Showing results by author "H.G. Wells" in All Categories

The London Classics Collection: Stories of the City allows you to step into the heart of London with a curated selection of iconic literary works that explore the soul of one of the world's most fascinating cities. From the smoky alleys of Victorian London to the political upheavals of the 20th century, this collection brings together stories that capture the city's rich history, diverse characters, and unflinching reflections on society.

The Invisible Man is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells. Originally serialized in Pearson's Weekly in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man of the title is Griffin, a scientist who has devoted himself to research into optics and invents a way to change a body's refractive index to that of air so that it neither absorbs nor reflects light and thus becomes invisible. He successfully carries out this procedure on himself, but fails in his attempt to reverse it. An enthusiast of random and irresponsible violence, Griffin has become an iconic character in horror fiction.

The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells. The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Prendick, a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat who is left on the island home of Doctor Moreau, a mad scientist who creates human-like hybrid beings from animals via vivisection. The novel deals with a number of philosophical themes, including pain and cruelty, moral responsibility, human identity, and human interference with nature. Wells described it as "an exercise in youthful blasphemy.

Having tasted human flesh while far out at sea, a shoal of giant killer squids ravage the waters and shore of an oceanic town feasting on the delicacy.

H.G. Wells sets forth an intriguing first-hand observation of Italy, France, and Britain under severe duress during the "War to End All Wars," World War I. He insightfully examines the technological effects of modern warfare, particularly the introduction of the tank and aerial bombing on human nature.

A rich and varied anthology of inventive classic tales by some of the world's top storytellers. 'A Deal in Ostriches' by H. G. Wells, 'The Scarecrow' by G. Ranger Wormser, 'Only a Dream' by H. Rider Haggard, 'The Magic Shop' by H. G. Wells, 'The Business of Madame Jahn' by Vincent O'Sullivan, 'The Old Portrait' by Hume Nisbet, 'The Yellow Globe' by Alexander W. Drake, 'The Last Trump' by Hugh Walpole, 'The White Cat' by W. W. Jacobs.

It is a story told many times in the century since the Great Martian Invasion - of a devastating and irresistible assault, of mankind in panicked flight, and of humanity's miraculous salvation. Every man and woman, girl, and boy across the globe knows the tale and hears it with reverence and gratitude. And yet - is that the whole story? Did the invaders have all the advantages? All the technology? Not all the brains were on their side. Not all the guile. Certainly not all the ruthless determination.

Wells weaves a story of scientific excess into a high-speed thriller. Montgomery, a brilliant but twisted biologist, is delivering exotic animals to his private island when he rescues a shipwrecked man. An act of compassion, or another addition to his collection?

Written in 1924, The Dream tells the story of a man from a utopian future who dreams the entire life of an Englishman from birth to his untimely death. Weaving the lives of Sarnac, a biologist from the year AD 4000, and Harry, a man whose life was ended too soon, Wells creates a mystical connection between two very different time periods. This classic science-fiction novel with a splash of romance has captivated audiences for generations.

Step into the chilling world of H.G. Wells' The Red Room, a spine-tingling tale of psychological terror and the unknown. This gripping audiobook follows a skeptical narrator who dares to spend a night in a supposedly haunted chamber, only to find himself locked in a battle with fear itself. With eerie atmosphere, mounting suspense, and a haunting conclusion, The Red Room is a must-listen for fans of classic horror and ghost stories

In this thought-provoking masterpiece, H.G. Wells predicts the inventions that will inadvertently lead to mass destruction, forcing the world to "start over." You will see many similarities between H.G. Wells' new world and today's world due to the recent technological revolution. This stimulating novel will leave you wondering if and when the remaining predictions will come to pass!

In the village of Iping, a strange man arrives at a local inn wrapped in bandages. He refuses to leave his room where he is carrying out experiments to make himself invisible. The stranger's success has grave implications for everyone. When he realises that he cannot reverse the experiment, he is gradually driven insane.

Herbert George Wells (1866 - 1946) was a prolific English writer of science fiction stories and novels, and is frequently credited as being the father of science fiction. 'The Flowering of the Strange Orchid' is a creepy horror story about an orchid collector who buys an unknown species from the Andaman Islands. The botanist who collected it had died in a mangrove swamp in the process - allegedly from an attack of jungle leeches.

Few ghost stories are as chilling as the ones written by Victorian writers. Featuring work by H.G. Wells, Edith Wharton, F.G. Loring and Florence Marryat, this second volume of eight enduring stories, some well-known, others less familiar, transport you to a cosy fireside to hear tales of disembodied voices, haunted objects and unknown entities lurking in the shadows cast by candlelight.

Experience the terror again! Veteran narrator David Gilmore takes you through the suspense-filled invasion of the creatures from Mars in this classic H. G. Wells story from 1898. One by one the Martians build their war machines and lay waste to the English countryside while the human population is powerless to fight back against the awesome heat ray.

This disturbing and insightful novel explores the question of morality when a man is free to do as he pleases without risk of being caught. This masterpiece of science fiction depicts the fascinating story of a young scientist's experiments that allow him to become invisible. Much to his anger and dismay, he realizes his condition is irreversible and descends into madness and brutality. Freed from the constraints of the law and rejected by a society that fears him, he takes advantage of the opportunity to terrorize a remote English village. Can an invisible criminal ever be stopped?

Englishman Edward Prendick finds himself shipwrecked on the open ocean. When a passing ship takes him aboard and revives him, things are starting to look less gloomy for the young scientist. Yet little does he know things about to get much worse. He is taken to an abandoned island occupied only by Dr. Moreau, a disgraced English scientist for his unethical treatment of live creatures. Prendick finds that the Doctor has been up to old habits, using the island's animals to create animal-human hybrids.

Ghost stories from the golden age. Six great writers weave their spell in creepy, insidious style.

This remarkable tale of the devastation and horrors of an international war was written in 1908—six years before the start of World War I. It describes the results of aerial attacks on New York and other cities in terrifying detail. It is provocative and sadly, prophetic in many ways. In the end, we can only agree with Wells that "it should never have begun".

The Essential Classics Collection is a continent-hopping, century-spanning collection of five of the greatest novels ever written, and the perfect way to listen to those classics you've always been meaning to try. Read by a cast of incredible narrators including Joanne Froggatt, Stephen Fry, David Rintoul, Nathan Osgood, and Malk Williams.