H.G. Wells Classic Collection I

H.G. Wells Classic Collection #1

by H.G. Wells

This collection includes The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The War of the Worlds, The First Men in the Moon and The Invisible Man - all collected in a stunning leather-bound omnibus.

Five of the best science fiction novels by the Grandfather of Science Fiction: unsurpassed in their timeless capacity to thrill and transfix, these are tales that reach to the heart of human ambition, fear, intelligence and hope.

The Time Machine was Wells' first major piece of fiction: a haunting vision of a far future earth orbiting a sun cooling to extinction.

The War of the Worlds: still considered by many to be the best novel of alien invasion ever written.

The Island of Doctor Moreau: with its terrible creation The House of Pain, this tale anticipated our terror of genetic engineering.

The Invisible Man: the classic study of scientific hubris.

The First Men in the Moon: a Scientific Romance, a fantastical voyage a dystopian nightmare revealed.

Genres: Science Fiction, Classics, Fiction, Fantasy, Collections, Literature, English Literature

640 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2004

About the author

Herbert George Wells was born to a working class family in Kent, England. Young Wells received a spotty education, interrupted by several illnesses and family difficulties, and became a draper's apprentice as a teenager. The headmaster of Midhurst Grammar School, where he had spent a year, arranged for him to return as an "usher," or student teacher. Wells earned a government scholarship in 1884, to study biology under Thomas Henry Huxley at the Normal School of Science. Wells earned his bachelor of science and doctor of science degrees at the University of London. After marrying his cousin, Isabel, Wells began to supplement his teaching salary with short stories and freelance articles, then books, including The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898).

Wells created a mild scandal when he divorced his cousin to marry one of his best students, Amy Catherine Robbins. Although his second marriage was lasting and produced two sons, Wells was an unabashed advocate of free (as opposed to "indiscriminate") love. He continued to openly have extra-marital liaisons, most famously with Margaret Sanger, and a ten-year relationship with the author Rebecca West, who had one of his two out-of-wedlock children. A one-time member of the Fabian Society, Wells sought active change. His 100 books included many novels, as well as nonfiction, such as A Modern Utopia (1905), The Outline of History (1920), A Short History of the World (1922), The Shape of Things to Come (1933), and The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1932). One of his booklets was Crux Ansata, An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church. Although Wells toyed briefly with the idea of a "divine will" in his book, God the Invisible King (1917), it was a temporary aberration. Wells used his international fame to promote his favorite causes, including the prevention of war, and was received by government officials around the world. He is best-remembered as an early writer of science fiction and futurism.

He was also an outspoken socialist. Wells and Jules Verne are each sometimes referred to as "The Fathers of Science Fiction". D. 1946.

More: http://philosopedia.org/index.php/H._...

http://www.online-literature.com/well...

http://www.hgwellsusa.50megs.com/

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/t...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells

Reviews

[Isabella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.3 stars

This was a partial reread for me, having already read The War of the Worlds (review here), The Time Machine (review here) and The Invisible Man (no review for this one, just a rating of 3 stars) a couple of years prior. The Island of Doctor Moreau and The First Men in the Moon I, however, had not read before.

The last on that list was the most intriguing to me, as I have had The First Men in the Moon on my radar for some time. Mostly that is just because it has the word "moon" in the title and I love moons conceptually (and I love our moon, I suppose. But how can you not, with all the stuff it was made to do kind of, well, literally making it possible for us to freaking live). Anyhow, The First Men in the Moon was kind of underwhelming to me, but I don't really know what my expectations where to begin with. I'd give it three stars, I think.

The Island of Doctor Moreau was... strange. It kind of reminded me of the first "story" in Hyperion by Dan Simmons, but obviously that was written after Wells's story, so I read them back to front; it should really be the Hyperion story that reminds you of The Island of Doctor Moreau. But I can't be reading the entire science fiction genre from start to finish, no matter how ambitious I might be. I think I would give this one a 3.5 stars, just because it had a creepy undertone that I liked.

So in total, the rating of this bind up averages out at 3.3 stars. My favourite is still definitely The War of the Worlds (but that may have something to do with my dad) which I believe still holds up as an alien invasion story worth reading for a modern audience. Just get past the fact that Wells never gives anyone proper names.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

H.G. Wells Classic Collection is brilliant collection of H G Wells tales that feature a diverse and different range of characters and situations! :D The stories told with in are often told in the way of a tale being presented to the populace which neatly matches period and the audience it was being written to! The style of the stories though, with the oldest The Time Machine coming out in 1895, still comes across as books that have a more modern style to them as well a rib breaking wit that comes with it!

The Invisible Man, The Time Machine etc display this brilliantly with the characters observations of the people around them! As well as this we have the characters observations of the different nationalities and here the humour is delivered in such a way that still comes across as more modern! Mrs Elphinstone in War of the Worlds not wanting to retreat to France because she viewed the Martians and French as on an equal level is hilarious and peoples observations or not observations of the Invisible Man are hilarious examples of this!

The stories though are telling and Wells put his characters through the wringer! Edward Prendick's straits in The Island of Doctor Moreau keep him on the hop! Cavor, Bedford and Julius Wendigee discoveries and investigations of the Moon in The First Men in the Moon puts them all through it on the moon and when they are back with the Selenites and the the different vegetation and mushrooms they find on the moon! The Men First Men on the Moon, The Invisible Man etc all serve as great examples of the pickles the characters get themselves in but at the same time the stories come across as very human! At the same time the stories really pack in the ethical debates which still maintain ongoing relevancy in the ethical circles! For example the manufacture of humans from animals in the island Doctor Moreau fixes firmly on the topic of genetic engineering and the treatment of animals whereas The Invisible Man delves into what happens when someone is given power and responsibility but not the wisdom to use it! At the same time The Invisible Man still has a humorous dig at publishing of results that is rib breaking and has not changed!

H.G. Wells Classic Collection is great sweep at classic stories and serves as a great introduction to Wells as a great collection to those who have already go them! The actual book itself is lavishly illustrated with gold embossed on red illustrating events from the books and the rest of the book features pictures drawn for the book throughout which look really capture the feel of the H.G. Wells Classic Collection!

H.G. Wells Classic Collection is brilliant from the start with three-dimensional and markedly different characters! The social observation and different background of the books really comes through with the characters from the start always providing a description of what and who is around them! This build an brilliant picture of what is going on an at the same time adds to the tones of the book!

The observational style of the stories as well give us background as well advancing the plotline! The Events are on an epic scale but at the same time the stories are human, with humans out of water for sure, but have the situation set up where you can really understand where the characters are coming from and what their motivations are! This will keep you on your toes guessing as to what is going to happen even though when you know the plotlines you always suspect trickery to raise its head! H.G. Wells Classic Collection packs it in and you can see the germ of ideas that are part of Science Fiction, Fantasy etc and have become part of these and certainly explores concepts that have been done against since and taken in other ways! H.G. Wells Classic Collection is brilliant from the start and you will find yourself staying up late to see what happens! Brilliant By Jove! Crisp High Five! Get it if You Can!

[Rui · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s official, as much as it pains me to admit it, I’m switching over from Team Verne to Team Wells (yes… there is such a thing… and somehow the rather disturbing image of an odd, and very historically incorrect, love triangle involving Mary Shelley, Jules Verne and H. G. Wells springs to mind…but please, let’s not dwell on that). Verne was the best scientific mind of the two, of course, but Wells was the best story-teller. If they had ever worked on a joined venture I imagine it should have been as near perfection as these things could ever go.

This volume brings together some of Wells most famous and influential stories:
“The Time Machine”, “The Island of Doctor Moreau”, “The War of The Worlds”, “The First Men in The Moon” and “The Invisible Man”.

The stories, themselves, have very different elements, some are adventures, some are horror, some are satire, although they all are, very clearly, amongst the origins of the modern science fiction genre. And you can see why so many authors afterwards decided to write about Wells ideas. Building upon any of his worlds is very tempting indeed, as one of his strengths is the way he almost always manages to give the reader a sense there are many things going on “off page”, and that what we are reading is just one possible account of the events, sometimes not even very trustworthy (as in the case of “The First Men in The Moon”).
He also knew remarkably well how to manage information. In fact, one of the few things that most often managed to spoil my enjoyment reading these stories was that so many of their key points have become well known to modern audiences, reducing the impact of some revelations and hints.

Sadly all was not perfect. The least captivating of the texts, to me at least, was “The Invisible Man”, with an interesting concept, but not tackled in the best of ways. It lost me somewhere along the middle and only managed to catch me again very near the end. Much of it was filled with uninteresting characters (albeit, sometimes, funny) observing the actions of someone who…well... could not really be observed. That did not work.

Yet the stories that stood out very much made up for it. “The Island of Doctor Moreau”, with its chilling, weird ambience, and disturbing characters (Moreau is the kind of man who keeps you guessing until the very end…and even after it), and “The War of the Worlds”, with its absolutely overwhelming imagery of destruction and humanity gone mad, are superb.
In fact both must have been a kick in the stomach for 19th century audiences (with ladies fainting and gentleman…er…falling on their couches…with…bodily humors…or something…er… all right, I really don’t know what I’m talking about here).

In the end, though, what most surprised me was Wells’ ability to introduce elements of satire and humor in all of his stories. While reading I found no matter how dark or moody the story might be he always found a way of sneaking in, at least, some surreptitious line or reference at the expense of himself, other authors (Verne himself is slightly spoofed in “The First Men in the Moon”), his own characters, the situation itself, or, in one infamous case (in “The War of The Worlds”), the man who was hired by the publisher to do the illustrations.

In short, in my first contact with Wells, I unexpectedly found many of the things I most admire in an author generally used to great effect. I am sorry Mr. Verne…but please know you’ll always have a very special place in my heart and in my bookshelves…honest…

[sologdin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's pleasant to read on occasion a book with virtually no editorial paratext, and this one includes solely the nartratives of the five most well-known Wells tales, all of which are very good in themselves, and hold up well, despite the passage of over 100 years (except maybe The First Men in the Moon, which, while fun, is perhaps hopelessly overcome by events; it's a nice gloss on both Lucian and the Orlando Furisoso, though).

All of them are bizarre first person narrations--typically, a first person narrator who recounts the exploits without any understanding of the pertinent science. This is a slick technique that allows Wells to develop his "scientific romance" without actually presenting a bunch of Star Trekky sciencey-babble.

All five of the narratives are memorable, and to some extent embody key archetypes of speculative fiction.

War of the Worlds to some extent is the archetype of the geocentric alien subgenre: aliens are always already superior, but have some fatal incompetence--here, certain immunities that we possess and they lack, for want of evolutionary contact. This will become the SOP of geocentric alien fiction, whereby virtually triumphant aliens will present a lethal defect and thereby allow humans to win.

The Time Machine overflows with menace, both aesthetically, in its various visions of the future, and in its politics, a eugenicist's class/caste society. The Invisible Man updates Plato's 'Ring of Gyges' hypothetical. the Island of Doctor Moreau is probably the most horrifying of the bunch, with its nasty genetic engineering narrative, slavery, violence.

Definitely recommended for readers into nerdly stuff, the Victorian period, and leftwing politics. Wells' own socialist preferences are evident for an attentive reader--but never tendentious: e.g., the Martian heat ray is described as "an invisble hand, as it were," and the "monsters manufactured" of The Island of Doctor Moreau seem a likely influence on Mieville. (Wells has otherwise some dodgy politics (pro-WWI, pro-stalin, anti-zionism, pro-galtonian eugenics and thereafter pro-negative eugenics), all of which he later got over and repudiated, NB.)

[Martijn Vsho · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these short stories by H.G. Wells! They are quite varied and Wells does an excellent job imagining these various scenarios and what they would be like in real life. For example, while we might think it would be amazing to be invisible, Wells shows the various difficulties in being invisible in the story The Invisible Man.
The Time Machine did a fantastic job hypothesizing the good and the pitfalls of time travel and the distant future. I liked the theories that the Time Traveler had throughout the story and how they changed over time as new evidence came to light.
The Island of Dr. Moreau was an interesting story about the bestiality in men and the humanity in animals. What happens if animals were made more like people? What would that look like and how would they interact with us? An interesting (and perhaps even scary) read about mixing animal and human that makes you think about ethics and what makes a person a person.
War of the Worlds was certainly an interesting story about an alien invasion. Wells explores what alien life could look like, their effect on earth, and the earth’s effect on them. The conclusion surprised me, certainly something that I had never thought of regarding alien life.
The First Men on the Moon was a great sci-fi story about travel to the moon and the things that could be encountered there, especially at a time when not as much was known about the moon as we know now.
Overall these stories were great and seem to be a great introduction to sci-fi in general and also to reading the stories by H.G. Wells.
An interesting quote about intelligence:
“It is a law of nature we overlook, that intellectual versatility is the compensation for change, danger, and trouble. An animal perfectly in harmony with its environment is a perfect mechanism. Nature never appeals to intelligence until habits and instinct are useless. There is no intelligence where there is no change and no need of change. Only those animals partake of intelligence that have to meet a huge variety of needs and dangers” (pp. 69-70 in The Time Machine)

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 stars, matching the 4 out of 5 stories I thoroughly enjoyed. The three first stories in the collection, The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau and The War of the Worlds, are delightfully pulpy and imaginative, and in the case of War of the Worlds believable enough to read like alternative history. The stories are more than 100 years old but beneath the exciting adventures they all touch on subjects still relevant today, from The First Men in the Moon warning against war mongering to The Island of Doctor Moreau dealing with subjects like genetic engineering, animal testing and disregard for animal suffering (and in extension disregard for consequences in the name of progress). The First Men in the Moon is the weakest of the bunch with the excitement and wonder largely relying on science and ideas that should have been already outdated 1901, for example it is quite a stretch to assume that no one would spot the large, colourful forests that sometimes grow in the craters of the moon.
The last two stories suffer from being somewhat to long and losing momentum before they finish in admittedly quite satisfying ways. The prose is nothing special but is enjoyable enough, if anything it feels surprisingly modern for such an old text (compared to Lovecraft, for example).

The volume feel luxurious and the illustrations (which, however, are not always faithful to the descriptions) greatly enhance the feeling.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ilus raamat riiulisse. Kahjuks sama sarja teist osa ja lühijuttudekogumikku pole enam saada.
Lugude järjestus minu jaoks on selline:
1. The Invisible Man – põnevust jätkus kuigi sisu on ju tegelikult algusest peale läbinähtav (höhöhhöö…). Hea hooga lugu ja midagi pole teha, mulle meeldib kui peategelane on paha, tige ja halva iseloomuga (vt ka A. Bester „The Stars My Destination“).
2. The Island of Dr Moreau
Aasta alguses oli see lugu aktuaalne, kuna äsja oli üks õnnetu kristlane (kuidas selline asi üldse võimalik on, eks ole, ma küsiks küll raha tagasi) Bengali lahes asuval Sentineli saarel tsivilisatsioonist puutumata inimeste käeläbi oma otsa leidnud. Muidugi, loetud loos olid saareelanikud vastupidi just tsivilisatsioonist (vägagi) puudutatud. Aga ikka on tore kui aeg-ajalt juhtub nii, et elu imiteerib kunsti.
3. The Time Machine
Hea alus kõigile järgnevatele ajarännulugudele, aga pean Arthur C. Clarke’iga nõustuma ja nentima, et järg vist ikka on tõesti veits parem (aastal 2019)…
4. – 5. The War of the Worlds ja The First Men on the Moon
Kaugel selles, et kuidagi halbade lugudega tegemist oleks. Lihtsalt antud viie teoses seas jäid need minu jaoks kõige nõrgemateks ja selle asjaolu panen jällegi puhtalt oma 21. sajandi visuaalide ja ulmega üleküllastunud aju arvele – mulle ei ole nii põhjalikke kirjeldusi vaja nagu nendes lugudes pakuti, mistõttu jäi ehk actionit väheks. Marslaste rünnak ja reis Kuule, mis omal ajal olid kahtlemata jalusrabavad teemad ei ole praegu lihtsalt enam piisavad (üllatus).

[Johnny T · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was brilliant. I kind of bought this on a whim, hearing praise of Wells's stories, and I was immensely satisfied. The stories are amazing novels and make for entertaining fiction and both thought-provoking science and philosophy (the ethics of science and the nature of humanity are both commonly touched-on themes throughout this collection). Each imaginative tale has plenty of scientific reasoning behind it, which was refreshing; as I was finishing the book I realized how so many stories now have the label 'science fiction' but do very little in the way of actual science. Even disregarding whatever errors might have cropped up in these stories (none come to mind, but since they were written long ago, it is likely that some of the science is dated), all of the science presented has proved relevant in some way: some of the aforementioned ideas have actually come true (travel to the moon, genetic engineering), some are becoming increasingly relevant (time travel, in our understanding in theory rather than in practice; technology to render things invisible), and all reflect universal themes of humanity. I'm definitely going to try and read some more of H.G. Wells's stories.

[Jacob Mahaffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy Father’s Day to one of the founding fathers of modern science-fiction. This collection has arguably his most famous works, and certainly some of the most influential and important of the genre. The Time Machine is short and sweet, an excellent example of using futuristic settings and characters to comment on the contemporary. The Island of Dr Moreau builds upon the themes of morality and playing God that are now commonplace in sci-fi. The War of the Worlds, probably my least favorite in the set, blends the horrific with the scientific, and has become the model for all stories of invasion. The First Men in the Moon—which includes a name drop to the similarly-plotted Jules Verne story!—takes a new twist on tales of exploration and alien civilizations. And The Invisible Man, perhaps my favorite of set, is a classic “science gone wrong” with an engaging villain and fun (although not entirely accurate) explanation of the real science behind the story. None of the stories are too long, and all are worth reading, both for fans of the genre or fans of classics in general.

[Ryan Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great collection. These were stories I've always heard about but never read. I will recommend you read one at a time and to take your time while reading. The old language is difficult to follow at times but worth the effort.

My favorite was The Invisible Man, but they were all wonderful.

[Eleanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Mark Short · Rating 4 out of 5]

A set of five very different books all with different things to recommend them. The only slight let down was the war of the worlds.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's simply a work of art, a must read. Amazing! Ahead of its time by a century!

[TheDarkOrb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great compilation of Wells best known works. All of which have stood the test of time surprisingly well.

[EA Solinas · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the very first science fiction authors -- and the one with the biggest impact on sci-fi -- was undoubtedly H.G. Wells. And "H. G. Wells Classic Collection I" brings together five of his best-known science fiction novels, filled with weird occurrences, time travel, "science" potions" and bizarre alien creatures.

"The Time Machine" concerns the Time Traveller, an English scientist who has built a machine capable of taking a person through time. So he goes to the year 802,701 A.D. and finds that civilization has fallen -- the human race has become the grotesque, apish Morlocks and the innocent, vague Eloi. And as he continues traveling into the future, it becomes bleaker.

"The Island of Dr. Moreau" involves an English gentleman who is shipwrecked, and taken to a remote island ruled by the mysterious Dr. Moreau. It doesn't take long for him to stumble across the products of Moreau's work -- grotesque hybrids of animal and human, who are surgically turned into humanoids. And it's only a matter of time before the experiments lash out.

"The War of the Worlds" takes place when the narrator finds a bizarre metal spaceship, filled with enormous tentacled Martians -- and soon they're decimating the army with their heat rays and tripodal fighting machines. Now, the human race is threatened with annihilation or enslavement, unless something can turn the war of the worlds in their favor.

"The First Men in the Moon" has an eccentric scientist, Mr. Cavor, who has uncovered a mysterious substance called cavorite that can nullify gravity. He convinces a reluctant businessman to accompany him on a trip to the moon, where they find bizarre life-forms -- including the Selenites, a strange alien species.

"The Invisible Man" involves... well, an invisible man. A stranger covered entirely in clothes, goggles and bandages arrives in the village of Iping, and frightens the locals with his strange behavior. When the "invisible man" stumbles across the house of Dr. Kemp, he reveals his true identity and just how he became invisible...

A future "dying earth," time machines, strange elixirs, a strange world on the moon, genetic engineering and even aliens invading the Earth -- H.G. Wells came up with a lot of the ideas that are now pretty common in science fiction. Some of his ideas have been disproven (I'm pretty sure there are no tentacled monsters on Mars), but that doesn't make his books any less groundbreaking.

Wells wrote in a staid 19th-century style, full of vivid descriptions ("The red eastern sky, the northward blackness, the salt Dead Sea, the stony beach crawling with these foul, slow-stirring monsters") and powerful emotions (the wild chase scenes in "The Invisible Man"). He also had a knack for inserting some really alien stuff into the stories, as well as some truly bleak depictions of what might come to pass.

And he wove in plenty of science -- bacteria, albinism, evolution and the life cycle of a planet, as well as the question of whether there was life on other worlds. I can only imagine how these books must have expanded the imaginations of the Victorians who read them.

HG Wells' most famous works are brought together in "H. G. Wells Classic Collection I." It's bleak, brilliant sci-fi that needs to be read to be believed -- and even if the science has been disproved, it's still thrilling.

[Ian Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d said I wanted to read some classic science fiction this year, and it doesn’t come more classic than this: five of the earliest and best known of H.G. Wells’ short novels which were to form the foundation stones of the genre.

This is actually the first and most common of a multi-volume set (of four to my knowledge) collecting Wells’ prominent work, and were it not for its existence I would happily have gone with the excellent-looking ‘Seven Novels’ edition from Barnes & Noble. The collector in me will probably get that anyway.

It’s a beautifully bound book, with large and nicely type-set pages and a number of lovely full-page illustrations by Les Edwards. It’s definitely more a collector’s item to cherish in a home library than to carry around on the daily commute.

It should be noted that this series of Wells’ collections is not intended to be exhaustive, nor is it strictly in chronological order. If ever I’m inclined to read say The Wonderful Visit or The Food of the Gods then I shall have to look elsewhere.

As to the works themselves, they stand up remarkably well to a modern reader. The language is not archaic by any means and the concepts truly shine through. I will say though that I felt The Invisible Man flowed much better than the others due to its third-person perspective.

With each of these stories, Wells tackled one or two core ideas which were to become staples of sci-fi to this day. We have the likes of time travel, alien invasion, more than one unethical mad scientist’s bizarre and deadly experiments, invisibility, anti-gravity and space travel.

And for all that they’re imbued with the romantic Victorian sense of adventure and discovery, all these stories have a distinct dark side from which Wells does not shy. There is danger and there is dubious morality in all these futuristic concerns. Dr Moreau may be the infamous example, but protagonists such as Bedford and Cavor are by no means morally flawless individuals.

Griffin in fact is an outright villain, being a variety of remorseless sociopath. It’s surprising how packed with action and horror The Invisible Man is for a book of its era, even compared with say The War of the Worlds.

Of course much of the sci-fi content is quaint to our modern understanding of science, especially so for the journey to the Moon in The First Men in the Moon. That said, Wells’ imagination remains impressive in its scope and realisation. If this kind of thing interests you at all, this book belongs in your collection.

p.s. My curiosity lead me to look up approximate word counts, which may be of interest to some:

The Time Machine: 32,149
The Island of Doctor Moreau: 43,281
The War of the Worlds: 59,796
The First Men in the Moon: 68,051
The Invisible Man: 48,176
Total: 251,453

[Jani · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories in this book truly justified the tag of "the father of modern science fiction" given to Wells. The stories had the basic elements of SF: they pondered upon the nature of humanity, the role of science in it and tried to build their scenarios upon an acceptably constructed hypotheses. Now of course, history has proven many of Wells' hypotheses to be wrong (hardly his fault) and the writing can be a bit ponderous sometimes (in War of the Worlds especially), but compared to some others they have held on surprisingly good. Must read for any science fiction fan...

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing anthology of H.G Well’s classic novels, collected in a high quality hardback compendium.

Each book is presented in chronological order, so, if you read them that way, you can see how Well’s writing style improved with each new endeavour. I have read the first three (The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, and The War of the Worlds) three times each; they’re quite short and still very enjoyable despite their age.

A lot of the themes, such as animal experimentation, are still relevant today.

If you’re considering reading Well’s, this is a great place to start.

[Luke Meakin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic book! Five of the best Sci-Fi books I have ever read. Wells is one of if not the most prominent science fiction writer to date and you can see why with these books. Just got the second classic collection for christmas so stay tuned for when I finally get round to reading that!

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for any sci-fi fan. Wells' most well-known stories in one beautiful package. There is a volume 2, as well as a matching collection of his short stories. Both are also recommended!

[Lara Blasberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly advanced understanding of science for his time. Written with a very enjoyable prose and sense of suspense. Brilliant and fun stories... ahead of their time!

[David Proffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of five of H G Wells’ finest and best known stories: The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The War of the Worlds, The First Men in the Moon and The Invisible Man. Anyone with even a passing interest in Science Fiction will already know these stories; all of them have been made into films or TV series and have influenced several generations of writers.

Wells is often cited as the father of modern science fiction and re-reading these stories is a reminder of just how influential he has been. There have been many books and films with plots that owe a great deal to the stories in this collection. We have alien invasion, genetic manipulation, time travel and first contact sitting alongside some great social commentary.

Wells was not just a visionary, he was also great writer who understood what made people tick. Unlike many modern writers, he avoided getting too wrapped up in the science behind his stories. He hints at processes and theories, but always falls short of offering any concrete science, but considering the age, that is hardly surprising.

This collection highlights the genius of H G Wells and is, above all else, a collection of good stories that have stood the test of time. Granted, some of the language is dated, but these as all but one of the stories is set in the Victorian age, that is hardly surprising.