Star Begotten: A Biological Fantasia

by H.G. Wells, John Huntington (Editor)

In his 1898 War of the Worlds, H. G. Wells imagined aliens from Mars descending to Earth with violent intentions. In Star Begotten, first published in 1937, the suspicion arises that the Martians may have returned this time using cosmic rays to alter human chromosomes. The protagonist Joseph Davis, an author of popular histories, grows fearfully obsessed with rumors of the Martian plan. He considers the possibility that mutation may have already occurred, and that his child, his wife, and even he may already be Martians. An ironic and often comic novel, Star Begotten portrays discoveries in evolutionary biology and contemplates the benefits as well as the horrors of mutation. This new annotated edition situates the novel in its literary and historical contexts, explains its place in Wells s late development, and highlights its importance as a precursor to the dark comedies of delusion by writers like Robert Sheckley and Philip K. Dick."

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Classics, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Speculative Fiction

156 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1937

About the author

Herbert 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

Reviews

[Denis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second reading of Star-Begotten (my Covid 19-time book read). It is a sort of 'Martian' invasion-type story. 'Martian', because it does not refer to beings from Mars specifically, but rather that the term is one of convenience for, "But we don't know there are Martians!"
"No."
"Quite possibly these rays do not come from Mars..."
"Well, whatever originates them. Let us call them Martians - just to avoid inventing a new name-".

A "troubled" Mr. Joseph Davis overheard this Martianizing of humanity by cosmic-ray theory, from members of the Planetarium Club he frequents (I thought possibly, they were baiting him). The idea really struck home with him and for most of the novel, he is discussing the validity of the idea with two colleagues who can not prove or deny it.

There are several humorous bits throughout. One character, for instance, makes reference to Well’s "War of the World" novel published nearly forty years before, as being written by either "Jules Verne, Conan Doyle, one of those fellows". It is however, a later work by Well's who by this time was no longer writing such action yarns as, War of the Worlds", "The Invisible Man" or "The Time Machine". The overall idea is a bit reminiscent of "The Day of the Comet" (1906) as far as story concept; that being of world change due to a cosmic or extra-terrestrial event.

The story situation is merely a vehicle for Wells to discuss his feeling that the "old world" has run its course and a new generation with fresh ideas and a new way of thinking lies ahead; a story of 'days to come'-fitting during these strange days I thought. It is a satisfying novel dealing with the possibilities of the evolution of social change - almost an obsessive theme for Well's during this later period of his literary career. Overall, it is a typically innovative idea from Wells, during a time when the SF genre he has worked to firmly establish for half a century, was about to enter a golden age.

[Mike Thorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very curious novel, more of a thought experiment via sustained philosophical dialogue than a conventional piece of narrative fiction. The central guiding question is basically, what if... Martian ex machina?

The protagonist is suddenly overtaken by the conviction that Martians are actively guiding the human race toward intellectual, moral, and social evolution via cosmic rays. Hypothetical conversations with various interlocutors ensue, covering everything from geopolitics to human psychology, and... that's more or less it. These dialogues are sometimes troublingly opaque (whiffs of eugenics logic), but the central conceit is abstract enough to carry all kinds of readings. Wells exhibits an amazing ability to generate excitement and momentum purely through the expression of complex ideas, and his prose is gorgeous, but this doesn't rank anywhere near his major works.

[Alex Sarll]

Published in 1937, two years after Stapledon's Odd John, another early version of the idea that we gotta make way for the Homo superior. The difference here being that we never get any real proof that the strange 'Martian' children are a next evolutionary step, no mutant powers or stunning feats...for all that's presented, they might just be slightly odd kids, and the protagonists as deluded about their significance as all those infuriating real-world saps who insist their little darlings are 'Indigo Children'. I'm not sure whether this is deliberate on Wells' part or not. But he definitely has a lot of plates spinning. One character mentions "The War of the Worlds - I forget who wrote it - Jules Verne, Conan Doyle, one of those fellows". And then rubbishes it. The lead, Mr Joseph Davis, is a popular but disillusioned writer, though his stuff sounds more like GA Henty than HG Wells. Still, he does spend the book discussing science-fictional ideas with like-minded chaps, and the book does mostly feel like a philosophical dialogue stealthed in an SF cover, so maybe he can be taken as an authorial avatar?

All this makes Star-Begotten sound worthy, which I suppose it is, and dull, which it isn't. Even when lecturing, Wells gives good lecture, offering an insightful assessment of the problems of the day (most of which are all too recognisable today, and according to the back cover of my copy*, were equally so in 1975 - it's never long until the end of the world). I especially liked this: "You may tell the public anything you like nowadays...and it will not care a rap. It is not that it disbelieves; it is not that it believes; but that its belief apparatus has been overstrained and misused beyond any sort of reaction, positive or negative, to the things that it is told." This sort of stuff is interspersed with entertaining satire of various asses, including a junk journalist and an especially, hideously, familiar press magnate, who get hold of the 'Martian' idea and make the usual hash of it. And near the end is a painfully good bit about what it feels like living in a world you know shouldn't be this way, a topic which for obvious reasons always gets me. Much better - and much easier going - than the reputation of late Wells would suggest.

*Unusually for a seventies SF paperback, it doesn't have a spaceship on the cover. But it does have what I can only describe as a hippy AT-AT, which is just as reassuringly irrelevant to the contents.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Released 39 years after his seminal sci-fi novel "The War of the Worlds" was published in 1898, and just two years before Orson Welles scared the bejeebers out of U.S. listeners with his radio play of that same novel, 1937's "Star-Begotten" finds its author, H.G. Wells, returning to the Red Planet to tell us more about those mysterious and pesky Martians. Written when Wells was 71, this latter work--rather than being a tale of action and mayhem and a truly groundbreaking instance of the then-still-new science fiction (or, to use the term that Wells preferred, "scientific romances")--is more a novel of ideas and speculation, of satire and bitter condemnation, and, I have a feeling, is a largely unknown work today. And that is a shame, as it is obviously a deeply felt work; an appeal to reason in a world slipping inexorably toward another world war.

In this short novel (it is roughly the same length as such early Wells classics as "The Time Machine," "The Island of Dr. Moreau" and "The Invisible Man"), we meet a youngish author named Joseph Davis. A writer of popular histories that uphold the glory and promise of humankind, and a man who has long since swept his own religious doubts under the mental rug, Davis, when we first encounter him, is a troubled soul. His wife has increasingly become a stranger, the imminent birth of his first child has left him in a panicked state, and his rosy-tinted histories have lately begun to strike him as so much bosh. And then he overhears a conversation at his Planetarium Club, in which several of the learned members discuss the possibility of mankind's increasing intelligence being the result of the cosmic rays that are constantly bombarding us. Could this be deliberate? Could, say, those Martians be firing rays at us to change mankind, to make us better and brighter, to possibly...Martianize us?!?! That is what Davis and two of his cronies, obstetrician Holdman Stedding and philosophy professor Ernest Keppel, endeavor to riddle out, in this thoroughly engaging and passionate piece of work.

This is a book in which Wells, a former Socialist and member of the Fabian Society, as well as the creator of any number of utopian scenarios himself (in novels such as "In the Days of the Comet," "Men Like Gods" and "The Shape of Things to Come"), subjects to scalding satire the Socialists and the creators of utopian literature, as well as the British government, the average intelligence of the common people, journalists, world dictators, modern religion and society in general. Though written 75 years ago, the critiques in the book are as relevant today, sadly enough, as ever. Take this passage, for example, as our three lead characters sit and discuss the situation. Says Keppel: "Our social order is bankrupt. It is not delivering the goods. It is defaulting and breaking up. War, pervading and increasing brutality, lack of any real liberty, economic mismanagement, frightful insufficiency in the midst of possible super-abundance--am I overstating the indictment?" This could almost have been written today, right? Though there is little to no action in "Star-Begotten" per se, the entire novel is filled with wonderfully well-written passages such as this one; you'll feel like using a highlighter to underscore many of the choicer comments, as mankind's lot is appraised and discussed by these three astute gentlemen. And as befits its satiric side, the novel also contains some one-liners guaranteed to make the reader chuckle, such as when Wells describes the music of 1937 as "raucous bang, bang, bump stuff" (which leads one to wonder how he'd feel about the heavy metal and hip-hop music of today!). Undoubtedly, though, the book's most amusing moment comes when one of the Planetarium Club members declares, "Some of you may have read a book called 'The War of the Worlds'--I forget who wrote it--Jules Verne, Conan Doyle, one of those fellows." A rare instance of genuine humor in an otherwise quite serious novel; a novel in which the author, aghast at the state of a world teetering on the brink, tries to paint a picture of what COULD be, if only Man cared a little less for material gain. Of course, it was a lesson that was largely unavailing, so much so that in his introduction to the 1941 edition of his 1908 classic "The War in the Air," Wells famously wrote "I told you so. You damned fools." Fortunately, however, it's never too late to learn, and that is why "Star-Begotten" should be placed on the "must read" list of all thinking adults. It is an intelligent book that uses a sci-fi backdrop as a means of making dozens upon dozens of vitally important points. It may not feature the zap guns of the 1898 novel, but surely does strike home nevertheless! Concluding with a surprise ending of sorts and a note of tentative optimism, it is a Wells novel that is surely ripe for modern-day reappraisal.

[Wreade1872 · Rating 2 out of 5]

A later Wells book, he seems to have been heavy into psychology in his later books. Another one Mr.Blettsworthy on Rampole Island had a fair bit of psychology too, but that was much more entertaining than this.

The main issue here is that its all Tell no Show. It starts with an expectant father who begins to think his wife and child might be aliens. From that premise i thought this one either be really stupid or really dark but its too dry for either.

About half the story is actually a quite modern concept as its an examination of Meme culture. The spread of an idea. Its interesting enough. One character, Lord Thunderclap, an incompetent, paranoid millionaire whose staff have to constantly undermine his insane orders, will be quite familiar to today's audience.

So its an ok 3 stars, until we get this very dull utopian exposition stuff around the 3/4 mark. The ending is ok but really to use a metaphor ,the whole thing feels more like the notes from a tv pitch meeting rather than the resultant show.

[Steve Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are passages that are Wells at his SF-writing best but it's all too preachy. I like when Mr. Wells has something to say but not to this extreme.

This is considered a sequel of sorts to War of the Worlds but do the Martians change the course of Earth's history or is Mr. Joseph Davis, the main protagonist, merely Wells' answer to Chicken Little?

Interesting quotes:

"Some of you may have read a book called The War of the Worlds - I forget who wrote it - Jules Verne, Conan Doyle, one of those fellows."

"You know that man Olaf Stapledon has already tried something of the sort in a book called Last and First Men."

"Most of us to the very end of our lives are obsessed by infantile cravings for protection and direction, and out of these cravings come all the impulses towards slavish subjection to gods, kings, leaders, heroes, bosses, mystical personifications like the People, My Country Right or Wrong, the Church, the Party, the Masses, the Proletariat. Our imaginations hang on to some such Big Brother idea almost to the end" (written in 1937, more than a decade before George Orwell's 1984.)

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the book being advertised, Star-Begotten is neither science fiction or a sequel to The War Of The Worlds, though this isn’t what prompted my low rating. It is a psychological study on the effect of truly believing misinformation. The subject itself being interesting, Wells’ execution is sadly lacking here. it is extremely difficult to empathize with any of the characters as they are universally uninteresting, none advancing within the plot. The writing style is overly wordy, laborious rather than stylistically interesting. It’s a shame, as this could have been a very thought provoking and important work for Wells, unfortunately Star-Begotten is relegated to being a lesser novel.

[Elizabeth Valadez · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
i just don’t like this kind of science fiction? well, i don’t dislike it, but i don’t love it. the first half of the book had me, and i enjoyed the writing style much more than war of the worlds. but by the end it got a little dense and also insane lol. nice idea though. and i respect his desire for social commentary and revolution

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting and odd little volume about a group of men who think martians are changing the make-up of humans through cosmic rays. Full of ambiguity. It is not quite science fiction and not quite pyschology but somewhere in between. Much to think about.

[Dave Osmond · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah, this really isn't much of a novel. It's more of a series of conversations between three characters in order to spray out some of Wells' philosophical thoughts on humanity, religion, war, and other ideas. In short, all talk, no action.

[D.L. Morrese · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short novel was first published in 1937, and seventy-five years later, I finally got around to reading it. It took me a while because I had to wait around for things like my parents to reach puberty, me being born, learning to read, and then realizing this book existed. I find this last thing surprising because, after reading it, I am amazed it does not have a cult following. There should be T-shirts and buttons for people who wish to identify themselves as Star-Begotten or Star-Born. Once you read it, you’ll know what I mean.

The story centers on Joseph Davis, a popular writer of romanticized histories, who comes to believe that some people differ fundamentally from most of us. They are more rational, possibly more talented and intelligent. Who are these people? Why are they different?

After what amount to BS sessions with his friends and associates, Davis entertains the hypothesis that genetic mutations caused by cosmic rays are responsible for this new step in human evolution. One of his compatriots suggests that since the mutations appear neither random nor harmful, they must be intentional. Martians (as a euphemism for aliens) are tagged as likely agents. There is an interesting contrast presented here in which people of today (well, people of 75 years ago) jump to unscientific, irrational speculation to explain how people are becoming more rational. Wells is indulging in a bit of dry, tongue-in-cheek humor with this, I suspect.

But the cause of the mutations is not the central point, it’s simply a dryly humorous plot device. The thought provoking question behind it is, ‘Is humanity really becoming more intelligent and more rational?’ And the other question is, ‘Should it?’

This is not your average kind of novel. In some ways, it’s a philosophical treatise on politics and humanity like Plato’s Republic or Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, except, unlike the latter, Star Begotten is enjoyable, optimistic, and well-written. It’s one of those books that can make you think, if you let it. It can give you ideas. And this may be why it never rose to cult classic status. Ideas can be uncomfortable things. This is what Wells himself says about them:

‘A notion is something you can handle. But an idea, a general idea, has a way of getting all over you and subjugating you, and no free spirit submits to that. Confronted with an idea the American says: 'Oh, yeah!' or 'Sez you,' and the Englishman says: 'I don't fink,' or at a higher social level: 'Piffle—piffle before the wind.' These simple expressions are as good against ideas as the sign of the cross used to be against the medieval devil. The pressure is at once relieved.’ (Another case of Wells’ dry humor.)

There are about ten other sections, mostly assessments about the current state of mankind, that I marked because I thought they deserved to be shared. But this would make for a very long book review, or whatever this is, so I’ll refrain from doing that. I will, however, share this summation of how Wells says you can recognize these star-begotten people:

‘one characteristic of this new type of mind is its resistance to crowd suggestions, crowd loyalties, instinctive mass prejudices, and mere phrases, ... these strongminded individualists ... doing sensible things and refusing to do cruel, monstrous, and foolish things...’

Is humanity progressing? Is it overcoming its infancy? Is it becoming rational? I don’t know but I would like to believe so. I’ve met sane, intelligent people and I suspect there are a lot of them. If you think you may be one, Wells provides this cautionary statement in the voice of one of the book’s more cynical characters:

‘There are bad times ahead for uncompliant sane men. They will be hated by the right and by the left with an equal intensity.'

I found this short novel refreshingly different from popular contemporary ‘action-packed’ and largely idea-barren novels. It is a thought provoking social commentary about ideas, the evolution of ideas, and human potential. The charming characters, bits of dry humor, and the hopeful, optimistic outlook also appealed to me. I highly recommend it for those seeking something other than mindless entertainment.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not so much a novel as it is a treatise. As such, it's interesting but not brilliant. The main thing that makes the book worth reading is Wells predicting near future disastrous events, just a few years before World War II.
The basic concept, though, is that the human race seems to be changing, one baby at a time, and that the main characters think that someone is causing this, deliberately. The "Martians" of this story aren't the same ones from War of the Worlds...think of this as an alternate to that reality, one in which the aliens aren't invading the Earth right away, but instead maybe tailoring mankind for some purpose. It's not at all clear whether that purpose is good or bad, as shown, or even if it's really happening, so the whole story is really a thought experiment. That makes the story's climax really odd.
If you're looking for action or adventure, you won't find it here. It's sort of like battling philosophers or conflicting theoretical historians. The book is short enough that the lack of apparent conflict shouldn't turn you away, because at it's heart are questions about mankind and its boundary conditions. For instance, to an alien, would Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory be from the same species as Lucy from I Love Lucy? How could you prove it to them? And if they wanted to influence one to be more like the other, could you explain why that's a bad idea? From their viewpoint, is it? From your own viewpoint, is it?
Also, like a number of other science fiction writers, the story discusses the question of evolutionary obsolescence, and its effects. What can you do if your children and grandchildren are markedly different from you and your parents?

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of intellectuals surmise that Martians are sending radiation to Earth to mutate humans into Martians. The main character, a writer who very much resembles H.G. Wells, doesn't understand his wife or child, and it's easy for him to believe that somehow they've changed.

Here's what makes this novel so fascinating (and prescient of 1950's/60's science fiction): Are Martians really radiating Earth, or is it merely a philosophical argument among the intellectuals? And in the end, does it really matter if it's one or the other? Wells doesn't provide clues one way or the other, so it's up to the reader to make the call.

Wells was a brilliant prose stylist; nearly every page has a sentence that will make any writer envious.

This edition has helpful annotations, provides variant texts, and has a thoughtful foreword placing the novel in historical context, in particular to the novels of Olaf Stapledon and Philip Dick.

[Paul Julian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, in that it as much an analysis of the state of humanity in 1937 than a proper science fiction story. The core conceit of Martians using cosmic rays to help humanity evolve from afar is, like the protagonist says, incredible yet compelling. It's a ridiculous notion, especially now we know there's no aliens in our solar system, although what we know about cosmic rays still amounts to very little. But this is not an invasion novel like War of the Worlds, it is a novel of ideas, and Wells uses this basic idea as a platform to talk about religion, human psychology, social conditioning and more. There's not really much of a plot, but it is a short novel and there are many memorable passages and much lucid insight. Despite this being one of his later novels his mind was definately still sharp.

[Bradley Tiefenthaler · Rating 2 out of 5]

To whom it may concern,

An essay about a potential conspiracy that’s not believable. Aliens are changing our DNA through the rays from outer space? It’s more of a concept novel and the idea I just “told” to you through geeks in serious meetings.

It is the first novel I’ve ever rated two stars. It’s a Wells novel, so it’s at least written with some skill, but meh. I could never write a novel with any skill so I don’t think 1 star is ever reasonable (unless I wrote it).

I’d recommend it only to those who want an out of the box conspiracy story and who doesn’t care about the plot.

BT

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece; a brilliantly realized novel of ideas and social politics - all too contemporary. This almost forgotten novel supposes that the Martians are bombarding Humans with cosmic rays that are enhancing our sanity and in time enough of the population will have mutated that world peace and prosperity will result. Though Wells articulates his socialitic dogma, this is no polemic, but rather an enormously entertaining and thought provoking novel.

[Muhammad Salim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice read. H G Wells brings to the fore scientific ideas that must grip us all, for the benefit of mankind. Cosmic rays, Martians, a set of 'super-humans' ... the concepts shine and make a reader think. Conversational moments take priority and the plot trundles forward smoothly, in this well-thought-out novella. Surprise ending ... something rewarding for the curious reader. H G Wells is the sci-fi master.

[Grant Fawcett · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrative follows a man on his descent into madness. What he considers clarity is a strange exploration of early 20th century rationalism. The book is rife with great quotes and ultimately shines a kind of light on a variety of confusions; though these culminate ultimately in hopelessness and atheism.

[Jason Boyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is barely a novel. More of a philosophical treatise on the state of humanity and the path to a possible utopia via the intervention of "martians" (read: higher order beings from space using cosmic rays) brought to life through conversations by flat, mouthpiece-like characters

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, but I lost interest before the end.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not his best work. Interesting theory, but I was hoping for more story...

[Jewelee · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not my kind of book. There was too much rambling of a crazy mind, which made it boring & hard to follow.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting ideas to think about, but this book meanders and repeats itself a bunch. Could say the same information in a quarter of the pages.

[Афина · Rating 5 out of 5]

Το "Star Begotten" είναι ένα ελάχιστα γνωστό βιβλίο του Γουέλς, που στα ελληνικά το διάβασα με το τίτλο "Η επέμβαση". Προσωπικά θεωρώ ότι πρόκειται για μια προσπάθεια μυησης του αναγνώστη στο όραμα μιας σοσιαλιστικής κοινωνίας, μέσω μιας ιστορίας βιολογικής φαντασίας. Η κεντρική ιδέα του βιβλίου είναι ότι οι Αρειανοι μέσω ακτινοβολίας προσπαθούν να δημιουργήσουν στη Γη ένα νέο τύπο ανθρωπου που θα αντικαταστήσει τον παλιό, κάτι που θυμίζει την κλασσική καλτ ταινία "They live".
Αυτό αρχίζει να αντιλαμβάνεται ο κεντρικός ήρωας, ένας άντρας συντηρητικός που επιθυμεί να γράψει το "Επος της ανθρωπότητας", ένα έργο για το ένδοξο παρελθόν της ανθρώπινης φυλής. Οταν, λοιπόν, ο ανθρωπος αυτός έρχεται σε επαφή με αυτή την ιδέα αρχίζει να παρανοει. Το ίδιο και όλος ο κόσμος γυρω του. Ξαφνικά η γυναίκα του, που αποτελεί την ενσαρκωση της "σκοτεινής ηπειρου" του Φρουντ μοιαζει και εκείνη αρειανη, όπως ακριβώς και οι ομάδες σοσιαλιστων. Η συνειδητοποίηση αυτή τον οδηγεί σε μια αφυπνιση που θα έχει μοιραιες συνέπειες στην εξέλιξη της ιστοριας.
Πρόκειται για ένα αριστούργημα που θίγει φεμινιστικά ζητηματα όπως το αφήγημα του γυναικειου μυστηρίου, αλλά και το ρόλο των ΜΜΕ ως παραμορφωτικων φακών της πραγματικότητας.
Ο κόσμος του Γουέλς είναι ένας κόσμος σύγκρουσης του παλιού κόσμου με τον καινούριο, ένας κόσμος πάλης που κυοφορεί το μέλλον.
Εντυπωσιαστηκα με το ποσό φρέσκια είναι η γραφή του, ενώ πολλοί από τους προβληματισμούς του μοιάζουν με πραγματικούς νεωτερισμούς σε σχέση με το την εποχή που το έγραψε
Επιπλέον, ο Γουέλς χρησιμοποιεί τη τεχνική της αυτοαναφορικοτητας για να αποδοσει ένα φόρο τιμής στους αγαπημένους του συγγραφεις, όπως ο Βερν, ο Ντοηλ η ο Σουίφτ.
Ταυτόχρονα, το συμβολικό νόημα του βιβλίου του είναι διάχυτο από την αρχή, αν κάνεις παρατηρήσει τα ονόματα των ηρώων του (Ιωσήφ και Μαρία).
Στο "Begotten star" ο Γουέλς πραγματι οραματίζεται την κατάργηση του παλιού και τη δημιουργία ενός καινούριου κόσμου, που προβοκατορικα θυμίζει τον σοσιαλισμό. Για το λόγο αυτό πρόκειται για ένα βιβλίο τόσο αισιόδοξο, όσο και επαναστατικό, αφού ο Γουέλς, μέσω των ηρώων του, δε διστάζει να προτείνει μέχρι και τη δολοφονία των δυναστων της ανθρωπότητας και να γελοιοποιησει την άρχουσα τάξη, την οποία παρουσιάζει "ψεκασμενη" και τρομοκρατημένη με αυτή τη νέα τάξη πραγμάτων που ορθώνεται μπροστά της. Τέλος, ο Γουέλς τολμά να καταδείξει και τον ελιτισμό της επιστημονικής κοινότητας, η οποία μοιάζει με τα ιερατεια των αρχαίων χρόνων, προτείνοντας την εκλαικευση επιστημονικων κειμένων και την επαφή των ανθρώπων με τη Γνώση της επιστήμης.

ΥΓ: το έργο είναι γεμάτο τσιτάτα. Κάποια από αυτά ειναι τα εξής :
1. Το αίμα που δεν κυκλοφορεί σαπίζει. Η φαντασία που δεν διεγειρεται φθίνει.
2. Καθε γενιά είναι μια νέα φυλή. Κάθε γενιά αρχίζει πάλι.
3. Θα μπει σε λειτουργία ένα είδος εθιμοτυπιας του υγιούς ανθρώπου. Θα υποστηρίζουμε ο ένας τον άλλο εναντίον της νομοθεσιας και της τρελής εξουσίας.
4. Η αγάπη της ιδιοκτησίας γεννιέται κατευθείαν από το φόβο.
5. Η ανθρωπότητα θα συνεχίσει να απανθρωποποιειται
6. Ερευνώ τη γλιστερή πλάγια του αδύνατου
7. Όλα γίνονται τυχαία λες και η άγρια φύση θέλει να πειραματιστει.

[Zen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this how I like my sci-fi.
Hard science. Investigative speculation.
Forecasts of societal change.
Genetics. Anthropology. Genuine alien intraventions.
Panic in the streets! Death to inferior humans! Lol.

I'll take a meaningful scientific dialogue anyday over some adolescent Mary Sue waving their Light Rod around and saving a "princess".

Do they even write stuff like this anymore?

This book is only about 146 pages long but it still says more in those scant number of pages than a 900 page sci-fi action tome does with all its tiresome filler.

An underappreciated classic.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok book!

[Eleanor Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking, philosophical sci-fi that is still surprisingly relevant (especially in light of the upheaval in the USA) 80 years after it was written.

[Donna Krebs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read a book like this! It's a book about an idea. There are no real action scenes yet it'bs NOT boring! It's a book to make you think .

[Alastor Żurkiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love communism

[Tell Tale Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published in 1937, Wells only wrote two more fiction novels after this one.
Brief synopsis: Scientists think martians have been manipulating humans to replace their dying planet. It is not related to The War of the Worlds, but a character does mention that novel.
Wells was writing this just before World War 2 broke out and the Nazis were spreading in Germany, with their goal of a Master Race. I think this was very much on his mind. Also, this was just before the Orson Welles radio broadcast. Was Welles influenced by Wells’ argument in Star Begotten? At any rate it makes the idea of Star Begotten look to be pretty accurate about human nature.
Wells was likely writing about the phenomenon of Germany following Hitler, but the ideas in this novel also apply to the way so many people in the United States were taken by the rhetoric and attitudes of Donald Trump in recent years. I’m not making political comments about the right or wrong of Trump, just observing how quickly enough people were in love with what he was saying that he won the election. We’ve seen other similar “manias” sweep our society, like the interest in “pyramid power” when the King Tut exhibit was touring the U.S in the late 1970s. And it seems after individuals do buy into a certain idea, no amount of contrary evidence will allow them to let go. “Our imaginations hang onto some such Big Brother idea almost to the end. We will accept almost any self-abasement rather than step out of the crowd and be full-grown individuals.” In the end, Wells shows hope for the future to be more sane than the mentality that allowed Nazi Germany to happen, that each new generation starts new.
I feel that, although this novel is very heavy on the social ideas, it is great and fascinating. The story was kept short and simple, but the characters were good and the ideas strong. I recommend it if you love the work of Wells.
-Gregory Kerkman