'It was like a ragged storm-cloud sweeping out the stars. Now and then one returned for a minute, and was lost again. I was now almost frantic with the horror of the coming darkness, and my self-possession deserted me...' between Dickens and Poe'. The bulk of his stories were written early on in his career, at a time when Wells himself declared that 'life bubbled with short stories'. It was also a period that produced some of his best loved masterpieces - The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau and The Invisible Man. stories reveal a wide range of styles and themes. This unique collection gives a flavour of that versatility. Whether your preference is for ghost stories, mystery, humour or tales of alien worlds, there is something here to appeal to every taste.