The First Men in the Moon (Collector's Edition) (Laminated Hardback with Jacket)

By H G Wells

Collector's Edition Laminated Hardback with Jacket

A secret world lies just beyond the sky, and two unlikely explorers are about to uncover it. When the eccentric Mr. Cavor invents a miraculous substance that defies gravity, he and the opportunistic Mr. Bedford set off on a daring journey to the Moon-only to find it is not the lifeless rock they expected. Beneath its surface thrives an alien civilization of intelligent, insect-like beings, the Selenites, whose strange society challenges everything they know about life beyond Earth. But wonder soon turns to danger as the two men realize they may never be allowed to leave.

H. G. Wells' The First Men in the Moon was a groundbreaking work of early science fiction, shaping the way writers imagined space travel long before it became reality. Published in 1901, it introduced the idea of anti-gravity propulsion and extraterrestrial civilizations, influencing later depictions of lunar exploration. Wells' vision of an advanced, hidden world beneath the Moon's surface challenged contemporary ideas about life beyond Earth and reflected anxieties about imperialism and human conquest. This novel not only inspired generations of sci-fi storytellers but also foreshadowed real-world space exploration in ways that were astonishingly ahead of its time.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1834120187
• ISBN13: 9781834120188
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Revive Classics
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Professor Cavor meets the Big Kahuna, oops, Grand Lunar.

Everybody knows HG Wells is a popular science-fiction writer. Most people know of him through a few of his stories that have been produced as popular movies such as "The Time Machine" and "The War of the Worlds." However, HG Wells was more of a philosopher and a quasi-scientist than he was a writer. This is one of his lesser-known science fiction stories published in 1901. However, as with most science fiction, the story is only a vehicle to carry HG's philosophy and commentary on his Victorian Society to the reader. The story has many false starts and stops but takes the time to comment on such subjects as whether a person can be satisfied with a one-dimensional job. Knowing that this was pre-Einstein, it may be possible to believe in the technology and theories of the time. And then again, as with many science-fiction or fantasy stories, HG may have just been taking liberties with realities. One cute touch in this story is that the characters comment on Jules Verne's story of the man on the moon. -------- A bankrupt businessman who is making a comeback by writing a play, through a series of circumstances, teams up with Professor Cavor, a recluse scientist who does not realize his potential. Together they build a contraption, a sphere, that can cut off gravity waves. What can they do with such a device? You guessed it! Let's all travel to the moon. Once on the moon, Bedford and Cavor find that they are not alone. After a few adventures, they are detained by the Moonies, referred to mostly in this story as Selenites. The daring duo is restrained with chains of gold. Cavor looks at this as a reasonable precaution and also looks forward to communicating with the strange creatures. Bedford is more practical and knows what chains mean. This means it's time to escape an escape they do. Will they be able to make it back to Earth and warn the people of the strange creatures? Or will they be caught, and who knows what may happen to them in the long run? Keep reading and learning about the society and nature of the Selenites.