Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
Ever since I catalogued a big collection of H.G. Wells' work for the library I worked at, I have been meaning to read more of his fiction. He was a prolific writer, interested in many things and thoughtful about their meaning. As I am experiencing some disruption in my ability to concentrate, I opted for a collection of short fiction.
I was struck by his story The Star, about a comet impacting Neptune. It made me think back to 1992, when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 slammed into Jupiter. Just as in this story, both the astronomical and popular press were excited and entranced by the event. Thankfully it had far less effect on Earth than in this fiction. Nevertheless, I noted that many people of Wells' story try to deny expert opinion and seem to think that refusing to believe the science will somehow spare them from danger, much like folk today refuse to believe in climate change despite floods, forest fires, destructive hail storms, stronger hurricanes and tornadoes. Wells understood human nature quite clearly. He also anticipated a worry which the astronomical community has today, the possible impact of Earth by an asteroid or comet.
The tales varied from one about human ancestors (A Story of the Stone Age) to people of the future (A Story of the Days to Come) . The prehistoric people were depicted as well able to deal with the world around them, while the very urban people of the future have highly romantic and unrealistic ideas of rural life. Denton and Elizabeth are clueless about weather, animals, and how to support themselves outside the city. I thought it was interesting that Wells' future included huge corporations and unrecognizable ultra-processed food. He didn't envision a cashless society, as they still worry about money and find it to be a limiting factor in their lives. Wells' socialist leanings are on clear display as he critiques the capitalist system that cuts his future society off from nature, crowds them into cities, feeds them unidentifiable foodstuffs, and still limits their dreams. I also thought I glimpsed some of the thought that later produced The Time Machine.
The final story (The Man Who Could Perform Miracles) explores the plight of a skeptic who suddenly finds himself possessed of miraculous powers. Wells explores the morality of tinkering with other people's lives and the dangers of not fully thinking through the results of certain miracles. It seemed to me to have a similar flavour to Ursula K. Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven, with the “whole miraculous manipulation of the world” aspect.
There are good reasons that we still read H.G. Wells. He was an influential and progressive thinker. Although his writing style is slow and wordy compared to modern science fiction, he is still fairly easy to read. I bet he would love to see where the modern genre has gone and that we are still exploring many of the same issues.
I was struck by his story The Star, about a comet impacting Neptune. It made me think back to 1992, when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 slammed into Jupiter. Just as in this story, both the astronomical and popular press were excited and entranced by the event. Thankfully it had far less effect on Earth than in this fiction. Nevertheless, I noted that many people of Wells' story try to deny expert opinion and seem to think that refusing to believe the science will somehow spare them from danger, much like folk today refuse to believe in climate change despite floods, forest fires, destructive hail storms, stronger hurricanes and tornadoes. Wells understood human nature quite clearly. He also anticipated a worry which the astronomical community has today, the possible impact of Earth by an asteroid or comet.
The tales varied from one about human ancestors (A Story of the Stone Age) to people of the future (A Story of the Days to Come) . The prehistoric people were depicted as well able to deal with the world around them, while the very urban people of the future have highly romantic and unrealistic ideas of rural life. Denton and Elizabeth are clueless about weather, animals, and how to support themselves outside the city. I thought it was interesting that Wells' future included huge corporations and unrecognizable ultra-processed food. He didn't envision a cashless society, as they still worry about money and find it to be a limiting factor in their lives. Wells' socialist leanings are on clear display as he critiques the capitalist system that cuts his future society off from nature, crowds them into cities, feeds them unidentifiable foodstuffs, and still limits their dreams. I also thought I glimpsed some of the thought that later produced The Time Machine.
The final story (The Man Who Could Perform Miracles) explores the plight of a skeptic who suddenly finds himself possessed of miraculous powers. Wells explores the morality of tinkering with other people's lives and the dangers of not fully thinking through the results of certain miracles. It seemed to me to have a similar flavour to Ursula K. Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven, with the “whole miraculous manipulation of the world” aspect.
There are good reasons that we still read H.G. Wells. He was an influential and progressive thinker. Although his writing style is slow and wordy compared to modern science fiction, he is still fairly easy to read. I bet he would love to see where the modern genre has gone and that we are still exploring many of the same issues.
Really not what i expected. I hate tales and assumptions of beginnings being as idiot cave men who discover everything purely by chance and blind luck, there is nothing glorious or entertaining in this, nor does it credit man with any worth. Man is not, nor have we ever been primitive. There is no evidence of this, history always resounds with civilization. Man only becomes primitive when he chooses to reject civilization, primitive has not ever been a starting point. I realise this is fiction and as such I take it too seriously but I never enjoy this sort of tale. The first half of the book was enjoyable however.
I don't know what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. It has an intriguing start, with a sci-fi spacey concept...but then just kind of meanders through time without connection or plot between the time frames. I kept at it, assuming it would go somewhere...but no.
Well written, but A Story of the Stone Age, and A Story of the Days to Come did nothing for me at all. Certainly though, Wells was a man ahead of his time.
This is a collection of vivid and descriptive tales that takes you to the ends of the universe and to the beginning and end of time. Wells has created (and recreated) different places within the universe and takes the reader back to man's beginning and forward to a world within the city limits.
The Crystal Egg - this tale follows Mr Cave as he becomes obsessed with a crystal egg he picked up, which allows some to view other worlds and their inhabitants. But as his obsession grows, so does the malevolence of those other beings.
The Star - this tells of the death of Neptune and its 'descent' into the Sun and its impact on Earth, which to mankind seems catastrophic but to external eyes appears minor in its effects on Earth itself.
A Story of the Stone Age - following the story of Ugh-lomi and Uya as they leave their tribe and try and survive in the Stone Age world, facing bears, lions and their own kind.
A Story of the Days to Come - this tells of the future world of Earth and how lives of its inhabitants have changed, becoming tied less to the Earth and more to the megacities of man's creation.
The Man Who Could Work Miracles - a short story on how the ability to perform 'miracles' is not quite as beneficial as it seems.
The Crystal Egg - this tale follows Mr Cave as he becomes obsessed with a crystal egg he picked up, which allows some to view other worlds and their inhabitants. But as his obsession grows, so does the malevolence of those other beings.
The Star - this tells of the death of Neptune and its 'descent' into the Sun and its impact on Earth, which to mankind seems catastrophic but to external eyes appears minor in its effects on Earth itself.
A Story of the Stone Age - following the story of Ugh-lomi and Uya as they leave their tribe and try and survive in the Stone Age world, facing bears, lions and their own kind.
A Story of the Days to Come - this tells of the future world of Earth and how lives of its inhabitants have changed, becoming tied less to the Earth and more to the megacities of man's creation.
The Man Who Could Work Miracles - a short story on how the ability to perform 'miracles' is not quite as beneficial as it seems.
A great classic, a must read.
Well maybe some of the stories are just another ordinary nonsense. But you'll find extraordinary gems about humanity, about life, and another great and unexpected things. :)
I learned many things about our nature of humanity, our natural instinct to survive and how we long for a quiet and peaceful life.
Well maybe some of the stories are just another ordinary nonsense. But you'll find extraordinary gems about humanity, about life, and another great and unexpected things. :)
I learned many things about our nature of humanity, our natural instinct to survive and how we long for a quiet and peaceful life.
adventurous
fast-paced
Tales of Space and Time is a collection of two novellas and three short stories. The short stories were pretty good but the novellas were weak.
The Crystal Egg
Delightful mostly low key sci-fi that feels like it must have been way ahead of its time. My only issue is it feels like the intriguing start of something.
The Star
Peppered with some dodgy of the period racism and sexism but a stunning imagining of an object giving us a near pass.
A Story of the Stone Age
Interminable caveman story with all the problematic issues of the time but also some bloody awful storytelling.
A Story of Days to Come
Quite fun for the speculations at the future - very much extrapolation from the Victorian era - but far too long and unfocused.
The Man Who Could World Miracles
A fun, light conclusion that's mostly an excuse to explore one idea.
Delightful mostly low key sci-fi that feels like it must have been way ahead of its time. My only issue is it feels like the intriguing start of something.
The Star
Peppered with some dodgy of the period racism and sexism but a stunning imagining of an object giving us a near pass.
A Story of the Stone Age
Interminable caveman story with all the problematic issues of the time but also some bloody awful storytelling.
A Story of Days to Come
Quite fun for the speculations at the future - very much extrapolation from the Victorian era - but far too long and unfocused.
The Man Who Could World Miracles
A fun, light conclusion that's mostly an excuse to explore one idea.