H.G. Wells
The Time Machine (1895)
Author: H.G. Wells
Genre: Science Fiction
Plot Summary:
The narrator of this story, identified only as the Time Traveler, opens this story by telling a group of dinner guests about his latest invention, a machine capable of traveling through time. His guests are skeptical, but he promises conclusive proof at their next meeting. When they meet again he tells them the tale of his journey 800,000 years into the future. There he encounters a pacifist group of creatures called the Eloi with a simple language and a simple life. The first night amongst this odd civilization his time machine disappears into a strange stone structure that he at first took to be solid. In an attempt to discover the mystery of this future world, he tries to gain an understanding of the pacifist language; however, the real discovery comes when he finds a pit leading deep into the earth where another species lives--a group he called the Morlocks. It ends up that the Morlock are an aggressive race that harvest the Eloi like cattle and who have hidden his time machine. Armed with nothing more than a book of matches, he descends into the pit in an attempt to free his time machine and return to his own time. SPOILER: The Time Traveler deduces that the Eloi are the descendants of the wealthy idle class of the present and that the Morlocks are descendants of the working class. The Time Traveler is barely able to escape with his life. The tale is a warning against many things: perhaps Communism, perhaps idleness.
Geographical Setting: London, English countryside
Time Period: 1890s
Appeal Characteristics:
A classic of the science fiction genre, this book, like the works of Jules Verne, offers an excellent insight into the evolution of the science fiction tale. Wells’ prose is dense and dated, but the tale is made interesting via Wells’ allegories about the consequences of two disparate lifestyles. There is little character development; the story being the focus of the tale (along with the allegory). Setting matters little, though it does offer some insight into late 19th century reaction to the industrial movement and the rise of the labor class. Were it not for the brevity of the tale, however, I could see modern readers being turned off by the dated prose.
Read-alikes:
If you like Wells’ style, try other books by him including The Invisible Man and The War of the Worlds. If you like late 19th century science fiction-type stories, try Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or Journey to the Center of the Earth. His prose is somewhat reminiscent of H.P. Lovecraft’s (one might try At the Mountains of Madness), though the horrific elements of Lovecraft’s writings aren’t a perfect match for Wells. Other books addressing the subject of time travel include Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time or Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife.
Red Flags: mild violence.
The War of the Worlds (1898)
Author: H. G. Wells (Herbert George)
Genre: Science Fiction
Plot Summary:
No one expected that the great flashes of light on Mars coincided with the launching of ten Earth bound cylinders containing the Martian's invasion force. The arrival of the first cylinder occasions much curiosity and speculation. But as the cylinder's lid slowly unscrews and oddly shaped beings start to emerge, the curiosity quickly turns to repulsion and fear. Deeming themselves superior to these aliens, the humans do not at first realize the grave peril that has fallen into their land. As the Martians assemble their weapons and machines, the humans wait impatiently to see what will happen. Little do they expect the massive death that comes from the Martian's Heat-Ray and later from the Black Smoke. As more cylinders fall and the intent of the Martians becomes clear, the humans prepare their defenses. But their weapons of cannon and gunpowder are virtually useless against the Martian's superior technology and weaponry. The Martians move virtually unchecked through the countryside of England toward London and finally to the sea, killing or consuming all the humans who cross their path. There is little the humans can do to defend themselves from such invaders. And so they flee. Wells describes in great detail the terror and panic that grips all of London as the Martians approach. SPOILER: In the end, it's not the rallying of the human forces and their combined determination that defeats the Martians. Instead it is the Martian's lack of immunity to human bacteria that proves their downfall. And not to worry, the narrator's wife makes it through alive.
Geographical Setting: Around London, England
Time Period: 1894
Appeal Characteristics:
The Martians are coming! If you've ever wondered who else may be living out there, and what their intentions may be, this is the classic alien invasion story that started them all. Full of details and descriptions, this book, while a science fiction classic, is not a fast read. It is easy to get bogged down in the narrator's philosophical tone. With the help of a lot of foreshadowing, he analyzes his actions, the actions of those he meets, and the outcomes of the invasion. For the most part, the chapters are short, which keeps the story going forward. But the chapters told by the narrator's brother seem disjointed and awkward. A lot of detail is put into describing exactly what the Martian's did and where they did it. So unless you are familiar with the geography of London and its surrounding ares, it may prove difficult to wade through all the town names. The story is definitely set in 1894. The language that is used, the abundance of horse drawn conveyances, the predominance of newspapers as the source for information, the mind set of the people are all indicators of the time period.
Read-alikes: If Martians trying to take over the earth really appeal to you, than you might check out Nathan Archer's Martian Deathtrap. And if you'll take any kind of alien invasion you could try Childhood's End by Arthur Clark, which deals with alien Overlords ruling the earth. Or Robert A. Heinlein's The Puppet Masters. Perhaps you liked the historical elements of The War of the Worlds, in which case Poul Anderson's The High Crusade, about aliens and knights set in the 1300s, might be a good fit. And if you're just really keen to read more about H.G. Wells and The War of the Worlds you should check out Gabriel Mesta's The Martian War: a Thrilling Eyewitness Account of the Recent Alien Invasion as Reported by Mr. H.G. Wells.
Red Flags: The Martian violence is described in such a way that, while there is a lot of death and destruction, the reader feels very distant from it.
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