Audiobook · read by volunteers
First Men in the Moon
H. G. Wells (1866–1946)
Read by Mark F. Smith · 26 chapters · 8 h 02
About the book
Mr. Bedford, a businessman in need of peace and quiet, rents a cottage in Kent and meets his neighbour, the eccentric scientist Mr. Cavor. Cavor has discovered a substance, Cavorite, that blocks the pull of gravity, and he has plans for a spherical vehicle that could travel through space. Bedford joins the expedition, and the pair set off for the Moon decades before any rocket reached it. There they find a strange landscape, extraordinary plants and an alien civilisation. Told in Bedford’s lively, down-to-earth voice, The First Men in the Moon mixes comedy, science and social satire. It is one of the founding books of science fiction and still a delight to hear, at about eight hours in twenty-six parts. A voyage to the Moon, as imagined at the dawn of the twentieth century, with wit and a fine sense of wonder.
Introduction
H. G. Wells (1866–1946) was an English writer who helped shape modern science fiction. The First Men in the Moon was published in 1901, a few years after The War of the Worlds. Wells was interested in the ideas of science and in the ways it might change society, and the book is as much a satire on human behaviour as a voyage of discovery.
The first chapters introduce the two men, describe the making of Cavorite and the building of the sphere. The story then moves into space and onto the Moon, where Wells imagines a society that is organised in ways that invite comparison with our own. His writing is brisk and witty, and the combination of scientific speculation and character comedy keeps the pace lively. Readers should enjoy the contrast between Bedford’s practical outlook and Cavor’s absent-minded brilliance.
Though the science of the book belongs to its time, its sense of wonder is undimmed, and the contrast between the two companions gives every scene a comic edge. For many listeners it will be a reminder of how science fiction began, with imagination, humour and a clear view of human nature.
Twenty-six recordings, about 8 hours in all, are read by a single LibriVox volunteer. The Moon chapters have wonderful titles, from Sunrise on the Moon to The Mooncalf Pastures and The Grand Lunar, and the closing recordings, which bring in messages sent by Cavor, are good ones to hear without long gaps between them. A voice that stays the same from the cottage in Kent to the last message keeps the tale cohesive.
Public domain
H. G. Wells died in 1946: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text