Customer Reviews

The First Men in the Moon : A Critical Text of the 1901 London First Edition, With an Introduction and Appendices (Annotated H.G. Wells, 6)

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This is an excellent critical edition of the initial edition of the Men in the Moon by Leon Stover.
Most reprints of the Time Machine and other of Wells' SF novels typically use later revisions.
Stover argues effectively for the greater artistic merit of the initial editions. It is part of a series
of extensively annotated editions of Wells' science fiction. The editor also has a lengthy introduction
which discusses the context and ideas permeating each novel. Stover makes good use of previous
studies while also providing his own illuminating analyses. What I like is that Stover keeps
close to what Wells wrote and said in his various books and recorded conversations rather
than spinning some personal take on the novel. Please do not confuse this with a
typical reprint of his sf novels. It is much more. Serious readers of HG Wells should get the series.

The notes to The First Men In The Moon's text were truly informative.You can find out much about the times,as well as the advancement of the telegraph as well as ideas had at the turn of the century concerning space-travel.Wells was much,much more than a science-fiction writer.