H. G. Wells

The first three chapters of The War in the Air relate details of the life of Bert Smallways and his extended family in Bun Hill - a (fictional) former Kentish village which had become a London suburb within living memory (in many ways similar to Bromley where Wells was born). The story begins with Bert's brother Tom, a stolid greengrocer who views technological progress with suspicion and apprehension (which would turn out to be all too well founded) and their aged father, who recalls with longing the time when Bun Hill was a quiet village and he had driven the local squire's carriage. However, the story soon focuses on Bert who is an unimpressive, not particularly gifted, unsuccessful young man with few ideas about larger things - but far from unintelligent. He has a strong attachment to a young woman named Edna, and works as a helper and later a partner in a bicycle shop. When bankruptcy threatens one summer, he and his partner abandon the shop, devise a singing act ("the Desert Dervishes"), and resolve to try their fortunes in English sea resorts. As chance would have, their initial performance is interrupted by a balloon which lands on the beach before them, and which turns out to contain one Mr. Butteridge. Butteridge is famous for his successful invention of an easily manoeuvrable fixed-wing aircraft whose secret he has not revealed and that he is seeking to sell to the British government or, failing that, to Germany. Prior to Butteridge, nobody had succeeded in producing a practical heavier-than-air machine, only a few awkward devices of limited utility such as the German "Drachenflieger", which had to be towed aloft and released from an airship. Butteridge's invention is a major breakthrough, as it is highly manoeuvrable, capable of both very fast and very slow flight, and requires only a small area to take off and land, reminiscent of the later autogyro. By accident Bert is carried off in Butteridge's balloon, and discovers Butteridge's secret plans on board it. Bert is clever enough to appraise his situation, and when the balloon is shot down in a secret German "aeronautic park east of Hamburg," Bert intends to pass himself off as Butteridge to sell the secret. However, he has stumbled upon the German air fleet just as it is about to launch a surprise attack on the United States - and Prince Karl Albert, the author and leader of this plan, decides to take him along for the campaign. The Prince, world-famous as "The German Alexander" or Napoleon, is a living manifestation of German Nationalism and boundless imperial ambitions, his personality as depicted by Wells in some ways resembling that of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Bert's disguise is soon seen through by the Germans, and - narrowly avoiding being summarily thrown overboard by the furious Prince - he is relegated to the role of a witness to the true horror of war.

The First Men in the Moon is a science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells. The action centers around a businessman and an eccentric scientist who embark on a journey to the moon where they find many surprises. H. G. Wells was a prominent English author in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Wells wrote many of the most famous science fiction novels in literature which has led to him being considered one of the fathers of science fiction. Wells was also a prolific and accomplished writer in other genres and he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four times. Classic novels such as The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds have been adapted into numerous films and other media over the years.

The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells, first published in 1904. Wells called it "a fantasia on the change of scale in human affairs. . . . I had hit upon the idea while working out the possibilities of the near future in a book of speculations called Anticipations." The novel is one of his lesser known works although there have been various B-movie adaptations of it.

This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare s finesse to Oscar Wilde s wit, this unique collection brings together works as diverse and influential as The Pilgrim s Progress and Othello. As an anthology that invites readers to immerse themselves in the masterpieces of the literary giants, it is must-have addition to any library.

The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells, first published in 1904. Wells called it "a fantasia on the change of scale in human affairs. . . . I had hit upon the idea while working out the possibilities of the near future in a book of speculations called Anticipations." The novel is one of his lesser known works although there have been various B-movie adaptations of it.

Filmed numerous times, The Island of Doctor Moreau remains one of H. G. Wells' best-known novels. The story tells of Edward Prendick, a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat who is left on the island home of Doctor Moreau, a reclusive genius who creates human-like hybrid beings from animals via vivisection. The novel deals with a number of philosophical themes, including pain and cruelty, moral responsibility, human identity, and human interference with nature.

H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds is a work of creative genius, and in many respects we are still living today in the imaginative landscape that Wells shaped in this classic of early science fiction. This parallel text edition of The War of the Worlds will provide both a stimulating subject and simple reading pleasure for students of either French or English, and it will also be useful to more seasoned comparatists who are interested in pursuing a close study of the original and its French translation, presented in a conveniently accessible form.

In A Modern Utopia, two travelers fall into a space-warp and suddenly find themselves upon a Utopian Earth controlled by a single World Government.