The Plattner Story and Others (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. (The original 1897 edition of 17 fantasy and science fiction short stories)By H. G. Wells
Length10h 10m
About this audiobook
The Plattner Story and Others gathers H. G. Wells's early short fiction at the point where Victorian realism gives way to modern speculative unease. Its tales range from the uncanny dimensional dislocation of "The Plattner Story" to experiments in invisibility, biology, perception, and terror, combining brisk narrative economy with scientific conjecture and ironic social observation. Written in the fin-de-siècle atmosphere of spiritualism, evolutionary debate, and technological acceleration, the collection shows Wells refining the scientific romance into a vehicle for philosophical disturbance. Wells, trained in science under T. H. Huxley and shaped by experiences of poverty, illness, teaching, and journalism, brought to fiction an unusual mixture of empirical discipline and radical imagination. His fascination with Darwinism, social hierarchy, and the instability of human knowledge informs these stories throughout. They are not merely entertainments but thought-experiments, dramatizing how fragile ordinary reality becomes when confronted by new scientific possibilities. This collection is recommended to readers interested in the origins of science fiction, Gothic modernity, and the short story as an intellectual form. It offers suspense, wit, and speculative daring while revealing Wells's central preoccupations in concentrated form.
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
Rating★★★★ 3.7 (72)
Includes Goodreads
GenreScience Fiction, General Fiction
Length10 hrs 10 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateSep 5, 2013
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Enriched Edition. (The original 1897 edition of 17 fantasy and science fiction short stories)
14Pollock and the Porroh Man
2Introduction
15The Red Room
3Author Biography
16The Cone
4Historical Context
17The Purple Pileus
5Synopsis (Selection)
18The Jilting of Jane
Show all chaptersShow less
6The Plattner Story and Others (The original 1897 edition of 17 fantasy and science fiction short stories)
19In the Modern Vein: An Unsympathetic Love Story
7The Plattner Story
20A Catastrophe
8The Argonauts of the Air
21The Lost Inheritance
9The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham
22The Sad Story of a Dramatic Critic
10In the Abyss
23A Slip Under the Microscope
11The Apple
24Analysis
12Under the Knife
25Reflection
13The Sea Raiders
26Memorable Quotes
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