The Invisible Man

by H. G. Wells, Nicole Lobdell (Editor), Nancee Reeves (Editor)

Overview

H.G. Wells’s novel is put in its varied scientific, literary, and political contexts in this new edition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781554812738
Publisher:	Broadview Press
Publication date:	09/20/2018
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.44(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

H.G. Wells (1866-1946) was an English author, social critic, historian, futurist and biographer, but will always be known as one of the founding fathers of science fiction. His novels The First Men in the Moon, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine and others all offer powerful visions of the future that not only remain relevant but continue to be adapted to film and television well over a century after their initial appearance.

Date of Birth:

September 21, 1866

Date of Death:

August 13, 1946

Place of Birth:

Bromley, Kent, England

Place of Death:

London, England

Education:

Normal School of Science, London, England

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "The Invisible Man"
by .
Copyright © 2018 H.G. Wells.
Excerpted by permission of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction
H.G. Wells: A Brief Chronology
A Note on the Text

The Invisible Man

Appendix A: The Four Endings of The Invisible Man

Appendix B: Invisibility in Nineteenth-Century Fiction

1. From James Dalton, The Invisible Gentleman (1833)
2. From Fitz-James O’Brien, “What Was It? A Mystery,” Harper’s Magazine (March 1859)
3. W.S. Gilbert, “The Perils of Invisibility” (1869)
4. From Edward Page Mitchell, “The Crystal Man,” Sun (30 January 1881)
5. From Charles H. Hinton, “Stella” (1895)
6. From Katherine Kip, “My Invisible Friend,” Black Cat (February 1897)

Appendix C: Reviews of The Invisible Man

1. From “Mr. Wells’s New Stories,” Saturday Review (18 September 1897)
2. From Arnold Bennett, Woman (29 September 1897)
3. Letter from H.G. Wells replying to Arnold Bennett (October 1897)
4. From Clement Shorter, Bookman [London] (October 1897)
5. From Claudius Clear, Bookman [New York] (November 1897)
6. “H.G. Wells’s ‘The Invisible Man,’” New York Times (25 December 1897)

Appendix D: Wells and Friends on The Invisible Man

1. Extract from letter, H.G. Wells to James B. Pinker (received 16 April 1896)
2. Extract from letter, H.G. Wells to James B. Pinker (November 1896 [?])
3. H.G. Wells to James B. Pinker (2 May 1897)
4. Extract from letter, Joseph Conrad to H.G. Wells (4 December 1898)

Appendix E: Biological Context

1. From J. Lockhart Gerson, “On the ‘Invisible Blood Corpuscles’ of Norris” (1882)
2. From W. Robinson, “Notes on Some Albino Birds” (1889)
3. From H.G. Wells, “Popular Feeling and the Advancement of Science. Anti-Vivisection” (1928)

Appendix F: Technological Context: Röntgen Rays and Radio Waves

1. From Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, “On a New Kind of Rays,” Nature (23 January 1896)
2. From H.J.W. Dam, “A Wizard of To-Day,” Pearson’s Magazine (April 1896)
3. From George Griffith, “A Photograph of the Invisible,” Pearson’s Magazine (April 1896)
4. From H.J.W. Dam, “The New Telegraphy,” Strand Magazine (March 1897)

Appendix G: Wells on Class and Society

1. From Anticipations of the Reaction of Mechanical and Scientific Progress upon Human Life and Thought (1901)
2. From A Modern Utopia (1905)
3. From “Of the New Reign” (1914)
4. From Experiment in Autobiography (1934)

Select Filmography
Works Cited and Select Bibliography

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Masterfully portrayed by Scott Brick—-each of his characterizations is an actorly tour de force—-The Invisible Man fascinates and mesmerizes, until it's gone." —-AudioFile

Reading Group Guide

A gripping and entertaining tale of terror and suspense as well as a potent Faustian allegory of hubris and science run amok, The Invisible Man endures as one of the signature stories in the literature of science fiction. A brilliant scientist uncovers the secret to invisibility, but his grandiose dreams and the power he unleashes cause him to spiral into intrigue, madness, and murder. The inspiration for countless imitations and film adaptations, The Invisible Man is as remarkable and relevant today as it was a hundred years ago. As Arthur C. Clarke points out in his Introduction, “The interest of the story . . . lies not in its scientific concepts, but in the brilliantly worked out development of the theme of invisibility. If one could be invisible, then what?”

Editorial Reviews

This is a wonderful edition, setting Wells’s text in a number of rich contexts, especially the history of invisibility literature.” — Simon James, Durham University

“A marvelously comprehensive edition of an H.G. Wells classic. Editors Nicole Lobdell and Nancee Reeves meticulously reconstruct The Invisible Man from early printed sources, providing readers with both a seamless narrative experience and a fascinating glimpse into Wells’s creative process. The carefully curated appendices provide rich literary and scientific context for this complex and sometimes troubling scientific romance, and the concluding filmography demonstrates The Invisible Man’s enduring appeal to the popular imagination. Highly recommended for scholars, artists, and students alike.” — Lisa Yaszek, Georgia Institute of Technology

“From the striking X-ray ‘Self Portrait’ on the front cover to the eloquent blurbs on the back, the university classroom now has a portable, modestly priced edition of The Invisible Man worthy of Wells’s remarkable ‘grotesque romance.’” — Nicholas Ruddick, Science Fiction Studies

From the Publisher

A harrowing read from cover to cover, The Invisible Man is perfect for the audio format.”

AudioFile

The psychological rigor that Wells brings to the novel makes The Invisible Man quite possibly the first and last straight science fiction story worthy of our attentions.”

SFFaudio

When a bandage-swathed stranger books a room in an English village inn, no one realizes this is the beginning of a reign of terror. It’s not long before they do! For the Invisible Man is dwelling under that roof, and he is one angry, irascible, and frustrated scientist with little patience for humanity. It may be he was antisocial to begin with, but his invisibility, and the danger and delight it brings him, push him to the brink of madness. Masterfully portrayed by Scott Brick--each of his characterizations is an actorly tour de force--THE INVISIBLE MAN fascinates and mesmerizes, until it’s gone. D.J.B. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

AUG/SEP 03 - AudioFile