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The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents
Ranging from a plot to wipe out London through biological terrorism, to an unknown creature preying on scientists at a remote astronomical observatory, this collection of short stories by H.G. Wells displays the imagination and plot twists that are characteristic of his later works.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1895
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About the author
H.G. Wells
5,367 books11.1k followersHerbert George Wells was born to a working class family in Kent, England. Young Wells received a spotty education, interrupted by several illnesses and family difficulties, and became a draper's apprentice as a teenager. The headmaster of Midhurst Grammar School, where he had spent a year, arranged for him to return as an "usher," or student teacher. Wells earned a government scholarship in 1884, to study biology under Thomas Henry Huxley at the Normal School of Science. Wells earned his bachelor of science and doctor of science degrees at the University of London. After marrying his cousin, Isabel, Wells began to supplement his teaching salary with short stories and freelance articles, then books, including The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898).
Wells created a mild scandal when he divorced his cousin to marry one of his best students, Amy Catherine Robbins. Although his second marriage was lasting and produced two sons, Wells was an unabashed advocate of free (as opposed to "indiscriminate") love. He continued to openly have extra-marital liaisons, most famously with Margaret Sanger, and a ten-year relationship with the author Rebecca West, who had one of his two out-of-wedlock children. A one-time member of the Fabian Society, Wells sought active change. His 100 books included many novels, as well as nonfiction, such as A Modern Utopia (1905), The Outline of History (1920), A Short History of the World (1922), The Shape of Things to Come (1933), and The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1932). One of his booklets was Crux Ansata, An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church. Although Wells toyed briefly with the idea of a "divine will" in his book, God the Invisible King (1917), it was a temporary aberration. Wells used his international fame to promote his favorite causes, including the prevention of war, and was received by government officials around the world. He is best-remembered as an early writer of science fiction and futurism.
He was also an outspoken socialist. Wells and Jules Verne are each sometimes referred to as "The Fathers of Science Fiction". D. 1946.
More: http://philosopedia.org/index.php/H._...
http://www.online-literature.com/well...
http://www.hgwellsusa.50megs.com/
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/t...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells
Wells created a mild scandal when he divorced his cousin to marry one of his best students, Amy Catherine Robbins. Although his second marriage was lasting and produced two sons, Wells was an unabashed advocate of free (as opposed to "indiscriminate") love. He continued to openly have extra-marital liaisons, most famously with Margaret Sanger, and a ten-year relationship with the author Rebecca West, who had one of his two out-of-wedlock children. A one-time member of the Fabian Society, Wells sought active change. His 100 books included many novels, as well as nonfiction, such as A Modern Utopia (1905), The Outline of History (1920), A Short History of the World (1922), The Shape of Things to Come (1933), and The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1932). One of his booklets was Crux Ansata, An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church. Although Wells toyed briefly with the idea of a "divine will" in his book, God the Invisible King (1917), it was a temporary aberration. Wells used his international fame to promote his favorite causes, including the prevention of war, and was received by government officials around the world. He is best-remembered as an early writer of science fiction and futurism.
He was also an outspoken socialist. Wells and Jules Verne are each sometimes referred to as "The Fathers of Science Fiction". D. 1946.
More: http://philosopedia.org/index.php/H._...
http://www.online-literature.com/well...
http://www.hgwellsusa.50megs.com/
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/t...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
October 22, 2024
Story 2 stars**
Audio 3.75 stars**
Narrator Tim Bruce
Audio 3.75 stars**
Narrator Tim Bruce
June 26, 2012
Hard one to rate. There are some stories in here that are pretty good, but the entire collection will live in my memory as a showcase of Wells' racist and eugenics-friendly opinions. Yes, this is partly a product of his time, but these weren't universally accepted opinions, even then. It made far too many of the stories an unpleasant read. It has the benefit of being short, though, and the title story is a fairly good read. But otherwise, I just can't recommend it.
October 19, 2019
A pretty darn good shorty by the great Herbert George. His vintage writing style is just the best. The thing that makes this good is, he devised a slightly humorous, curly ending. The thing that resulted in my one star penalty...it wasn't quite long enough. I reckon Herb must have written this about the same time as he did War of the Worlds (one of the best books ever) and he must have been interested in life under the microscope in that period.
May 24, 2017
A collection of some of Wells's first published stories, where the fantastic and the jocular rub shoulders to good effect.
Highlights were numerous. 'Through a Window' was like a condensed version of the script for Rear Window. 'A Deal in Ostriches' involved an inspired sting about a swallowed diamond and an auction involving five of those crazy birds. 'Æpyornis Island' was a shaggy dog story, or rather a shaggy bird story about an adventurer washed up on an atoll with an egg of the extinct elephant bird, which hatches.
Other stories featured all sorts of dangerous, everyday items, such as chemicals, flowers, fauna, and even self-portraits.
All the tales are told with expert economy, verve, and humour.
Highlights were numerous. 'Through a Window' was like a condensed version of the script for Rear Window. 'A Deal in Ostriches' involved an inspired sting about a swallowed diamond and an auction involving five of those crazy birds. 'Æpyornis Island' was a shaggy dog story, or rather a shaggy bird story about an adventurer washed up on an atoll with an egg of the extinct elephant bird, which hatches.
Other stories featured all sorts of dangerous, everyday items, such as chemicals, flowers, fauna, and even self-portraits.
All the tales are told with expert economy, verve, and humour.
October 16, 2025
The second story is my favourite. I love the thought that life seems like a hallucination; it goes by so fast that you're not even sure if you've lived it; if you are really you... The student ponders whether he's switched bodies with the old man - or if he's always been old and his life has been but a dream which he does not remember. Chilling.
October 2, 2020
It's hard to rate this book because the short stories of this collection are uneven. Some of them are really great (the stolen bacillus, the strange orchid, the "novo" moth, the treasure in the forest, the aeryornis island, the deal in ostriches); they are based on great ideas (some of them expanded later in books or movies & TV shows by others) and were brought to life by Wells' captivating prose. For example, "the strange orchid" could be considered as an early version of the "Rocky Horror Show".
However, other stories seem that were based on clever ideas but not fully developed or ended suddenly as if Wells was not sure what to do with them (e.g. the Hummerpond Park burglery, or the case of Davidson's eyes). A few other stories, such as "the triumphs of a taxidermist", were rather naive or not well articulated; but these were just 2 or 3 of them. Overall, maybe a 3.5 stars would be fairer.
Finally, I read some nonsense about Wells being a racist; unfortunately, it's becoming a common problem of our era. Some people have confused literature with the mentality of victimization, they have been indoctrinated into, and believe that they can apply these (pseudo)moral criteria in times when people were thinking and acting differently. It's sad but, still, very disturbing. I'm sure that if they were asked, they cannot provide proofs (quote certain parts of the book) to support their claims.
However, other stories seem that were based on clever ideas but not fully developed or ended suddenly as if Wells was not sure what to do with them (e.g. the Hummerpond Park burglery, or the case of Davidson's eyes). A few other stories, such as "the triumphs of a taxidermist", were rather naive or not well articulated; but these were just 2 or 3 of them. Overall, maybe a 3.5 stars would be fairer.
Finally, I read some nonsense about Wells being a racist; unfortunately, it's becoming a common problem of our era. Some people have confused literature with the mentality of victimization, they have been indoctrinated into, and believe that they can apply these (pseudo)moral criteria in times when people were thinking and acting differently. It's sad but, still, very disturbing. I'm sure that if they were asked, they cannot provide proofs (quote certain parts of the book) to support their claims.
March 5, 2025
(1895) "’Great Scott!’ he said. The thing happened three or four years ago, when every one swore by that personage.”
Wells’ first book of short stories. They were almost all published in 1894, right before his first novel The Time Machine early the following year. Five stars on the strength of about half the tales (especially Lord of the Dynamos—one of the best things he ever wrote). Even the ones that aren’t as memorable at least go by quick. Contents:
THE STOLEN BACILLUS—Wells is perhaps the first to foresee the risks of microbiological research and bioterrorism, and decides to write a light humor piece about it.
THE FLOWERING OF THE STRANGE ORCHID—mild-mannered man looking for adventure becomes obsessed with growing a rare orchid. Like an early glimpse of MR James, the way the housekeeper is beset by bad dreams and sees the likeness of hands and tentacles in the grotesque bud. The close-call ending is also MR Jamesian. Possibly influenced by Arthur Conan Doyle’s story about a man-eating plant 15 years earlier. I liked the woman smashing up the greenhouse to let in the fresh air.
IN THE AVU OBSERVATORY—so far all these stories explode into simple action scenes involving unheroic types and then quickly fizzle out. Here, an astronomer fights a strange demonic creature that flies into a dark observatory in the jungles of Borneo. Vivid, with the sound of the big intruder clawing up the spherical walls and flapping about.
THE TRIUMPHS OF A TAXIDERMIST—the sense of living in an age of discovery continues, though here Wells touches on its underbelly: forgery.
A DEAL IN OSTRICHES—hilarious story about an ostrich swallowing a diamond. Wells is already showing his talent for describing the funny behavior of crowds. The voice could have been from a Kipling story.
THROUGH A WINDOW—Rear Window with river life. A man with two broken legs is confined to his window and quickly takes an interest following the various and amusing lives in the Thames outside. The movie’s premise of witnessing a threat but being helpless to it is also here. The story is about a knife-wielding African running amok and killing people, which even then was apparently a common phenomenon. The ending is almost laughably abrupt.
"It's worse than Edwin Drood," says the main character when the window frame cuts off his view of the action.
THE TEMPTATION OF HARRINGAY— about a painting of an Italian organ grinder that keeps becoming more and more satanic, despite all the artist’s endeavors. Silly but funny. Finally it comes to life (though still on the canvas) and tries to get the artist to sell his soul, at which point ensues another fight scene, with the artist stopping up the devil’s mouth with paint, and then finally covering up one last remaining, indignant eye.
THE FLYING MAN—Imperial Britain yarn about getting out of a scrape with some natives by wowing them with a parachute. Conventional but exciting and fun.
THE DIAMOND MAKER—skipped. Reviewed earlier in The Door in the Wall and Other Stories.
AEPYORNIS ISLAND—“When the dawn came I saw he was as dead as a doornail and all puffed up and purple.”
A man hired by a collector hunts for the eggs of a huge, extinct bird. Another dire predicament in foreign climes, now the swamps of Madagascar.
“…I used to tell him lies about my friends at home.”
Then it turns into an unlikely and sad love story between a man and a 14-foot-tall bird. Even after the bird attacks him, and makes life so miserable he’s forced to kill it, he misses it dearly.
Great.
THE REMARKABLE CASE OF DAVIDSON’S EYES—“It made one feel queer, in the dusky laboratory, to hear him saying such things.” Wells always remembers to include the effect the uncanny has on men of reason or practical men. Their inability to express themselves, beyond simply saying such-and-such was queer or rum etc, makes them somehow more expressive.
THE LORD OF THE DYNAMOS—“If it were possible we would have the noises of that shed always about the reader as he reads, we would tell all our story to such an accompaniment.”
I reviewed this earlier as a reprint in The Door in the Wall and Other Stories. It was published in September of ‘94, but the complete artistic maturation compared to the stories written just one or two months previous is striking.
This book’s average rating has probably been dragged down due to this story—to all the people offended by it. But Wells shows more humanity towards his poor character than any of his moral superiors ever could, letting slip so many poignant details and telling behaviors, as in:
“…he went and whispered to the thundering machine that he was its servant, and prayed it to have pity on him and save him from Holroyd.”
“After that he did not feel so lonely as he had done, and he had indeed been very much alone in London.”
“Besides, if it pleased Azuma-zi to be near the big machine, it was plain sense and decency to keep him away from it.”
THE HAMMERPOND PARK BURGLARY—some funny interactions between the crook disguised as a landscape painter and the curious denizens of the affluent town. Good one.
A MOTH—war among entomologists. I laughed out loud at this:
“For the rejoinder of Pawkins was to catch the influenza, to proceed to pneumonia, and to die. It was perhaps as effectual a reply as he could make under the circumstances, and largely turned the current of feeling against Hapley.”
Funny ending too, with Hapley saying the moth is the ghost of Pawkins and thus a unique specimen.
References: “He read the ‘Island Nights’ Entertainments’ until his ‘sense of causation’ was shocked beyond endurance by the Bottle Imp. Then he went to Kipling, and found he ‘proved nothing,’ besides being irreverent and vulgar. These scientific people have their limitations. Then unhappily, he tried Besant’s ‘Inner House’…”
THE TREASURE IN THE FOREST—horrific. Awesome. Also you gotta love how much tougher and cooler Wells’ multicultural world is compared to the very uncool version in fiction today.
Wells’ first book of short stories. They were almost all published in 1894, right before his first novel The Time Machine early the following year. Five stars on the strength of about half the tales (especially Lord of the Dynamos—one of the best things he ever wrote). Even the ones that aren’t as memorable at least go by quick. Contents:
THE STOLEN BACILLUS—Wells is perhaps the first to foresee the risks of microbiological research and bioterrorism, and decides to write a light humor piece about it.
THE FLOWERING OF THE STRANGE ORCHID—mild-mannered man looking for adventure becomes obsessed with growing a rare orchid. Like an early glimpse of MR James, the way the housekeeper is beset by bad dreams and sees the likeness of hands and tentacles in the grotesque bud. The close-call ending is also MR Jamesian. Possibly influenced by Arthur Conan Doyle’s story about a man-eating plant 15 years earlier. I liked the woman smashing up the greenhouse to let in the fresh air.
IN THE AVU OBSERVATORY—so far all these stories explode into simple action scenes involving unheroic types and then quickly fizzle out. Here, an astronomer fights a strange demonic creature that flies into a dark observatory in the jungles of Borneo. Vivid, with the sound of the big intruder clawing up the spherical walls and flapping about.
THE TRIUMPHS OF A TAXIDERMIST—the sense of living in an age of discovery continues, though here Wells touches on its underbelly: forgery.
A DEAL IN OSTRICHES—hilarious story about an ostrich swallowing a diamond. Wells is already showing his talent for describing the funny behavior of crowds. The voice could have been from a Kipling story.
THROUGH A WINDOW—Rear Window with river life. A man with two broken legs is confined to his window and quickly takes an interest following the various and amusing lives in the Thames outside. The movie’s premise of witnessing a threat but being helpless to it is also here. The story is about a knife-wielding African running amok and killing people, which even then was apparently a common phenomenon. The ending is almost laughably abrupt.
"It's worse than Edwin Drood," says the main character when the window frame cuts off his view of the action.
THE TEMPTATION OF HARRINGAY— about a painting of an Italian organ grinder that keeps becoming more and more satanic, despite all the artist’s endeavors. Silly but funny. Finally it comes to life (though still on the canvas) and tries to get the artist to sell his soul, at which point ensues another fight scene, with the artist stopping up the devil’s mouth with paint, and then finally covering up one last remaining, indignant eye.
THE FLYING MAN—Imperial Britain yarn about getting out of a scrape with some natives by wowing them with a parachute. Conventional but exciting and fun.
THE DIAMOND MAKER—skipped. Reviewed earlier in The Door in the Wall and Other Stories.
AEPYORNIS ISLAND—“When the dawn came I saw he was as dead as a doornail and all puffed up and purple.”
A man hired by a collector hunts for the eggs of a huge, extinct bird. Another dire predicament in foreign climes, now the swamps of Madagascar.
“…I used to tell him lies about my friends at home.”
Then it turns into an unlikely and sad love story between a man and a 14-foot-tall bird. Even after the bird attacks him, and makes life so miserable he’s forced to kill it, he misses it dearly.
Great.
THE REMARKABLE CASE OF DAVIDSON’S EYES—“It made one feel queer, in the dusky laboratory, to hear him saying such things.” Wells always remembers to include the effect the uncanny has on men of reason or practical men. Their inability to express themselves, beyond simply saying such-and-such was queer or rum etc, makes them somehow more expressive.
THE LORD OF THE DYNAMOS—“If it were possible we would have the noises of that shed always about the reader as he reads, we would tell all our story to such an accompaniment.”
I reviewed this earlier as a reprint in The Door in the Wall and Other Stories. It was published in September of ‘94, but the complete artistic maturation compared to the stories written just one or two months previous is striking.
This book’s average rating has probably been dragged down due to this story—to all the people offended by it. But Wells shows more humanity towards his poor character than any of his moral superiors ever could, letting slip so many poignant details and telling behaviors, as in:
“…he went and whispered to the thundering machine that he was its servant, and prayed it to have pity on him and save him from Holroyd.”
“After that he did not feel so lonely as he had done, and he had indeed been very much alone in London.”
“Besides, if it pleased Azuma-zi to be near the big machine, it was plain sense and decency to keep him away from it.”
THE HAMMERPOND PARK BURGLARY—some funny interactions between the crook disguised as a landscape painter and the curious denizens of the affluent town. Good one.
A MOTH—war among entomologists. I laughed out loud at this:
“For the rejoinder of Pawkins was to catch the influenza, to proceed to pneumonia, and to die. It was perhaps as effectual a reply as he could make under the circumstances, and largely turned the current of feeling against Hapley.”
Funny ending too, with Hapley saying the moth is the ghost of Pawkins and thus a unique specimen.
References: “He read the ‘Island Nights’ Entertainments’ until his ‘sense of causation’ was shocked beyond endurance by the Bottle Imp. Then he went to Kipling, and found he ‘proved nothing,’ besides being irreverent and vulgar. These scientific people have their limitations. Then unhappily, he tried Besant’s ‘Inner House’…”
THE TREASURE IN THE FOREST—horrific. Awesome. Also you gotta love how much tougher and cooler Wells’ multicultural world is compared to the very uncool version in fiction today.
August 4, 2017
Most of the stories are highly enjoyable. A mixed bag, but most of the nuts were good.
I was stunned to find two 1-star reviews because of H.G. Wells’ “racist and eugenics-friendly opinions”; while I agree that a few stories were a bit pointless, and that the author used to have some rather strong opinions, only a dickhead brainwashed by today’s political correctness would get rabid upon encountering the word “nigger”—yes, it’s “nigger,” not “the N-word,” you motherfuckers! This is the word most people were using back then, disparagingly or not! (OK, he could have used “negro,” yet he didn’t. He wasn’t Mark Twain.)
I was stunned to find two 1-star reviews because of H.G. Wells’ “racist and eugenics-friendly opinions”; while I agree that a few stories were a bit pointless, and that the author used to have some rather strong opinions, only a dickhead brainwashed by today’s political correctness would get rabid upon encountering the word “nigger”—yes, it’s “nigger,” not “the N-word,” you motherfuckers! This is the word most people were using back then, disparagingly or not! (OK, he could have used “negro,” yet he didn’t. He wasn’t Mark Twain.)
May 9, 2020
It can take a long time to form a fair opinion of any given writer, and this can be hampered by their established reputation. When I first starting exploring the works of H.G. Wells I focused on his widely-acclaimed classics: "The Time Machine" and "The War of the Worlds" and "The Invisible Man" and such. Having found these sufficiently intriguing and well-written, I decided -- as is my wont -- to read his entire oeuvre, or at least as much of it as I could get my hands on and find the time for. (I should note that I have many authors on my "read everything by" list, and I rotate through them, so I may read a book by any given one of them only once or twice per year.)
In the case of Wells, while I can appreciate his facility with language and his ability to spin a captivating yarn, something seemed vaguely amiss. This first cropped up when I found a used copy of "In the Days of the Comet." Although I found Wells' socialist allegory provocative and entertaining, if exhibiting the naivety of its era, it was tinged by a wisp of anti-Semitism. As a Jewish reader, this jumped out at me, but I chose, at the time, to ignore it, and hoped that it was simply an isolated anomaly in the author's work.
As I started to read his short fiction and other early works, however, a similar whiff of racism was palpable from time to time. This was, naturally, disturbing, especially coming from an author whose work is purported to have informed the U.N.'s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and who is often cited as a champion of equal rights for all. It is remarkable to me, especially after reading the present work, that no mention is ever made of Wells' unabashed bigotry in so many major sources, including, for example, his entry in Wikipedia. This smacks of whitewashing.
As to "The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents," a collection of short fiction first published in 1895, it exhibits all of the author's worst qualities under a single roof. It is not simply his incessant use of the N-word which is so disconcerting, but the context in which Wells clearly delineates POC -- all POC -- as inferior beings. Indeed, the very final story in this collection goes so far as to make the case that murdering a Chinese person is not a sin on the order of murdering a European would be: "The life of a Chinaman is scarcely sacred like a European's." Elsewhere, the author's penchant for anti-Semitism is also in evidence.
Wells exemplifies the wickedness, the monstrousness, the pure evils of imperialism, a deep and shameful crime which is all too often hidden under a thin veneer of British/European refinement and so-called sophistication. He labors under the white man's burden, and has the gall to expect our sympathy for his efforts.
Has Wells written some of the foundational classics of science fiction? Yes. Can he craft a compelling and engaging tale? Obviously. Is his use of the English language adept, insightful, and engaging? Of course. But should his books be read?
I believe that there are rare instances in which the work of an artist should, rightly, be reevaluated in the light of their actions and beliefs. Recent examples of this include Bill Cosby and Michael Jackson, both of whose bodies of work are irreparably stained such that there remain very few who would defend it. And while there will be those who argue that if we are to throw Wells under the proverbial bus, we should do likewise with Twain, based on his use of the N-word, I will concede that that is a point worth examining, but a point to be examined on another day and at another time. As to Wells, I can assure you that this is most certainly the very last book of his which I will read. And if anyone should ask me, henceforth, what my opinion of his work is, I'll tell them the simple, unadorned truth: It is the competent, but by no means essential, work of an ugly and recalcitrant racist.
In the case of Wells, while I can appreciate his facility with language and his ability to spin a captivating yarn, something seemed vaguely amiss. This first cropped up when I found a used copy of "In the Days of the Comet." Although I found Wells' socialist allegory provocative and entertaining, if exhibiting the naivety of its era, it was tinged by a wisp of anti-Semitism. As a Jewish reader, this jumped out at me, but I chose, at the time, to ignore it, and hoped that it was simply an isolated anomaly in the author's work.
As I started to read his short fiction and other early works, however, a similar whiff of racism was palpable from time to time. This was, naturally, disturbing, especially coming from an author whose work is purported to have informed the U.N.'s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and who is often cited as a champion of equal rights for all. It is remarkable to me, especially after reading the present work, that no mention is ever made of Wells' unabashed bigotry in so many major sources, including, for example, his entry in Wikipedia. This smacks of whitewashing.
As to "The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents," a collection of short fiction first published in 1895, it exhibits all of the author's worst qualities under a single roof. It is not simply his incessant use of the N-word which is so disconcerting, but the context in which Wells clearly delineates POC -- all POC -- as inferior beings. Indeed, the very final story in this collection goes so far as to make the case that murdering a Chinese person is not a sin on the order of murdering a European would be: "The life of a Chinaman is scarcely sacred like a European's." Elsewhere, the author's penchant for anti-Semitism is also in evidence.
Wells exemplifies the wickedness, the monstrousness, the pure evils of imperialism, a deep and shameful crime which is all too often hidden under a thin veneer of British/European refinement and so-called sophistication. He labors under the white man's burden, and has the gall to expect our sympathy for his efforts.
Has Wells written some of the foundational classics of science fiction? Yes. Can he craft a compelling and engaging tale? Obviously. Is his use of the English language adept, insightful, and engaging? Of course. But should his books be read?
I believe that there are rare instances in which the work of an artist should, rightly, be reevaluated in the light of their actions and beliefs. Recent examples of this include Bill Cosby and Michael Jackson, both of whose bodies of work are irreparably stained such that there remain very few who would defend it. And while there will be those who argue that if we are to throw Wells under the proverbial bus, we should do likewise with Twain, based on his use of the N-word, I will concede that that is a point worth examining, but a point to be examined on another day and at another time. As to Wells, I can assure you that this is most certainly the very last book of his which I will read. And if anyone should ask me, henceforth, what my opinion of his work is, I'll tell them the simple, unadorned truth: It is the competent, but by no means essential, work of an ugly and recalcitrant racist.
February 1, 2019
It took me awhile with this anthology, only because I set it aside at one point and only just back to it. For the life of me I can not recall why I had set it aside. There are some really good stories here, included one that is possibly the inspiration for the story that would eventually become Hitchcock's classic masterpiece Rear Window (1954). Wells was always a gifted and entertaining storyteller, and this collection illustrates how talented and he was.
April 28, 2025
4.25/5. I really enjoyed reading some of HG Wells' short stories and I will certainly read more, but (with the exception of a few stellar examples) they do not quite live up to his novels, most of which have been 5/5 for me. The stories I most enjoyed in this collection: The Stolen Bacillus, The Flowering of the Strange Orchid, A Deal in Ostriches, The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes, The Diamond Maker.
January 4, 2017
Everything about Wells is just pure gold. The Bacillus not only speaks wonders about the dangers of science and the idea of what is ethical and right when it comes to viruses, but it also makes you full out laugh. And after all, there is no better way to engage with something than for it to make your day. Short and sweet, this story is one of my favourite pieces I have ever read by Wells.
February 21, 2017
The story is way ahead of its time, about an anarchist who tries to poison London's water supply with cholera. Short story as it is, the ending is priceless!
November 9, 2024
The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents was the first short story collection by H. G. Wells, published in book format in 1895. All of the fifteen stories had been published previously in various magazines and journals between 1893 and 1895. This collection represents very early Wells – his first novel The Time Machine was also published in 1895.
A couple of the stories I had read before but most were new to me. Some were great, the others not quite so. The title story is a very early example of bioterrorism as a literary topic. In the Avu Observatory is a cool little horror story, while The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes is scifi of sorts. All three were excellent.
The book contains a couple of stories that have had major influence on later works. Through a Window is an obvious predecessor to Cornell Woolrich’s short story Rear Window (1942) which, of course, was the basis of Alfred Hitchcock’s brilliant film of the same name (1954).
The Flowering of Strange Orchid is a horror story, dealing with a similar theme as Arthur Conan Doyle’s The American’s Tale from 1880. I am tempted to suggest that Wells was influenced by Doyle’s piece. In any case, Wells’ story inspired Arthur C. Clarke in writing The Reluctant Orchid (1956). And then of course we got Roger Corman’s cult film The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). Of these, I think the story by Wells was the best version, although I greatly enjoy all of them.
The Lord of the Dynamos was one of the stories I’d read before. It contains the brilliant line “…he had read Shakespeare and found him weak in chemistry.” It’s one of the stories that contains the n-word, which has lead some individuals here automatically give the whole book a one-star rating and deem Wells a horrible racist and imperialist. The less said about such opinions, the better. In any case, The Lord of the Dynamos is certainly among the better stories in this collection.
Overall, The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents is integral reading for all fans of H. G. Wells, 19th century scifi, and early horror. All of the stories aren’t brilliant, but enough of them are to make this an enjoyable read. And anyone who likes Hitchcock’s Rear Window or Corman’s The Little Shop of Horrors should read the stories they were based upon or influenced by.
3.75/5
A couple of the stories I had read before but most were new to me. Some were great, the others not quite so. The title story is a very early example of bioterrorism as a literary topic. In the Avu Observatory is a cool little horror story, while The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes is scifi of sorts. All three were excellent.
The book contains a couple of stories that have had major influence on later works. Through a Window is an obvious predecessor to Cornell Woolrich’s short story Rear Window (1942) which, of course, was the basis of Alfred Hitchcock’s brilliant film of the same name (1954).
The Flowering of Strange Orchid is a horror story, dealing with a similar theme as Arthur Conan Doyle’s The American’s Tale from 1880. I am tempted to suggest that Wells was influenced by Doyle’s piece. In any case, Wells’ story inspired Arthur C. Clarke in writing The Reluctant Orchid (1956). And then of course we got Roger Corman’s cult film The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). Of these, I think the story by Wells was the best version, although I greatly enjoy all of them.
The Lord of the Dynamos was one of the stories I’d read before. It contains the brilliant line “…he had read Shakespeare and found him weak in chemistry.” It’s one of the stories that contains the n-word, which has lead some individuals here automatically give the whole book a one-star rating and deem Wells a horrible racist and imperialist. The less said about such opinions, the better. In any case, The Lord of the Dynamos is certainly among the better stories in this collection.
Overall, The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents is integral reading for all fans of H. G. Wells, 19th century scifi, and early horror. All of the stories aren’t brilliant, but enough of them are to make this an enjoyable read. And anyone who likes Hitchcock’s Rear Window or Corman’s The Little Shop of Horrors should read the stories they were based upon or influenced by.
3.75/5
July 17, 2012
Technically, “Select Conversations With An Uncle” which was published earlier in 1895 was Wells’ first collection of stories, but the stories from that collection have largely been forgotten, while this collection, “The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents”, contains a few stories which have long been remembered as early classics. The fourth of four books published in 1895, this collection contains 15 works of short fiction which were originally published between December of 1893, and March of 1895, mostly in “Pall Mall Budget” (or “Pall Mall Gazette”), but there is one story which was published originally in “Black and White” and one from “The St. James Gazette”.
The collection opens with “The Stolen Bacillus”, a short story which can definitely be considered science fiction. In this an unnamed visitor of a Bacteriologist preys on the Bacteriologists ego to boast about the dangerous strains of bacteria he has on hand. The visitor turns out to be an anarchist who steals a vial with bacteria to use as a weapon, resulting in a chase, with a surprise ending. Published originally in “The Pall Mall Budget” on June 21st of 1894, this story predicts the fears of terrorists using biological weapons.
The next story is “The Flowering of the Strange Orchid”, another science fiction story, in which a man (Winter-Wedderburn) is tired of having an uneventful life and purchases some orchids from a collector who died, one of which is a very unusual specimen and provides him with an event in his life which he so desperately wanted. Published on August 2nd of 1894 in “The Pall Mall Budget”, this story is an early example of using a previously unknown species as subject-matter.
Next up is “In The Avu Observatory”, which was published on August 9th of 1894 in “The Pall Mall Budget”. This story, like the one before uses an unusual species as subject-matter. In this case it is a large bat-like creature which attacks an astronomer’s assistant during a night when he is alone making observations.
“The Triumphs Of A Taxidermist” was published on March 3rd of 1894, and unlike the previous stories this one is not really science fiction. Here it is a narrator telling of a conversation he had with a Taxidermist, who admitted he had created “new species” in order to satisfy his clients.
“A Deal In Ostriches” was published on December 20th of 1894 in “The Pall Mall Budget”. This story is also not science fiction, but it is a clever story (again told by a taxidermist, but not clear if it is meant to be the same one) about how an Ostrich was worth three hundred pounds.
“Through A Window”, published in “Black and White” on August 25th, 1894 is like an early version of “Rear Window”. Here we have a man (Bailey) who is immobilized due to an injury who watches a manhunt through his window.
“The Temptation of Harringay” was published in “The St. James Gazette” on February 9th of 1895. This fantasy story is about an artist who is desperate to paint a subject he has created in his mind, but who cannot get it right. The Devil comes to him and tries to buy the artist’s soul with the promise of a few masterpieces.
“The Flying Man” was published in December of 1893 in “The Pall Mall Gazette”. This is a story told from the point of view of a lieutenant who is explaining how he gained a reputation among the natives as “a flying man”.
“The Diamond Maker” was published on August 16th of 1894 in “The Pall Mall Budget”. In this science fiction story, the narrator relates the tale of a man who has invented a means of making his own diamonds.
“Æpyornis Island” was published on December 27th of 1894 in “The Pall Mall Budget”. Similar to the two stories earlier, this one again uses an unusual species as subject-matter, though in this case the story is much better thought out and developed. Here the narrator tells the story of how he found the bones of an Æpyornis.
Next up is my personal favorite in the book, “The Remarkable Case of Davidson’s Eyes”, which was published in “The Pall Mall Budget” on March 28th of 1895. In this story, the title character (Davidson), after a lightning strike, is not able to see what is in front of him, but instead sees a tropical scene. Over time he eventually recovers, but later he meets someone who tells him a story which describes what he had seen perfectly.
“The Lord of the Dynamos” was published on September 6th, 1894, in “The Pall Mall Budget”. This is another good story, about a poor foreign laborer who comes to worship the large Dynamo where he works.
“The Hammerpond Park Burglary” is a clever story about a thief (Teddy Watkins) who is trying to steal Lady Aveling’s jewels. It was published originally in “The Pall Mall Budget” on July 5th of 1894.
“A Moth – Genus Novo” was published in “The Pall Mall Budget” on March 28th, of 1895. This is another good story about two rival scientists who have a professional feud, which is ended by the untimely death of one of them. The other then is tormented by a new species of Moth which he is unable to capture, and which nobody else is able to see.
The collection closes with “The Treasure In The Forest”, which was published in “The Pall Mall Budget” on August 23rd of 1894. This is the story of two men (Evans and Hooker) who overhear a discussion of a treasure, and then make the mistake of trying to rush ahead and recover it first.
This is far from the best collection of Wells’ short stories, but it is interesting because you can see some of his development as a writer between the earliest stories in this collection, and those which were written later on. This is true even though it isn’t even two years between the publication of the first and last stories. Though some of these stories would be considered speculative fiction, many of them are fairly standard short stories.
The collection opens with “The Stolen Bacillus”, a short story which can definitely be considered science fiction. In this an unnamed visitor of a Bacteriologist preys on the Bacteriologists ego to boast about the dangerous strains of bacteria he has on hand. The visitor turns out to be an anarchist who steals a vial with bacteria to use as a weapon, resulting in a chase, with a surprise ending. Published originally in “The Pall Mall Budget” on June 21st of 1894, this story predicts the fears of terrorists using biological weapons.
The next story is “The Flowering of the Strange Orchid”, another science fiction story, in which a man (Winter-Wedderburn) is tired of having an uneventful life and purchases some orchids from a collector who died, one of which is a very unusual specimen and provides him with an event in his life which he so desperately wanted. Published on August 2nd of 1894 in “The Pall Mall Budget”, this story is an early example of using a previously unknown species as subject-matter.
Next up is “In The Avu Observatory”, which was published on August 9th of 1894 in “The Pall Mall Budget”. This story, like the one before uses an unusual species as subject-matter. In this case it is a large bat-like creature which attacks an astronomer’s assistant during a night when he is alone making observations.
“The Triumphs Of A Taxidermist” was published on March 3rd of 1894, and unlike the previous stories this one is not really science fiction. Here it is a narrator telling of a conversation he had with a Taxidermist, who admitted he had created “new species” in order to satisfy his clients.
“A Deal In Ostriches” was published on December 20th of 1894 in “The Pall Mall Budget”. This story is also not science fiction, but it is a clever story (again told by a taxidermist, but not clear if it is meant to be the same one) about how an Ostrich was worth three hundred pounds.
“Through A Window”, published in “Black and White” on August 25th, 1894 is like an early version of “Rear Window”. Here we have a man (Bailey) who is immobilized due to an injury who watches a manhunt through his window.
“The Temptation of Harringay” was published in “The St. James Gazette” on February 9th of 1895. This fantasy story is about an artist who is desperate to paint a subject he has created in his mind, but who cannot get it right. The Devil comes to him and tries to buy the artist’s soul with the promise of a few masterpieces.
“The Flying Man” was published in December of 1893 in “The Pall Mall Gazette”. This is a story told from the point of view of a lieutenant who is explaining how he gained a reputation among the natives as “a flying man”.
“The Diamond Maker” was published on August 16th of 1894 in “The Pall Mall Budget”. In this science fiction story, the narrator relates the tale of a man who has invented a means of making his own diamonds.
“Æpyornis Island” was published on December 27th of 1894 in “The Pall Mall Budget”. Similar to the two stories earlier, this one again uses an unusual species as subject-matter, though in this case the story is much better thought out and developed. Here the narrator tells the story of how he found the bones of an Æpyornis.
Next up is my personal favorite in the book, “The Remarkable Case of Davidson’s Eyes”, which was published in “The Pall Mall Budget” on March 28th of 1895. In this story, the title character (Davidson), after a lightning strike, is not able to see what is in front of him, but instead sees a tropical scene. Over time he eventually recovers, but later he meets someone who tells him a story which describes what he had seen perfectly.
“The Lord of the Dynamos” was published on September 6th, 1894, in “The Pall Mall Budget”. This is another good story, about a poor foreign laborer who comes to worship the large Dynamo where he works.
“The Hammerpond Park Burglary” is a clever story about a thief (Teddy Watkins) who is trying to steal Lady Aveling’s jewels. It was published originally in “The Pall Mall Budget” on July 5th of 1894.
“A Moth – Genus Novo” was published in “The Pall Mall Budget” on March 28th, of 1895. This is another good story about two rival scientists who have a professional feud, which is ended by the untimely death of one of them. The other then is tormented by a new species of Moth which he is unable to capture, and which nobody else is able to see.
The collection closes with “The Treasure In The Forest”, which was published in “The Pall Mall Budget” on August 23rd of 1894. This is the story of two men (Evans and Hooker) who overhear a discussion of a treasure, and then make the mistake of trying to rush ahead and recover it first.
This is far from the best collection of Wells’ short stories, but it is interesting because you can see some of his development as a writer between the earliest stories in this collection, and those which were written later on. This is true even though it isn’t even two years between the publication of the first and last stories. Though some of these stories would be considered speculative fiction, many of them are fairly standard short stories.
February 25, 2021
H.G. Wells is an amazing storyteller and I was thrilled to read a new collection I had never heard of before.
I overestimated my ability to step out of current events and although it wasn't about the current pandemic, it definitely had some parts that were tough to read. I have been saying this like a broken record since last May. It feels like we are all existing in a dystopian novel with each part of the well known ones (1984 and Brace, New, World for starters) throwing a vile chapter at us.
Great story but a better choice when infectious disease isn't a daily topic of discussion. Around the World in 80 Days or The Time Machine might be a happier choice and I loved them both.
I overestimated my ability to step out of current events and although it wasn't about the current pandemic, it definitely had some parts that were tough to read. I have been saying this like a broken record since last May. It feels like we are all existing in a dystopian novel with each part of the well known ones (1984 and Brace, New, World for starters) throwing a vile chapter at us.
Great story but a better choice when infectious disease isn't a daily topic of discussion. Around the World in 80 Days or The Time Machine might be a happier choice and I loved them both.
April 4, 2022
Oh boy, where to begin. This collection of short stories include some interesting plots and premises. However, the racist and colonialist stereotypes that feature in almost every story make for profoundly uncomfortable reading. This, despite such attitudes being largely absent from his subsequent novels and Well's reputation as a champion of human rights. If you can wade through antisemitic tropes and racist commentaries on the mental capacity of non-European races, go for it. Personally, I needed a shower after reading some of these stories.
October 26, 2022
I've been a fan of other H. G. Wells books and I was hoping to get a similar reading experience here. This is a collection of short stories with the idea being that even if one isn't good you could enjoy the next. However, after the first two stories the rest wound up being rather boring and bad. Pretty much all of them are written from the perspective of an uninterested narrator listening to somebody else tell their story. This just leads to bland storytelling.
July 10, 2023
4.03⭐
The Stolen Bacillus 5⭐
The Flowering of the Strange Orchid 4⭐
In the Avu Observatory 3.25⭐
The Triumphs of a Taxidermist 3.25⭐
A Deal in Ostriches 4⭐
Through a Window 4.5⭐
The Temptation of Harringay 4⭐
The Flying Man 4⭐
The Diamond Maker 4.5⭐
Æpyornis Island 4.5⭐
The Remarkable Case of Davidson’s Eyes 4⭐
The Lord of the Dynamos 4.25⭐
The Hammerpond Park Burglary 3⭐
The Moth 4⭐
The Treasure in the Forest 4.25⭐
The Stolen Bacillus 5⭐
The Flowering of the Strange Orchid 4⭐
In the Avu Observatory 3.25⭐
The Triumphs of a Taxidermist 3.25⭐
A Deal in Ostriches 4⭐
Through a Window 4.5⭐
The Temptation of Harringay 4⭐
The Flying Man 4⭐
The Diamond Maker 4.5⭐
Æpyornis Island 4.5⭐
The Remarkable Case of Davidson’s Eyes 4⭐
The Lord of the Dynamos 4.25⭐
The Hammerpond Park Burglary 3⭐
The Moth 4⭐
The Treasure in the Forest 4.25⭐
unfinished-or-abandoned
January 11, 2022those that i listened to were interesting stories, and well written.... BUT... some of the attitudes perpetuated and langauge used were really problematic. i figured i had better things to read and abanonded it. i don't think it's simply a "product of its time..." - too often writers who are progressive in other ways, hold some inconsistent and really bigoted views.
December 21, 2023
Como de esta colección sólo conocía "La extraña floración de la orquídea" ("uno de los más grandes cuentos literarios con una planta chupadora de sangre que se alimenta de presas humanas", como apunta Sánchez-Verdejo y Poveda), decidí leerla completa y me sorprendió su trepidante ritmo, su humor negro y la forma en que incluye elementos científicos a situaciones extrañas.
December 7, 2019
wells seemed to know that someone else would claim credit for these now-classic scenarios if he didn’t do it first, so he raced to establish as many in as short a period as possible. an unqualified success, i’d say.
October 22, 2017
A very good selection of Short Stories. Great to get an insight into a mixture of H G Wells talents, including none Science Fictions works which Wells is synonymous for.
April 21, 2020
How to download this book??..please can someone answer me
May 20, 2022
Can't give it more than two stars as it is so imbued with the casual racist assumptions of the time in many of the stories. Yet in some of them Wells's humour shows through.
September 16, 2023
The most amusing story. And very relevant since Corona virus.
October 12, 2023
nice assortment of science fiction
August 28, 2017
to be quite honest, not one of these stories, except the title story and maybe one or two forgettable others, seem to have any point or, in several cases, even any real plot, other than Wells sitting down in the afternoon and thinking 'I'm bored today, perhaps I'll write something outstandingly racist'. You can (and people do) try to defend this with 'that was the time period' but honestly, I've read plenty from the time period, and there hasn't been a single other work where the single defining word I would use to describe it is 'racist'. There's just so much racist content that I can't fathom anyone of the 21st century being able to look past it, and honestly even if you could I'm not sure there's really anything to be found. Even attempting to put this issue aside (a nigh impossible feat), most of the stories are dull and lifeless with fairly bland writing, and in numerous cases have endings that just stop, rather than feeling like any kind of conclusion. This can work sometimes, but honestly doesn't work once in this collection, in my opinion.
March 6, 2016
I found this book of short stories very interesting – both entertaining and thought-provoking. It was rather handy having the eBook version, because I found myself looking in Wikipedia to learn where, what, or who he was making reference to, and so the reader might come away learning a little.
I couldn’t help but notice the way some of his 19th Century British characters describe and interact with non-Europeans – with snobbishness and sometimes mistreatment, probably consistent with the Colonialism and Imperialism of the time.
In this review, rather than reveal any “Spoilers”, I will describe questions that may be answered in these short stories.
The Stolen Bacillis: What will happen to the Anarchist who stole the tube containing the Bacteriologist’s new species of Bacteria?
The Flowering of the Strange Orchid: What did Wedderburn’s housekeeper discover about his new orchid?
In the Avu Observatory: Was it a giant lemur that attacked Woodhouse in the Observatory in Borneo?
The Triumphs of a Taxidermist: Would you trust any of this Taxidermist’s work after hearing his secrets?
A Deal in Ostriches: What are the legal ramifications when somebody’s livestock poultry swallows valuable property?
Through a Window: Is it still voyeurism when the activity outside your window enters your room?
The Temptation of Harringay: What’s your price?
The Flying Man: What made the natives believe that the Lieutenant could fly?
The Diamond Maker: If your manufacturing process using proprietary ingredients was view with suspicion, how would you make a living?
Aepyornis Island: What if you had to choose between saving your own life or that of a nearly extinct species?
The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes: Can a person exist in two times and places simultaneously?
The Lord of the Dynamos: Did the Lord of the Dynamos exact Azuma-zi’s revenge – and then impose payment?
The Hammerpond Park Burglary: If burglary is a sport, can one keep track of who (and where) are the opponents, spectators, and referees?
A Moth – Genus Novo: Doesn’t H.G. Wells provide an excellent illustration of “odium theologicum” in the troubled aftermath of the Hapley-Pawkins feud?
The Treasure in the Forest: When Hooker and Evans followed Chang-hi’s map to find the Spanish treasure, could they have made better preparations?
If this prompts anyone to read some H.G. Wells, I will be glad.
I couldn’t help but notice the way some of his 19th Century British characters describe and interact with non-Europeans – with snobbishness and sometimes mistreatment, probably consistent with the Colonialism and Imperialism of the time.
In this review, rather than reveal any “Spoilers”, I will describe questions that may be answered in these short stories.
The Stolen Bacillis: What will happen to the Anarchist who stole the tube containing the Bacteriologist’s new species of Bacteria?
The Flowering of the Strange Orchid: What did Wedderburn’s housekeeper discover about his new orchid?
In the Avu Observatory: Was it a giant lemur that attacked Woodhouse in the Observatory in Borneo?
The Triumphs of a Taxidermist: Would you trust any of this Taxidermist’s work after hearing his secrets?
A Deal in Ostriches: What are the legal ramifications when somebody’s livestock poultry swallows valuable property?
Through a Window: Is it still voyeurism when the activity outside your window enters your room?
The Temptation of Harringay: What’s your price?
The Flying Man: What made the natives believe that the Lieutenant could fly?
The Diamond Maker: If your manufacturing process using proprietary ingredients was view with suspicion, how would you make a living?
Aepyornis Island: What if you had to choose between saving your own life or that of a nearly extinct species?
The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes: Can a person exist in two times and places simultaneously?
The Lord of the Dynamos: Did the Lord of the Dynamos exact Azuma-zi’s revenge – and then impose payment?
The Hammerpond Park Burglary: If burglary is a sport, can one keep track of who (and where) are the opponents, spectators, and referees?
A Moth – Genus Novo: Doesn’t H.G. Wells provide an excellent illustration of “odium theologicum” in the troubled aftermath of the Hapley-Pawkins feud?
The Treasure in the Forest: When Hooker and Evans followed Chang-hi’s map to find the Spanish treasure, could they have made better preparations?
If this prompts anyone to read some H.G. Wells, I will be glad.
May 23, 2015
I know why I'm having a problem with this: because it's not believable. Even if he was rapidly becoming infected after swallowing the two drops, the route of transmission from one person to another is NOT by rubbing your "infected body" against other people. The routes of transmission for V. cholerae are by touching fecal or oral matter from the infected person; and of course getting it through water.
I work in health care. I usually like his medical information, but I guess everyone can make mistakes.
Which is why I wish more doctors like Robin Cook would become writers.
But if it was a satire about how easy it is for scientists to pass their information to bioterrorists, by being too proud of their work and careless who they tell it to, then the story did its job.
I work in health care. I usually like his medical information, but I guess everyone can make mistakes.
Which is why I wish more doctors like Robin Cook would become writers.
But if it was a satire about how easy it is for scientists to pass their information to bioterrorists, by being too proud of their work and careless who they tell it to, then the story did its job.
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