The First Men in the Moon (The ^AWorld's Classics) - Softcover

Wells, H. G.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192828282 ISBN 13: 9780192828286

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1995

Synopsis

The most dazzling of Wells' "scientific romances" and the last of the series that began with The Time Machine, this edition offers the only annotated version of The First Men in the Moon. Wells combines subtle comedy and thrilling adventure in this engaging satire of imperialism and human frailty in which the heroes invade the moon, only to be captured by the ant-like Selenites. Wells established a new level of the science fiction genre with his fantastical but subtle writing. The explanatory notes in this edition clarify Wells' rich allusions and elucidate the scientific aspects of the moon voyage.

About this title

From the Publisher

Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers these extensive materials at a price that competes with the most inexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks have durable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial and scholarly standards.

From the Inside Flap

"Why do people read science fiction? In hopes of receiving such writing as this--a ravishingly accurate vision of things unseen; an utterly unexpected yet necessary beauty." So says Ursula K. Le Guin in her Introduction to "The First Men in the Moon, H. G. Wells's 1901 tale of space travel. Heavily criticized upon publication for its fantastic ideas, it is now justly considered a science fiction classic.
Cavor, a brilliant scientist who accidentally produces a gravity-defying substance, builds a spaceship and, along with the materialistic Bedford, travels to the moon. The coldly intellectual Cavor seeks knowledge, while Bedford seeks fortune. Instead of insight and gold they encounter the Selenites, a horrifying race of biologically engineered creatures who viciously, and successfully, defend their home.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0192828282
• ISBN 13: 9780192828286
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272
• Editor: Lake David