The H.G. Wells Reader: A Complete Anthology from Science Fiction to Social Satire [Paperback]

John Huntington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 2003

Huntington carefully compiled this readable anthology of Well's fiction. Includes 17 works, including The Time Machineand two other complete novels-the rarer The First Men and the Moon and In the Days of the Comet, 10 short stories, and excerpts from 6 other novels.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Surveys Wells as a writer and thinker. (Karen Sandstrom Cleveland Plain Dealer )

About the Author

John Huntington is a professor of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the author of the award-winning Logic of Fantasy: H. G. Wells and Science Fiction and other books.

John Huntington is a professor of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the author of the award-winning Logic of Fantasy: H. G. Wells and Science Fiction and other books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing; 1 edition (June 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878333061
• ISBN-13: 978-0878333066
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,640,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Introduction, February 27, 2005

By 

Larry Sinclair "Larry Sinclair" (Bridgeport, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The H.G. Wells Reader: A Complete Anthology from Science Fiction to Social Satire (Paperback)

I come to this reader having read a few Wells novels: "War of the Worlds", "The Invisible Man", "The Time Machine". I didn't know much else about Wells' life or career. In reading this anthology, I found out quite a few new things, though not enough to claim that I'm an expert on the subject. Wells did live a long time, and this anthology uses a lot of space presenting things about Wells that I alreay knew. I know that Bison Books prints editions of "The Sleeper Awakes", "In The Days of the Comet", and "The Last War." The other reviewers of this book seem to miss the point that this book is meant to be an introduction. And an introduction is supposed to have a range and also be complete. A figure like Wells may be impossible to encapsulate in such a small volume, but I think for new readers, this might be the book for you. If you want to know the roots of science-fiction, where else can you look but at the master himself?

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars woefully incomplete, November 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The H.G. Wells Reader: A Complete Anthology from Science Fiction to Social Satire (Paperback)

One hopes that by "complete" the publisher refers to the inclusion of Wells' diverse prose throughout his career and not to the selections the editor has chosen for this edition. The only saving grace of this anthology is that it reproduces some of Wells' work that is currently out of print. Really, you'd be better off heading to the library and reading "Boon" and "Aniticpations" than reading the meager selections included here. Such is the case with most of this stinker.

The anthology is increadibly lopsided: too much "In the Days of the Comet" and not enough of Wells' early or later social writings; too much of the currently in-print "classic" Wells and not enough of Wells' out-of-print larks like "Bealby." Logically, the reading public does not need a "reader" of books that are available either for free through electronic media or wonderfully cheap in mass market paperbacks. The *idea* of this book has an audience...but in its execution, one wonders precisely who this "reader" is for!

For a man who wrote at least a book a year for nearly 50 years, one would think that an anthology would be able to cover some of the dynamism, range, contradictions, and joys of such a long and often controversial career. But you won't find dynamism here. This volume is poorly selected, and is, as a result, a terrible "portrait of the artist." It is barely readable, and certainly less than teachable.

For what it's worth, keep away from this dog of a book.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A TERRIFIC COLLECTION, April 26, 2004

By 

Michael Dorr (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The H.G. Wells Reader: A Complete Anthology from Science Fiction to Social Satire (Paperback)

I didn't know very much about Wells beyond THE TIME MACHINE and WAR OF THE WORLDS (which I've only encountered via the movie versions) until a friend gave me a copy of this terrific collection. It was great to have almost three complete novels by him as well as other selections in one volume. The excerpts made me want to read the whole of THE WHEELS OF CHANCE, THE FOOD OF THE GODS, and TONO-BUNGAY. There's not a poor choice in the book. Including the majority of IN THE DAYS OF THE COMET (not available elsewhere as one reader states) makes sense to me, since it seems like such an important book-bridge between his science fiction and social novels. The editor also includes most of THE FIRST MEN IN THE MOON, which manages to be wildly imaginative, beautifullly written, incredibly hilarious, and deeply chilling, often in the same paragraph. There's so much other great stuff in this anthology, which is a bargain at $14. The editor's comments were also very helpful in placing the selections within Wells' creative growth and intent, and in placing Wells within the broader context of his day. I can't understand the venom of some of the other reader responses. Do they have some personal grudge against the editor? You'd think Wells was their grandmother and they were defending her honor. Wells speaks for himself quite well, I think. And the truth is if Wells later stuff is so outstanding, why is it mostly all out of print? I'm defintely going to check out later Wells, but wouldn't be doing so without this marvelous introduction to spur me on.