Showing results by author "H.G. Wells" in All Categories

A mysterious man, muffled to his blue-goggled eyes in hat and coat and gloves, arrives on foot at the village of Iping in the middle of a snowstorm, and takes up his residence at the local inn. Despite the Godsend of a paying guest in the middle of winter, the landlady and her husband are very soon much disquieted by the reclusive and increasingly abrasive traveller, and his strange 'researches' in the parlour...

Initially when one thinks of the possibility of becoming invisible the potential results are both intriguing and faintly comical. For H.G Wells however the subject is developed into a narrative that takes the concept of invisibility to its disturbing conclusion. For the author it is always the impact of science upon the Human heart and mind which is of interest and here results in a classic of science fiction.

An impecunious businessman, Bedford, retreats to the Kent coast where he meets the archetypal absent-minded scientist, Dr Cavor, who is on the point of producing a gravity-defying material. His experiments prove successful, making possible one of man’s oldest dreams: a journey to the moon. The two men embark on this fantastic voyage–Bedford motivated by the prospect of wealth, and Cavor by the thirst for knowledge. However, when they arrive, they find a world of freezing nights and sweltering days, and signs of a threatening alien presence, from which they may never escape.

Experience the terror again! Veteran narrator David Gilmore takes you through the suspense-filled invasion of the creatures from Mars in this classic H. G. Wells story from 1898. One by one the Martians build their war machines and lay waste to the English countryside while the human population is powerless to fight back against the awesome heat ray.

A brand new BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of HG Wells' famous story of the brutal Martian invasion of Earth. When strange explosions are observed on the surface of Mars, excitement spreads among the scientific community. Surrey astronomer Ogilvy invites his friend Robert to the observatory to witness the turbulence on the red planet.

La Guerre des mondes est un roman de science-fiction écrit par H. G. Wells. C'est une des premières œuvres d'imagination dont le sujet est l'humanité confrontée à une race extraterrestre hostile. L'histoire : des astronomes sont témoins d'étranges activités à la surface de Mars, comme des éclairs ou des explosions de gaz incandescent. L'étonnant phénomène se répète pendant les dix nuits suivantes puis cesse. Des météores venant de la planète rouge se dirigent bientôt vers la Terre.

The thesis of this story is that “because of the development of scientific knowledge, separate sovereign states and separate sovereign empires are no longer possible in the world. To attempt to keep on with the old system is to heap disaster upon disaster for [hu]mankind and perhaps to destroy our race altogether. The remaining interest of this book now is the sustained validity of this thesis and the discussion of the possible ending of war on the earth.”

Britain triumphed in the Moon Race long before Neil Armstrong took his legendary giant leap for mankind. This thrilling tale follows two daring adventurers from Lympne, England, who ventured to the Moon using an extraordinary antigravity coating instead of a rocket. Narrated by Mr. Bedford, the story unfolds as he befriends the eccentric inventor Mr. Cavor, becomes a believer in his groundbreaking research, and assists in building a remarkable sphere for space travel. Their expedition leads them to astonishing discoveries‚Aîair, water, and a labyrinth of caverns inhabited by an advanced ...

Orson Welles' 1938 radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds has done much to obscure the real brilliance of the original work. Written at a time when "science-fiction" did not exist as a genre, The War of the Worlds was a new departure in literature. Author H.G. Wells, deeply committed to social improvement in turn-of-the-century Britain, used extra-terrestrial invasion to predict the results of a not-entirely-impossible violent upheaval in contemporary society: for "Martians" read "bolsheviks."

Tono-Bungay is very possibly H. G. Wells' finest novel, bringing together so many strands of his work: that of the novelist, the scientific romancer, the humorist, the historian, and the prophet-like sociologist. It was published in 1909, and although Wells was disappointed by its poor sales, Arnold Bennett praised it thus: "When with the thrill of emotion that a great work communicates I finished reading Tono-Bungay, I was filled with a holy joy because Wells had stirred up the dregs again and more violently than ever....

A classic science horror novel, by an early master. When a med student switches to physics, he becomes obsessed with the properties of light. His research leads him to the discovery of the secret of invisibility. Now how can he use this unique attribute to his advantage? What power may he wield? What terror can he inflict?

From the origin of our planet, to the great civilizations, to the Great War, follow Wells on this ambitious journey spanning thousands of years. Although H.G. Wells is known as “the father of science fiction,” his interest in biology and politics also compelled him to write about the physical world around him. A Short History of the World offers the chance to connect with a great creative mind on a literal and intellectual level. Discover why Albert Einstein recommended this book for understanding the course of civilization throughout history.

Wells’ dystopian fiction masterpiece! A man sleeps for 203 years, waking up in a completely transformed London in which he has become the richest man in the world. The future is revealed to him in all its horrors and malformities.

HG Wells' perennially popular, and never out-of-print, 1898 science fiction novel, depicting a sudden invasion of the English heartland by highly intelligent and coldly malevolent creatures from Mars, and the rout of human resistance before the invaders' superior technology. The novel has been many times adapted for other media, including Hollywood movies, and the legendary 1938 radio presentation by Orson Welles.

This thrilling anthology contains five action-packed tales of incredible journeys, a murderous treasure hunt, invaders from outer space and international espionage - all read in full by some of the very best voice actors.

Step into the thrilling world of a Victorian scientist who believes he has unlocked the secrets of time travel. As he journeys to the distant future, he discovers humanity has diverged into two very different races the Eloi, delicate and carefree beings living above ground, and the Morlocks, sinister underground dwellers who once served the Eloi but now prey on their innocence. Will he uncover the truth behind this strange new world? Join us for a captivating exploration of evolution and survival. - Summary by Cliff Stone

Floor Games is a book published in 1911 by H. G. Wells. This light-hearted volume argues in a humorously dictatorial tone that "The jolliest indoor games for boys and girls demand a floor." Illustrated with photographs and drawings, it briefly describes a number of games that can be played on "well lit and airy" floors with "four main groups" of toys: soldiers about two inches high (Wells regrets the "curse of militarism" that makes civilians hard to find), largish wooden bricks, boards and planks, and electric railway rolling stock and rails.

At a Victorian dinner party in Richmond, London, the Time Traveller tells his extraordinary tale of humankind's future in the year 802,701 AD. It is a dystopian vision of Darwinian evolution, with humans split into an above-ground species of Eloi, and their troglodyte brothers.

A stranger arrives in a small English town, wreathed in a hat, coat, goggles and bandages. It's not just his identity he's hiding, though; he has discovered the secret of invisibility, and believes it will lead him to ultimate power. But he needs to be able to control the process, and when the terrified villagers refuse to help him, he decides on bloody revenge.

Ten vintage dramas on the theme of murder, written by internationally recognised authors and set across the globe ‘Murder is murder, anywhere in the world. The taking of life, the most terrible crime a human being can commit, is the same in any language, whether it springs from vengeance...