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
43THE LOST INHERITANCE
2Introduction
44THE APPLE
3Author Biography
45THE PURPLE PILEUS
4Historical Context
46THE SEA RAIDERS
5Synopsis (Selection)
47THE CRYSTAL EGG
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6The Collected Short Stories of H. G. Wells (Over 70 fantasy and science fiction short stories in chronological order of publication)
48A STORY OF THE STONE AGE— 1. UGH-LOMI AND UYA
7THE CHRONIC ARGONAUTS
49A STORY OF THE STONE AGE— 2. UGH-LOMI AND THE CAVE BEAR
8HOW AN ESOTERIC STORY BECAME POSSIBLE
50A STORY OF THE STONE AGE— 3. THE FIRST HORSEMAN
9THE ESOTERIC STORY BASED ON THE CLERGYMAN’S DEPOSITIONS
51A STORY OF THE STONE AGE— 4. THE REIGN OF UYA THE LION
10THE ANACHRONIC MAN
52A STORY OF THE STONE AGE— 5. THE FIGHT IN THE LION’S THICKET
11THE CHRONIC ARGO
53A STORY OF THE DAYS TO COME— 1. THE CURE FOR LOVE
12IN THE MODERN VEIN AN UNSYMPATHETIC LOVE STORY
54A STORY OF THE DAYS TO COME— 2. THE VACANT COUNTRY
13THE TRIUMPHS OF A TAXIDERMIST
55A STORY OF THE DAYS TO COME— 3. THE WAYS OF THE CITY
14THE STOLEN BACILLUS
56A STORY OF THE DAYS TO COME— 4. UNDERNEATH
15THE HAMMERPOND PARK BURGLARY
57A STORY OF THE DAYS TO COME— 5. BINDON INTERVENES
16THE JILTING OF JANE
58THE STAR
17THE DIAMOND MAKER
59THE MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES
18THE FLOWERING OF THE STRANGE ORCHID
60MISS WINCHELSEA’S HEART
19IN THE AVU OBSERVATORY
61MR. LEDBETTER’S VACATION
20THROUGH A WINDOW
62THE STOLEN BODY
21THE TREASURE IN THE FOREST
63JIMMY GOGGLES THE GOD
22THE LORD OF THE DYNAMOS
64MR. BRISHER’S TREASURE
23AEPYORNIS ISLAND
65A VISION OF JUDGMENT
24A DEAL IN OSTRICHES
66A DREAM OF ARMAGEDDON
25THE FLYING MAN
67FILMER
26THE TEMPTATION OF HARRINGAY
68THE NEW ACCELERATOR
27THE MOTH
69THE INEXPERIENCED GHOST
28THE REMARKABLE CASE OF DAVIDSON’S EYES
70MR. SKELMERSDALE IN FAIRYLAND
29A CATASTROPHE
71THE VALLEY OF SPIDERS
30LE MARI TERRIBLE
72THE TRUTH ABOUT PYECRAFT
31POLLOCK AND THE PORROH MAN
73THE MAGIC SHOP
32THE OBLITERATED MAN
74THE LAND IRONCLADS
33THE CONE
75THE COUNTRY OF THE BLIND
34THE ARGONAUTS OF THE AIR
76THE EMPIRE OF THE ANTS
35THE BULLA
77THE DOOR IN THE WALL
36A SLIP UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
78THE BEAUTIFUL SUIT
37UNDER THE KNIFE
79MY FIRST AEROPLANE — “ALAUDA MAGNA”
38THE RED ROOM
80LITTLE MOTHER UP THE MÖRDERBERG
39THE PLATTNER STORY
81THE GRISLY FOLK
40THE STORY OF THE LATE MR. ELVESHAM
82Analysis
41THE RAJAH’S TREASURE
83Reflection
42IN THE ABYSS
84Memorable Quotes
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