The Early Fiction of H. G. Wells

The Early Fiction of H. G. Wells

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The Early Fiction of H. G. Wells Fantasies of Science Steven McLean

Steven McLean, 2009 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2009 978-0-230-53562-6 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6-10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2009 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin's Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave and Macmillan are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-35842-7 ISBN 978-0-230-23663-9 (ebook) DOI 10.1057/9780230236639 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McLean, Steven, 1973 The early fiction of H.G. Wells : fantasies of science / Steven McLean. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Wells, H. G. (Herbert George), 1866 1946 Knowledge Science. 2. Science fiction, English History and criticism. 3. Literature and science Great Britain History 19th century. 4. Fantasy in literature. I. Title. PR5778.S35M35 2009 8239.912 dc22 2008050876 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09

To Caiden and The Discovery of the Future

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Contents Acknowledgements viii 1 Introduction 1 Part I Misadventures in a Post-Darwinian Universe 2 Heart of Darkness: The Time Machine and Retrogression 11 3 An Infernally Rum Place : The Island of Doctor Moreau and Degeneration 41 Part II Science and Society 4 Science behind the Blinds: Scientist and Society in The Invisible Man 65 5 The Descent of Mars: Evolution and Ethics in The War of the Worlds 89 Part III Towards the Shaping of Humanity 6 Science is a Match that Man Has Just Got Alight : Science and Social Organisation in The First Men in the Moon 117 7 The Limits of a Sociological Holiday: Social Progress in A Modern Utopia 151 8 Conclusion 189 Notes 193 Bibliography 222 Index 233 vii

Acknowledgements My principal intellectual debt in the gestation and completion of this book is to Professor Sally Shuttleworth (now of the University of Oxford) who, as my doctoral supervisor, first encouraged me to investigate the interconnections between Wells s scientific romances and the discourses of contemporary science. Indeed, many of Professor Shuttleworth s earlier observations have proven invaluable in transforming my PhD into the monograph which follows. Professor Patrick Parrinder, of the University of Reading, examined an earlier version of this book as a PhD thesis and has continued to encourage and inspire my interest in Wells. Dr Richard Steadman-Jones, the second examiner of my PhD, earnestly encouraged me to develop my thesis into a monograph. I would also like to express my gratitude to Dr Simon J. James, of the University of Durham, for reading chapter drafts at various stages and giving me the benefit of his expertise. I wish to thank Professor David C. Smith, of the University of Maine, who read my manuscript for Palgrave Macmillan and recommended its publication. Dr Richard Canning supported the early stages of my doctoral research, and I record my appreciation here. I express my gratitude to Professor Ann Heilmann, of the University of Hull, for her vigorous support and for her suggestions regarding the introduction to this book. I am indebted to Dr John Bolland, formerly of Manchester Metropolitan University, the very first person to encourage me to write on Wells. Similarly, Dr Nick Cox, now of Leeds Metropolitan University, not only supported my early academic studies but also was instrumental in encouraging me to undertake postgraduate work. I wish to thank staff at the University of Sheffield Library, particularly those in the Document Supply Unit. I am similarly indebted to staff at Sheffield Central Library. I would like to acknowledge the support I have received from the members of the H. G. Wells Society. While it is not possible to mention everyone here, some I must not omit. Dr John Hammond, the founder of the Society and author of several important studies on Wells, has been both an inspiration and an unceasing source of encouragement. Professor Bernard Loing, Dr Sylvia Hardy, Mark Egerton, Paul Allen and John Green (as well as Patrick Parrinder) have all supported my Wellsian endeavours, as did the late Giles Hart and Peter Lonsdale. viii

Acknowledgements ix I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the editorial staff at Palgrave Macmillan. In particular, I thank Paula Kennedy for commissioning this book and Christabel Scaife and Steven Hall for their helpful efficiency. Throughout the time it has taken to complete this project, I have been blessed with the friendship and support of the following individuals: Rodney Polydore (a steadfast friend), Dong-Uk (Martin) Kim (a scholar and a gentleman), Wendy Halsall, Judith Jones, David Dickin, Susan Shackford, Jane Allan-Brown and Anna Pluta. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my deep gratitude to my parents, Margaret and John, and to my sisters, Grace, Shona and Sarah. I wish to thank my brother in law Jamie Macaskill and Sarah s partner, Luke Hardy. Of course, I should also like to mention my nephew Caiden, to whom this book is faithfully dedicated. An extract from Chapter 3 was originally published in The Undying Fire: Journal of the H. G. Wells Society, the Americas; an earlier version of Chapter 4 appeared in Cahiers Victoriens Et Edourdiens and extracts of Chapter 7 appeared in Papers on Language and Literature. Thanks are due to these publications for permission to reprint. There is a possibility that the cover illustration was by C. R. Ashbee, though this is by no means certain. I wish to thank the Ashbee family for their assistance in this respect. Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked, the publisher will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.