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Jason Roberts‘s review

I discovered H.G. Wells relatively late in life when I stumbled on a discount copy of “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” Like most people, I’d read “War of the Worlds” in high school and thought it pretty good. However, I believe to truly appreciate Wells one must be older. Old enough to have experienced some sort of life and to appreciate fine, clean writing.

After reading “The Island of Dr. Moreau” I was surprised at how current the story felt and how horrific some of the details were (it definitely didn’t read or feel like a book written over 100 years ago). As a result, each time I stopped at a used book store I’d peruse the shelves looking for anything Wells. I stumbled on a collection of five of his short stories called “The Empire of the Ants.” What? Wells wrote short stories? No way! I bought the book and read it over my vacation. I was amazed. Wells is known for writing in detail, but I’d say his writing is even more detailed in his short stories (possibly because in a short story you don’t have to worry about bogging the reader down in too much detail- causing them to lose the thread of the story).

What Wells does, and what he’s famous for, is writing in such detail that a scenario becomes supremely believable, then, he adds a touch of the fantastic to really knock the reader’s socks off. Since he’s already created this ultra-realistic world, the fantastic becomes believable and the reader is left thinking, “that could really happen, couldn’t it?”

After reading that collection of shorts, I looked for something more comprehensive and found “The Complete Short Stories of H.G. Wells” edited by John Hammond. I was amazed again! The breadth and scope of Wells’ stories is amazing: from a rogue plant with a taste for human blood, to a voodoo shaman out for revenge, to an upstart student with a conscious, Wells’ imagination knows no bounds.

I’m about half way through the book and my favorite stories thus far are “The Flowering of the Strange Orchid,” “Pollock and the Porroh Man” and “In the Modern Vein: An Unsympathetic Love Story” (the stories I decribed above) also “The Lord of the Dynamos,” “The Sea Raiders” and “A Story of the Stone Age.” I must also add that I read “The Country of the Blind” as part of the previous book containing Wells’ stories and it too is amazing. Also, I admit that sometimes Wells delves into too much detail, which can frustrate the reader and slow the story down. However, of the 30-40 stories I’ve read thus far, it has only happened a handful of times.

I only wish that this collection contained a short critique before each story. Mr. Hammond is a renowned Wells scholar and has even written a book analyzing Wells’ short stories (a book I can’t locate, by the way), that book I believe is essential to really understanding these stories (namely due to Wells’ tendency to critique society in his writing). Unfortunately, no real analysis is available in this compilation, thus, the reader is left to his own interpretation. For the most part, the stories are pretty self-explanatory, but it would be nice to understand some of the other meanings.

In conclusion, I give this collection 5 stars and I highly recommend it for anyone with a taste for great storytelling. Wells’ writing is fantastic, touching, humorous, detailed and very sensitive- I think you’ll be surprised at how he’ll win you over. H.G. Wells is a master writer, and he’s gained me as a fan for life!

2013-01-05 04:10:10

Source: http://nerdylifeofmine.com/2013/01/05/book-reviews-the-complete-short-stories-of-h-g-wells/