Before I review this book I want to say two things: 1) I am new to the sci-fi genre, so I don't have a lot to compare this with, and 2) I do not really care about how scientifically accurate the facts are. That being said, I thought this was a really good book. It began a little slowly, but once it picked up, it was hard to put down. The book sort of felt like a social commentary, and I couldn't help but identify strongly with the Selenites and I was angered with the way the main character treated them. The ending couple of chapters are the best chapters of the whole book, and the last paragraph left me with chills. Also, the book was easy to read for someone not familiar with science; I did not feel lost at any point in the book, and science has always been a weaker subject for me. ( )

This is not science fiction so much as fantasy. Even 100 years ago, Wells's contemporaries knew there was no atmosphere on the moon. To create a world within the planet is a fantastic idea, but there are so many holes in the idea that it smells like swiss cheese (which is what many alleged the moon was made of for awhile). Cavorite, a substance named after its inventor Cavor, is something else. This is science of a sort. It may be possible to use anti-energy to rebel against gravitation, but if so, we haven't figured out how to harness it yet. We do know there is such a thing as anti-matter, and that may work against gravitation, but for one small problem, i.e., if we take one small bit of anti-matter and somehow manage to get it so it is exposed to any gravitational field within normal physics, a systemic sized explosion would occur, thereby wiping out all humanity, and, of course, the experiement.
As far as a story, however, Wells does it again, keeping us entertained throughout and waiting to see what gems hius mind has in store for us. ( )

http://home.comcast.net/~tonydal/wise... ( )

I think what one can sometimes forget, when consider Wells only in light of his major classic SF works, is that he's more than some clever ideas (typically with bad movie adaptations).

Wells was not only a visionary genius, he was a very good writer as well. This book combines humour, flawed and very human characters, disturbing and very alien characters, and incredible scientific insight and realism.

The book was published in 1901, yet its ideas about flaws of humans and our civilisations still ring true. As well, his ability to create plausible fictional science is quite extraordinary. ( )

Although I am a fan of H G Wells, I have to say I found this one very tedious and so dated that it was quite difficult to read (and I am no stranger to SF-related suspension of disbelief!). What dialogue there is is stilted and it only really came alive in the last dozen pages or so when the Grand Lunar compared the Earthling way of life to that of his Selenites. Disappointing. ( )