The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents
by H. G. Wells
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The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents was H. G. Wells' first collection of short stories, published in 1895. These fantasy and science fiction tales were all written between 1893 and 1895 and published in various periodicals..
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These short stories by H G Wells were collected and published in book form in 1895, they had previously appeared in The Pall Mall Budget and The Pall Mall Gazette (two of the many literary magazines in existence at the time) in 1893 and 1894. Wells proved himself to be a master of the short story format and these fifteen stories must have delighted his readers at the time. None of them are without interest and a few can still enthral readers in the 21 century. Many involve natural science of some kind, but it is not Well's intention to baffle his readers and he never lets the science get in the way of a good story.
My favourites were:
In the Avu Observatory An atmospheric tale of a lone astronomer in his pitch black observatory battling show more with a mysterious beast that intrudes into his working night
A Deal in Ostriches One of the five ostriches being exported on board a ship has swallowed a diamond, but which one was it and a bidding war develops with passengers trying to secure the bird of their choice.
Through a Window A man recovering from an incapacity views a chase along the riverbank from his window, he gets more than he bargained for when the action outside comes into his room.
Aepyornis Island A man alone on an island with an egg from an aepyornis: the largest of the extinct birds and then the egg begins to hatch........
The stolen Bacillus itself involves an exciting cab chase through London and The Diamond Maker leaves you puzzling over whether the hero is the subject of a con.
If many of these stories seem familiar it is because they have been reworked many times by authors since their original publication and of course Wells would have gained inspiration from stories that he had access to as well, nevertheless Well's straight forward approach to storytelling makes them all shine in some way or other. Tales full of mystery, adventure and imagination, with some amusing opening paragraphs where Wells sets the scene in his own inimitable way. A thoroughly enjoyable and quick read. 3.5 stars is a good average. show less
My favourites were:
In the Avu Observatory An atmospheric tale of a lone astronomer in his pitch black observatory battling show more with a mysterious beast that intrudes into his working night
A Deal in Ostriches One of the five ostriches being exported on board a ship has swallowed a diamond, but which one was it and a bidding war develops with passengers trying to secure the bird of their choice.
Through a Window A man recovering from an incapacity views a chase along the riverbank from his window, he gets more than he bargained for when the action outside comes into his room.
Aepyornis Island A man alone on an island with an egg from an aepyornis: the largest of the extinct birds and then the egg begins to hatch........
The stolen Bacillus itself involves an exciting cab chase through London and The Diamond Maker leaves you puzzling over whether the hero is the subject of a con.
If many of these stories seem familiar it is because they have been reworked many times by authors since their original publication and of course Wells would have gained inspiration from stories that he had access to as well, nevertheless Well's straight forward approach to storytelling makes them all shine in some way or other. Tales full of mystery, adventure and imagination, with some amusing opening paragraphs where Wells sets the scene in his own inimitable way. A thoroughly enjoyable and quick read. 3.5 stars is a good average. show less
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H. G. Wells was born in Bromley, England on September 21, 1866. After a limited education, he was apprenticed to a draper, but soon found he wanted something more out of life. He read widely and got a position as a student assistant in a secondary school, eventually winning a scholarship to the Royal College of Science in South Kensington, where show more he studied biology. He graduated from London University in 1888 and became a science teacher. He also wrote for magazines. When his stories began to sell, he left teaching to write full time. He became an author best known for science fiction novels and comic novels. His science fiction novels include The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Wonderful Visit, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, The First Men in the Moon, and The Food of the Gods. His comic novels include Love and Mr. Lewisham, Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul, The History of Mr. Polly, and Tono-Bungay. He also wrote several short story collections including The Stolen Bacillus, The Plattner Story, and Tales of Space and Time. He died on August 13, 1946 at the age of 79. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Varastettu basilli ja muita tapauksia
- Original title
- The Stolen Bacillus And Other Incidents
- Original publication date
- 1895
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- Reviews
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- Rating
- (3.17)
- Languages
- English, Finnish, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 30
- ASINs
- 5
