The First Men in the Moon

The First Men in the Moon (1901) is one of the most dazzling of Wells's "scientific romances," and the last of the series which began with The Time Machine. Leaving their humdrum lives in Kent, Mr. Bedford and Mr. Cavor invade the moon and are captured by the ant-like Selenites. They are forced to confront their own littleness when viewed in a cosmic perspective, and the result is a highly entertaining satire on imperialism in particular and human frailty in general.

"Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe," H. G. Wells once said. Widely revered as the father of science fiction, the English novelist, journalist, sociologist, and historian penned ominous -- and educated -- glimpses at humanity's possible future, including The Time Machine (1895), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898).