Product Description

When penniless businessman Mr Bedford retreats to the Kent coast to write a play, he meets by chance the brilliant Dr Cavor, an absent-minded scientist on the brink of developing a material that blocks gravity. Cavor soon succeeds in his experiments, only to tell a stunned Bedford the invention makes possible one of the oldest dreams of humanity: a journey to the moon. With Bedford motivated by money, and Cavor by the desire for knowledge, the two embark on the expedition. But neither are prepared for what they find – a world of freezing nights, boiling days and sinister alien life, on which they may be trapped forever.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27805 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

About the Author
H.G. Wells was a professional writer and journalist, who published more than a hundred books, including novels, histories, essays and programmes for world regeneration. Wells's prophetic imagination was first displayed in pioneering works of science fiction, but later he became an apostle of socialism, science and progress. His controversial views on sexual equality and the shape of a truly developed nation remain directly relevant to our world today. He was, in Bertrand Russell's words, 'an important liberator of thought and action'. China Mieville has won the Arthur C. Clarke and British Fantasy Awards for his science fiction. Patrick Parrinder has written on H.G. Wells, science fiction, James Joyce and the history of the English novel. Since 1986 he has been Professor of English at the University of Reading. Steven McLean is Secretary of the H.G. Wells Society. He recently completed his PhD on H.G. Wells at the University of Sheffield.

Customer Reviews

A fun read, and a fascinating sci-fi book
When the young and penniless Mr. Bedford meets an eccentric scientist, Mr. Cavor, who doesn't realize the importance of his own inventions, it seems most fortuitous. Of greatest interest is Cavor's realization that he can create a substance that shields against gravity. Together, they come to the conclusion that, with this new substance, they can make ships to take them to other planets within the solar system. And so, with Cavor dreaming of scientific breakthroughs and Bedford dreaming of wealth, the two build such a ship, and set off for the Moon.

Arriving at the Moon, the two quickly realize what a strange and amazing place it is. During the lunar day, there is a breathable atmosphere on the surface of the Moon, and their investigations soon demonstrate that the Moon is inhabited by a race of intelligent beings. An insectoid race, the Selenites (or "Moonies" as Cavor whimsically dubs them) have a highly-organized caste system much like terrestrial ants. Can our heroes escape from the Selenites and return to Earth? And, what are the long-term affects of this new meeting of societies going to be?

H.G. Wells (1866-1946) is often remembered for his late-nineteenth century science-fiction, including The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds. This book was first published in 1900, and shows a different side of Wells. Whereas his earlier book were rather preachy, this book is more light-hearted, telling a cracking good story for its own enjoyment, rather than being a vehicle to teach a lesson.

Yep, this is a fun read, and a fascinating sci-fi book. As might be expected from such an old book, the "science" that Wells used is extremely out of date. But, if you are willing to practice a little suspension of disbelief, you will be treated to an excellent story. The story hangs together well with then current science, and shows you science-fiction from an entirely different angle. I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to you.

Sadly NOT one of his best Sci-fi novels
Oh dear... this is NOT one of H G Wells' best novels by a long way. Was he clever and ahead of his time to guess of man's travels to the moon? Yes. But this is no "War of the Worlds" or "The Time Machine" or even "The history of Mr Polly".

Whereas these titles are fine novels in their own right, "The First Men in the Moon", in my humble opinion is a big flop. It is quite poorly written, childish and deadly dull, even laughable in the end. How the scientist on the moon can send such descriptive messages like he does near the end of the book is quite absurd.

Unlike these other fine novels which kept you page-turning with wonder, I couldn't wait for this one to finish. It's not quite as horrendously bad as Wells' "Food of the Gods" or "The island of Dr Moreau" but it shows that his writing was often either genius or laughable. This definitely comes, for me, into the latter category!

A fantastic piece of Sci-Fi...
What can I say? This is a sci-fi masterpiece, pure and simple. Someone commented when they saw I was reading 'The First Men in the Moon': "What is the point in reading that now, after 1969?" or words to that affect. Completely unperturbed, I finished it and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Even though man has been to the moon, and indeed we plan to go back (and about time, too!), there is plenty of reasons to read this classic and contemplate its content. For example, although it has been proven that the moon is a dead world, this novel could very easily apply to another world - one beyond our solar system. Plus, what would it mean for space travel if an anti-gravity substance like Cavorite were developed? Read it, and draw your own conclusions.