About this audiobook
This collection of stories by H. G. Wells brings together several sides of his imagination: disturbing possibilities for the future, unusual discoveries, encounters with the unknown and episodes shaped by irony. In the title story, an account of recurring dreams becomes a vision of approaching war. The wish for private happiness collides with events that cannot be kept outside personal life.
Other narratives turn towards the unexpected possibilities of science, dangers in nature and unsettling experiences. Wells begins with a recognisable situation, then introduces a circumstance that changes its meaning. Curiosity may lead to discovery, but understanding does not always provide safety. Seeing something and being able to control it are different achievements.
The short form allows moods to shift from anxiety to humour while retaining an interest in human vulnerability. The collection explores the cost of curiosity, the limits of confidence and futures shaped by the choices people make.