A terrifying science fiction thriller which has been the basis for movies and at least one TV series, the Invisible Man tells of the scientist Griffin who discovers the secret of making himself invisible.  Like many of the H G Well's novels, the dark side of science is laid bare as we follow Griffin's plunge into despair, intrigue, murder and mayhem.  The novel begins in otherwise familiar and comfortable surroundings, a warm and hospitable Inn on a cold and wintry February day.

Science fiction and H G Wells go hand-in-hand.  The Invisible Man and The War of The Worlds are probably his best-known works.

Are there any novels by H.G. Wells that haven't been made into movies?  Burt Lancaster stars in a 1977 release of the island of doctor moreau.

Given the curent controversies raging around stem cell research, perhaps those that are against 'meddling' with nature are taking Well's cautionary tale of the mad scientist Dr. Moreau's genetic experiments to heart!  Bizarre experiments on animals turning them into semi-humans are exposed when a ship-wrecked mariner Braddock stumbles onto the island.  He is horrified by what he finds and determines to stop the madness - but first he has to ward off an army of grotesque humanimals.

Could the Island of Doctor Moreau have been the inspiration behind the X-men series?

The War of the Worlds is, of course Well's best known work - but this brief tale indicates that H.G. Wells had more than a passing interest in the red planet.  Without giving too much away, the artifact that is the subject of the title would not seem too extraordinary today but this brilliant prediction of robotic planetary exploration would seem fantastic in the early twentieth century.

Quatermass and The Pit, a BBC televison science-fiction play that appeared in the late fifities, may have been inspired by this little gem of a narrative