The World Set Free

Wells, H. G. (Herbert George), 1866-1946Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 377K words
Chapters: 38

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. The World Set Free by H. G. Wells. Author: Wells, H. G. (Herbert George), 1866-1946. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Feb 11, 2006.

Editor's review

The World Set Free is one of Wells's important late science fiction novels, published on the eve of the First World War. Centered on the discovery and use of atomic energy, it imagines how a technology capable of releasing enormous energy would transform warfare, the order of nations, and the entire course of human civilization. What sets Wells apart is that he is not content with displaying technological marvels; he places nuclear energy within the evolution of social institutions and political structures, imagining that the old state system cannot survive before devastating weapons and that humanity is forced toward some form of world organization. This approach gives the book a dual character as both science fiction prophecy and political allegory. Read today, although its imagining of nuclear weapons differs in technical detail from later reality, its anxieties about technological runaway, escalation of war, and global governance remain thought-provoking. While reading, one can compare the novel with the real history of the twentieth-century nuclear age and appreciate how early science fiction helped shape public imagination of technology. Suitable for readers interested in the history of science fiction, Wells's works, and the relationship between technology and society.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in early science fiction history and Wells's works
Readers concerned with nuclear imagination and issues of technological ethics
Readers studying twentieth-century intellectual history and war literature
Science fiction fans accustomed to reading original English works

Not a good fit for

Science fiction fans seeking hardcore technical detail and rigorous worldbuilding
Readers expecting fast-paced plotting and strong character development
Readers impatient with political discussion and lengthy exposition

Reading tips

Learn about the European situation before and after World War I first; the novel's war descriptions will then be more meaningful.
Compare the book's nuclear energy ideas with real nuclear history and note the differences between prediction and reality.
Pay attention to the author's narrator perspective and observe the relationship between discursive passages and plot development.
Read it alongside Wells's other social science fiction to observe the trajectory of his thought.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Are the nuclear weapons predicted in this book consistent with reality?

Not entirely. Wells imagined sustained release of atomic energy and an early form of the atomic bomb; the technical details differ from later fission weapons, but his overall judgment that devastating weapons would transform warfare and the state system was indeed borne out in some sense by twentieth-century history. Reading should focus on the direction of this imagination rather than technical accuracy.

Can someone without a background in science fiction read this book?

Yes, but expectations need adjustment. The book contains much discussion, and plot serves the expression of ideas; it differs considerably from contemporary science fiction storytelling. It is advisable to read the preface or related introductions first to understand Wells's social reform stance and writing context, which will make the main text much smoother.

Do the political ideas in the book have a utopian character?

There is a clear utopian tendency. Wells imagines the old state system collapsing under nuclear threat and humanity moving toward world organization, reflecting his consistent belief in social reform. Readers can treat it as a thought experiment, considering both its insights and its simplification of power and human complexity.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Wells, H. G. (Herbert George), 1866-1946 Author

H. G. Wells (Herbert George, 1866–1946) was a renowned British author best known for his science fiction and socially engaged works. The collection holds 76 of his works, including The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Red Room, and The Door in the Wall, and Other Stories, as well as the historical survey The Outline of History. His science fiction often starts from scientific premises and explores technological loss of control, human weakness, and social crisis, with bold imagination and clear narration; The Outline of History reflects his approachable, well-structured writing for general readers. Public information is limited, so biographical details are not elaborated here, but his works show a mastery of novels, short stories, and popular history, and his influence on later science fiction is profound.