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H. G. Wells (1866–1946)
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One of the most prolific writers of modern times, the English author H. G. Wells’s writing career spanned more than fifty years.[1] During that time he produced thirty novels, the same number of scientific romances, and more than seventy short stories, along with many non-fiction works on history, science, education, politics and sociology. His output exceeds that of Dickens and Shakespeare combined.[2]

Works are listed in order of their date of first publication in the lists shown below.

  • The Time Machine (1895)
  • The Wonderful Visit (1895)
  • The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896)
  • The Wheels of Chance (1896)
  • The Invisible Man (1897)
  • The War of the Worlds (1898)
  • When the Sleeper Wakes (1899)
  • Love and Mr. Lewisham (1900)
  • The First Men in the MoonScientific romance by H. G. Wells first published in 1901, about two men who travel to the Moon using an anti-gravity substance known as cavorite. (1901)
  • The Sea Lady (1902)
  • The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth (1904)
  • Kipps (1905)
  • A Modern Utopia (1905)
  • In the Days of the Comet (1906)
  • The War in the Air (1908)
  • Tono-Bungay (1909)
  • Ann Veronica (1909)
  • The History of Mr Polly (1910)
  • The Sleeper Awakes (1910) – revised edition of When the Sleeper Wakes (1899)
  • The New Machiavelli (1911)
  • Marriage (1912)
  • The Passionate Friends (1913)
  • The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman (1914)
  • The World Set Free (1914)
  • Bealby: A Holiday (1915)
  • Boon (1915) (as Reginald Bliss)
  • The Research Magnificent (1915)
  • Mr Britling Sees It Through (1916)
  • The Soul of a Bishop (1917)
  • Joan and Peter: The Story of an EducationNovel by H. G Wells published in 1918, about the education and adolescence of Joan and Peter, two samples of their generation, an excerpt of which was published under the title "Peter Learns Arithmetic" in 1958. (1918)
  • The Undying Fire (1919)
  • The Secret Places of the Heart (1922)
  • Men Like Gods (1923)
  • The Dream (1924)
  • Christina Alberta’s Father (1925)
  • The World of William Clissold (1926)
  • Meanwhile (1927)
  • Mr. Blettsworthy on Rampole Island (1928)
  • The Autocracy of Mr. Parham (1930)
  • The Bulpington of Blup (1932)
  • The Shape of Things to Come (1933)
  • The Croquet Player (1936)
  • Brynhild (1937)
  • Star Begotten (1937)
  • The Camford Visitation (1937)
  • Apropos of Dolores (1938)
  • The Brothers (1938)
  • The Holy Terror (1939)
  • Babes in the Darkling Wood (1940)
  • All Aboard for Ararat (1940)
  • You Can’t Be Too Careful (1941)
  • “A Tale of the Twentieth Century” (1887)
  • “A Talk with Gryllotalpa” (1887)
  • “A Vision of the Past” (1887)
  • “The Chronic Argonauts” (1888)
  • “The Devotee of Art” (1888)
  • “Æpyornis IslandShort story by H. G. Wells, first published in 1894, which can be read as a Robinsonade, a parable on the theme of loneliness, or simply a ripping yarn in the manner of Rudyard Kipling.” (1894)
  • “A Deal in OstrichesShort story by H. G. Wells, published in 1894. A confidence trick involving an ostrich that allegedly swallowed a diamond displays the extent of human greed.” (1894)
  • “A Family Elopement” (1894)
  • “The Diamond MakerShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1894, about a tramp who claims to be able to make diamonds.” (1894)
  • “The Great Change” (1894)
  • “The Flowering of the Strange OrchidShort 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.” (1894)
  • “The Hammerpond Park BurglaryShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1894, about a burglary that begins badly but is eventually successfully concluded.” (1894)
  • “How Gabriel Became Thompson” (1894)
  • “In the Avu ObservatoryShort story by H. G. Wells, about an attack by a large bat-like creature on an assistant at an observatory in Borneo.” (1894)
  • “In the Modern Vein: An Unsympathetic Love StoryShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1894, about a minor poet's infatuation with a girl he meets at a tennis party.” (1894)
  • “The Jilting of JaneShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1894, about an episode in the romantic life of a young maidservant who is engaged to be married.” (1894)
  • “The Lord of the DynamosShort 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.” (1894)
  • “The Man With a NoseShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1894, about a man's reflections on his unsightly nose.” (1894)
  • “A Misunderstood Artist” (1894)
  • “The Stolen BacillusShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1894, about an anarchist who steals what he believes to be a tube of cholera bacteria to poison London's water supply, but which is in reality harmless.” (1894)
  • “The Thing in No. 7Short story by H. G. Wells first published in 1894, about the thing that one of a group of friends encounters after taking shelter in an empty house.” (1894)
  • “Through a WindowShort story by H. G. Wells, first published in 1894, a precursor to the sub-genre of thriller in which a crippled or bed-ridden hero, after observing the world through a window, is suddenly confronted by a killer.” (1894)
  • “The Thumb MarkShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1894, about an anarchist who sets fire to a house but leaves a clue to his identity in the form of a thumb print.” (1894)
  • “The Treasure in the ForestShort story written by H. G. Wells and published in 1897, about the fate of two men who steal a treasure map from a Chinaman.” (1894)
  • “The Triumphs of a TaxidermistHumorous short story by H. G. Wells first published in 1894.” (1894)
  • “The Argonauts of the AirShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1895, about the disastrous first flight of a heavier-than-air flying machine.” (1895)
  • “A CatastropheShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1895 about a struggling shopkeeper saved from bankruptcy by an unexpected legacy.” (1895)
  • “The ConeShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1895, about one man's revenge on an artist he suspects is having an affair with his wife.” (1895)
  • “The Flying ManShort story written by H. G. Wells first published in 1895, about a British soldier who, trapped on a ledge, improvises a parachute to escape.” (1895)
  • “How Pingwill Was Routed” (1895)
  • “Le Mari Terrible” (1895)
  • “The MothShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1895. It concerns a bitter rivalry between two entomologists, ending with the death of one and the insanity of the other.” (1895)
  • “Our Little Neighbour” (1895)
  • “Pollock and the Porroh ManShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1895, about a murdered witch-doctor whose severed head haunts the man responsible for his death.” (1895)
  • “The ReconciliationShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1895, about two men who attempt a reconciliation culminating in the death of one of them.” (1895)
  • “The Remarkable Case of Davidson’s EyesShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1895, about a researcher who, after stooping between the poles of a large electromagnet, becomes temporarily blind to the world around him, seeing only an island beach.” (1895)
  • “The Sad Story of a Dramatic CriticRedirected to "The Obliterated Man".” (1895)
  • “The Temptation of HarringayA 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.” (1895)
  • “Wayde’s EssenceShort story by H. G. Wells, about a prominent politician who learns that the drug he has been taking for the last 17 years to dispel all self-doubt is in reality distilled water.” (1895)
  • “The AppleShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1896, about a schoolmaster who comes into possession of an apple from the Tree of Knowledge.” (1896)
  • “In the AbyssShort 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.” (1896)
  • “The Plattner StoryShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1896, about a chemistry teacher who causes an explosion that propels him into another world.” (1896)
  • “The Purple PileusShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1896, about a struggling small shopkeeper whose life is transformed after consuming some magic mushrooms.” (1896)
  • “The Rajah’s TreasureShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1896, about a rajah who is murdered by his heir, for an unexpected treasure trove.” (1896)
  • “The Red RoomShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1896, a horror story in the manner of Edgar Allan Poe.” (1896)
  • “The Sea RaidersShort story by H. G. Wells, first published in 1896, about a raid by an unknown species of octopus-like creatures on the south coast of England.” (1896)
  • “A Slip Under the MicroscopeShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1896, about the ethical dilemma faced by a student who inadvertently cheats during his botany exam.” (1896)
  • “The Story of the Late Mr. ElveshamShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1896, about a young man whose body is taken over by an elderly philosopher.” (1896)
  • “Under the KnifeShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1896, about an out of body experience while under anaesthetic.” (1896)
  • “The Crystal EggShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1897, about a dealer in antiquities who discovers a communication device between Earth and Mars.” (1897)
  • “The Lost InheritanceShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1896, about the lost will left by a rich uncle.” (c. 1896)
  • “Mr Marshall’s Doppelganger” (1897)
  • “A Perfect Gentleman on Wheels” (1897)
  • “The Presence by the FireShort story written by H. G. Wells published in 1897, about a man who comes to believe that he is being visited by the spirit of his dead wife.” (1897)
  • “The StarShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1897, about a near collision between a comet from outer space and the Earth.” (December 1897)
  • “A Story of the Stone Age” (1897)
  • “Jimmy Goggles the GodShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1898, about a treasure hunter who because of his diving suit is mistaken for a god.” (1898)
  • “The Man Who Could Work MiraclesShort story by H. G. Wells about a man who is granted the power to do anything merely by willing it to happen.” (1898)
  • “Miss Winchelsea’s HeartShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1898, about a snobbish young woman's rejection of a young man's advances because of what she perceives to be his absurd surname, Snooks.” (1898)
  • “Mr. Ledbetter’s VacationShort 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.” (1898)
  • “The Stolen BodyShort story by H. G. Wells, first published in 1898, about two paranormal researchers one of whom loses his body to an evil spirit.” (1898)
  • “Mr. Brisher’s TreasureShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1899, a morality tale of greed and hypocrisy.” (1899)
  • “A Story of the Days to Come” (1899)
  • “A Vision of JudgmenShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1899, about the Biblical day of judgement.t” (1899)
  • “A Dream of ArmageddonAnti-war short story by H. G. Wells published in 1901.” (1901)
  • “FilmerShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1901, a fictional account of the suicide of the inventor of the first successful flying machine, just before its maiden flight.” (1901)
  • “Mr. Skelmersdale in FairylandShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1901, about a young man who falls asleep one midsummer's night and wakes to find himself in Fairyland.” (1901)
  • “The New AcceleratorShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1901, concerning the effects of a fictional drug designed to speed up the human nervous system.” (1901)
  • “The Story of the Inexperienced GhostShort story by H. G. Wells about a man who dies after re-enacting the masonic passes he had seen a ghost use to disappear.” (1902)
  • “The Loyalty of Esau Common” (1902)
  • “The Land IroncladsShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1903, anticipating the impact of the tank in trench warfare.” (1903)
  • “The Magic ShopShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1903, about a young boy and his father's visit to a shop selling disturbingly realistic magical illusions.” (1903)
  • “The Truth About PyecraftShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1903, about a fat man who loses so much weight that he begins to float.” (1903)
  • “The Valley of SpidersShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1903, about three men who are attacked by giant spiders while pursuing a half-caste girl through a desolate valley.” (1903)
  • “The Country of the BlindShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1904, about the accidental discovery of a latter-day utopia where all the inhabitants are blind.Short story by H. G. Wells first published in 1904, about the accidental discovery of a latter-day utopia where all the inhabitants are blind.” (1904)
  • “The Empire of the AntsShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1905, about a plague of large intelligent ants, which pose a threat to mankind's continued existence.” (1905)
  • “The Door in the WallShort story by H. G. Wells, first published in 1906, about a man's grieving for a magical garden he had found as a child, and desperately wants to find again.” (1906)
  • “The Beautiful SuitShort story by H. G. Wells, first published in Collier's Weekly in April 1909 under the title "A Moonlight Fable", in which an exquisitely tailored suit leads to the death of its owner.” (1909)
  • “Little Mother Up the Mörderberg” (1910)
  • “My First Aeroplane” (1910)
  • “The Story of the Last Trump” (1915)
  • “The Wild Asses of the Devil” (1915)
  • “Peter Learns ArithmeticNovel by H. G Wells published in 1918, about the education and adolescence of Joan and Peter, two samples of their generation, an excerpt of which was published under the title "Peter Learns Arithmetic" in 1958.” (1918)
  • “The Grisly FolkShort story by H. G. Wells published in 1921, speculating about the early encounters between Neanderthals and modern man.” (1921)
  • “The Pearl of LoveShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1925, about an Indian prince who, in constructing an elaborate memorial to his deceased wife, loses sight of the building's original purpose.” (1925)
  • “The Queer Story of Brownlow’s NewspaperShort story by H. G. Wells in which the protagonist receives a newspaper printed forty years in the future.” (1932)
  • “Answer to PrayerThe last short story written by H. G. Wells, published in 1937, about an archbishop who develops doubts about his relationship with God.” (1937)
  • “The Country of the BlindShort story by H. G. Wells first published in 1904, about the accidental discovery of a latter-day utopia where all the inhabitants are blind.Short story by H. G. Wells first published in 1904, about the accidental discovery of a latter-day utopia where all the inhabitants are blind. (revised)” (1939)
  • “The Haunted Ceiling” (2016) Probably written in about 1895, but unpublished during Wells’s lifetime.[3]
  • “The Man of the Year MillionSatirical essay by H. G. Wells first published in 1893, about the evolution of human beings into a form resembling a human foetus.” (1893)
  • “The Extinction of ManPessimistic essay by H. G. Wells first published in 1894, about some of the ways humanity could become extinct.” (1894)
  • “The Book of CursesEssay by H. G. Wells first published in 1894, about Professor Gargoyle's regret for the decline in swearing.” (1894)
  • “The ShopmanEssay by H. G. Wells published in 1894, about a visit to a draper's shop and an infuriating shop assistant.” (1894)
  • “Incidental Thoughts on a Bald HeadEssay by H. G. Wells first published in 1895, about the replacement of natural losses such as hair and teeth with artificial substitutes.” (1895)
  • “Mind at the End of its TetherLast publication by the English author H. G. Wells, a darkly pessimistic prediction about the future extinction of the human race.” (1945)

References

  1. p. xi
  2. pp. xi, 3
  3.  

Bibliography

Hammond, J. R. An H. G. Wells Companion. The Macmillan Press, 1979.
Sherbourne, Michael. “Michael Sherbourne on ‘The Haunted Ceiling’ by H. G. Wells.” The Strand Magazine, 23 Nov. 2016.