In the Abyss

Short story by H. G. Wells first published in the August 1896 edition of Pearson’s Magazine. It tells of a descent to the deep ocean bed and an encounter with a previously unknown undersea civilisation.

The Lord of the Dynamos

Short story by H. G. Wells first published in 1894. It concerns a stoker employed at the Camberwell electric railway workshops who becomes convinced that a large dynamo is a deity, and kills his superior in a religious frenzy.

Mr. Ledbetter’s Vacation

Short story by H. G. Wells about a schoolmaster who, to prove his courage to himself, burgles a house while on holiday, leading him into a strange adventure.

The Flowering of the Strange Orchid

Short story by H. G. Wells first published in 1894. A collector of orchids grows an unknown species which develops aerial rootlets that attach themselves to his skin and suck his blood.

The Temptation of Harringay

A short story by H. G. Wells, published in 1895, about an artist who paints a man’s head that comes to life and criticises his work.

Jimmy Goggles the God

Short story by H. G. Wells first published in 1898, about a treasure hunter who because of his diving suit is mistaken for a god.

The Purple Pileus

Short story by H. G. Wells first published in 1896, about a struggling small shopkeeper whose life is transformed after consuming some magic mushrooms.

The Crystal Egg

Short story by H. G. Wells first published in 1897, about a dealer in antiquities who discovers a communication device between Earth and Mars.

The Plattner Story

Short story by H. G. Wells published in 1896, about a chemistry teacher who causes an explosion that propels him into another world.