The Collected Short Stories of H. G. Wells (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Over 70 fantasy and science fiction short stories in chronological order of publicationBy H. G. Wells
Length37h 55m
About this audiobook
The Collected Short Stories of H. G. Wells gathers the astonishing range of Wells's shorter fiction: scientific romances, social satires, uncanny fantasies, comic sketches, and dark parables of modernity. Written in a lucid, energetic prose that makes speculation feel immediate, these stories stand at the intersection of Victorian realism, fin-de-siècle anxiety, and the emerging literature of science fiction. From time, evolution, and invisibility to imperialism, class, and technological hubris, Wells transforms imaginative premises into sharp investigations of human conduct. H. G. Wells was trained in science under T. H. Huxley, and his fiction bears the imprint of evolutionary theory, laboratory culture, and late-nineteenth-century debates about progress. Yet Wells was also a journalist, socialist, and public intellectual, alert to the inequalities and illusions of his age. His short stories often compress his larger concerns—education, social reform, biological change, and the instability of civilization—into memorable narrative experiments. This collection is highly recommended for readers seeking both intellectual pleasure and literary variety. It offers an essential portrait of Wells as more than the author of famous novels: here he is inventive, witty, unsettling, and prophetic. Scholars, science-fiction enthusiasts, and general readers alike will find in these stories a foundational archive of modern speculative imagination.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions.
- The Author Biography highlights personal milestones and literary influences that shape the entire body of writing.
- A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation.
- A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists.
- A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths.
- Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts.
- Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.
Audiobook details
GenreScience Fiction, General Fiction
Length37 hrs 55 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateSep 5, 2013
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Introduction
3Author Biography
4Historical Context
5Synopsis (Selection)
Show all chaptersShow less
6The Collected Short Stories of H. G. Wells (Over 70 fantasy and science fiction short stories in chronological order of publication)
7THE CHRONIC ARGONAUTS
8HOW AN ESOTERIC STORY BECAME POSSIBLE
9THE ESOTERIC STORY BASED ON THE CLERGYMAN’S DEPOSITIONS
10THE ANACHRONIC MAN
11THE CHRONIC ARGO
12IN THE MODERN VEIN AN UNSYMPATHETIC LOVE STORY
13THE TRIUMPHS OF A TAXIDERMIST
14THE STOLEN BACILLUS
15THE HAMMERPOND PARK BURGLARY
16THE JILTING OF JANE
17THE DIAMOND MAKER
18THE FLOWERING OF THE STRANGE ORCHID
19IN THE AVU OBSERVATORY
20THROUGH A WINDOW
21THE TREASURE IN THE FOREST
22THE LORD OF THE DYNAMOS
23AEPYORNIS ISLAND
24A DEAL IN OSTRICHES
25THE FLYING MAN
26THE TEMPTATION OF HARRINGAY
27THE MOTH
28THE REMARKABLE CASE OF DAVIDSON’S EYES
29A CATASTROPHE
30LE MARI TERRIBLE
31POLLOCK AND THE PORROH MAN
32THE OBLITERATED MAN
33THE CONE
34THE ARGONAUTS OF THE AIR
35THE BULLA
36A SLIP UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
37UNDER THE KNIFE
38THE RED ROOM
39THE PLATTNER STORY
40THE STORY OF THE LATE MR. ELVESHAM
41THE RAJAH’S TREASURE
42IN THE ABYSS
43THE LOST INHERITANCE
44THE APPLE
45THE PURPLE PILEUS
46THE SEA RAIDERS
47THE CRYSTAL EGG
48A STORY OF THE STONE AGE— 1. UGH-LOMI AND UYA
49A STORY OF THE STONE AGE— 2. UGH-LOMI AND THE CAVE BEAR
50A STORY OF THE STONE AGE— 3. THE FIRST HORSEMAN
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