Book Review : The First Men In The Moon by H. G. Wells (Rating ***)

H. G. Wells is called one of the fore fathers of science fiction. Indeed, many books he wrote in this field were visionary and legendary in the true sense as they are still popular among international readers 100 years after their first publishing. We must thank projects like Project Gutenberg who have made these, out of copyright literature free for all. The moon fascinated all the world since ancient times as it is the only celestial body near to the earth, which is clearly visible in whole, from the earth.

Till 1960’s when humans visited the moon for the first time, everybody had different theory about the moon as what may be there on the moon and below its surface hidden from our eyes and telescopes. This book deals with all these imaginations of humans in 19th century, they had speculated about the moon. Wells have imagined that moon have a thin atmosphere with oxygen and moon beings called selenites live below the surface of the moon. At the end of 19th century the world was on the verge of industrial revolution and basic research was at its peak. Whole world was watching heavens through bigger and bigger telescopes. Air travel through aeroplanes was about to come true in near future and space travel was also not far. At such a time this novel was a good look into future with existing facts and a little imagination mixed in it.

The book starts with a failed British businessman Mr. Bedford and an eccentric scientist Mr. Cavor. Mr. Cavor invents a machine which he calls Cavorite which can manipulate gravitational pull of earth and thus manages to take them to moon. When both visit the moon, they encounter its micro gravity, its advantages and disadvantages. They also see strange type of vegetation on the surface of moon which grows in sunny part of moon and fragile ant like living beings but very intelligent like man. Mr. Bedford manages to escape from moon but Cavor is trapped on moon forever. The storyline of the book is weak and their no more story than inventing the machine to going the moon and meeting the selenites. The book is filled with imaginary observation of selenites and how they live and think. This makes the book a little boring.

The story is in a way incomplete and there was scope for sequel which was never written. The book shows vision of the author to peek in the future as what may be there on moon and how man will travel to it. Though the imagination of air and living beings on earth have failed their expectations but travelling to moon have happened in future. At least this book must have inspired researchers at the time to find ways to travel to the moon which culminated in space exploration in future. We must agree that such scientific writings inspire many, bringing their imagination into reality. This book is good for all science fiction lovers but a little hard to read due 19th century Victorian style of language used in the book. If you can adjust to that the book is very good for reading.