
This one did stick out to me more, it was fun to see how the author envisioned life in the year 2000 and all the ways in which it was wrong. I wished it was written differently, it is more conversation between two men about the world and those envisioned changes, more telling and ideas than seeing. Also it is "interesting", in the lack of the better world to see ,how the role of women in society was perceived and imagined even when writing a sci-fi, time travel story.
The War of the Worlds by HG Wells (1897):3.5
This one is definitely a classic for a reason, very interesting premise. The only thing holding it back is that I found it a bit hard to get into the bit arhaic language and I wished it was longer, I wished we learned more about the world and the martians.
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1912): 4
This one I also liked a lot (also very implausible from a modern viewpoint) but very, very interesting, imaginative, filled with action and interesting characters. Also wished it was longer and we learned more about the world on Mars but overall very enjoyable.
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (1912): 2.75
This one also barely stuck with me, not sure why but I found it very hard to get trough.
The Scarlet Plague by Jack London (1915): 3.25
This one is very short and I did kind of liked it, it reminded me of Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower a bit.
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1915): 4.5
This one I definitely liked because I read it inside this collection so reading it I was much more aware of the context in which was written, if not for that I might not have liked it. The utopian world of women that self reproduce is of course not very realistic but I do not think it was meant to be. I saw it more of a response to the stories of that time, and the way women were written in them, but also the way they were treated by the society around them. And looking at it trough that lense I really liked it.
Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan (1928): 3
This was okay. Women do exist and have functional roles in society in this imagined future. It is entertaining but did not leave an inpact.
The Dunwich Horror by HP Lovecraft (1928): 3
This one is also okay, creepy, all you would expect from HP Lovecraft and I kind of get some of Stephen King's inspirations a bit better now.
Want to read
March 30, 2023Table of Contents
The Diamond Lens by Fitz James O’Brien (1858)
A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (1864)
Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy (1888)
The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (1897)
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1912)
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (1912)
The Scarlet Plague by Jack London (1915)
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1915)
Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan (1928)
The Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft (1928)
The translator for Jules Verne isn’t listed, but I believe it’s the translation by Frederick Amadeus Malleson. It doesn’t include the illustrations.
The Diamond Lens by Fitz James O’Brien (1858)
A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (1864)
Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy (1888)
The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (1897)
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1912)
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (1912)
The Scarlet Plague by Jack London (1915)
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1915)
Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan (1928)
The Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft (1928)
The translator for Jules Verne isn’t listed, but I believe it’s the translation by Frederick Amadeus Malleson. It doesn’t include the illustrations.
October 30, 2022
I can't help but think that you may have to be a white male to not be put off by the language and the attitudes of many of these stories. Classics they are, but maybe they are only of historical value.
August 17, 2021
Really enjoyed The Scarlet Plague and The Dunwich Horror from this collection.
November 22, 2021
Love these old sci-fi tales, it's so interesting to see what they were worried about in the future, most of which has now gone by. Gorgeous book as well.
June 20, 2022
Despite a couple odd choices (Armageddon 2419 A.D.), this anthology is a diverse selection of essential reading from the Victorian and early world war periods.
May 28, 2024
A class collection of all of scifi and fantasies best. If you are trying to get into the genre or are already familiar with some of the authors this is an excellent collection.
October 27, 2021
A physically gorgeous book with content that is perfectly selected. You will enjoy all of these classic tales, and enjoy the book on your shelf just as much.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews