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The First Men in the Moon is the last in a series of "scientific romances" begun by Wells with The Time Machine. In the opinion of many, it is also the last in a series of pessimistic and anti-utopian novels before Wells took up the tone of an optimistic and utopian social prophet with Anticipations. The present critical edition of First Men questions that opinion. The lunar utopia described is far from a satire on the industrial order as many critics claim, but in historical context is instead related to the international scientific management movement, stemming from the Saint-Simonian school of socialism. This critical edition shows how First Men consciously builds on the whole literary tradition of moon voyages.
List of contents
Table of ContentsPreface
Introduction
1. The Text
2. Utopia or Dystopia?
3. "World Machine"
4. Verne and Wells
5. Noble Formicary
6. Coal City
7. Managerial Revolution
The First Men in the Moon (1901)
(Annotated text of the first London edition)
Appendices
I. Review by Arnold Bennett (1902)
II. "An Age of Specialisation," by H.G. Wells (1904a)
III. "About Sir Thomas More," by H.G. Wells (1905d)
IV. Verne on Wells and Vice Versa
V. "Is the Moon Inhabited?" by Camille Flammarion (1894)
VI. Excerpt from "Recent Studies in Gravitation," by John H. Poynting (1900)
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Herbert George Wells was an influential English writer, best known for his works in science fiction, though his prolific output spanned various genres, including history, social commentary, politics, and autobiography. Born on September 21, 1866, in Bromley, London, Wells attended the Normal School of Science in London, where he studied biology under Thomas Henry Huxley. Wells initially worked as a teacher and journalist before turning to writing full time. Over his career, he penned more than fifty novels, along with numerous short stories and non-fiction works. His early works, such as "The Time Machine," "The War of the Worlds," and "The Invisible Man," helped establish him as one of the pioneers of modern science fiction. He also explored themes of social justice, the possibilities of science and technology, and the complexities of human nature in works like "The History of Mr. Polly" and "The Shape of Things to Come." Throughout his life, Wells engaged in political and philosophical discourse, influenced by thinkers like Mark Twain and Plato. He died on August 13, 1946, in London, leaving behind a legacy that shaped the development of speculative fiction and continued to inspire future generations of writers and thinkers.
