menu

Lost Sci-Fi

chevron_right

The Crystal Egg by H. G. Wells Episode #356

H. G. Wells | April 5, 2025
  • play_circle_filled

    The Crystal Egg by H. G. Wells Episode #356
    H. G. Wells

THE CRYSTAL EGG

Episode #356 · Written by H. G. Wells · Narrated by Scott Miller

Hidden among stuffed animals, bones, and curiosities in a small London shop sits a polished crystal egg. At first glance, it seems little more than an unusual ornament. But under precise conditions, it begins to glow, revealing something structured, distant, and astonishingly consistent.

The owner, a weary and isolated man, discovers that the crystal offers more than light. Within it lies a moving landscape, filled with unfamiliar forms, vast architecture, and a sense of intelligent order. Each viewing sharpens his attachment, until the visions become the most vivid part of his life.

The crystal does not merely show a scene. It suggests observation, symmetry, and connection. The world inside appears governed by laws, perspective, and purpose. And as the watcher grows more absorbed, it becomes clear that the act of seeing may not be one-sided.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

H. G. Wells helped define science fiction as a serious literary form. Writing at the turn of the twentieth century, he combined scientific speculation with social insight, often placing extraordinary ideas inside ordinary lives.

Wells believed fiction should challenge assumptions, not simply entertain. His stories examine how discovery alters identity, responsibility, and power. In The Crystal Egg, he presents wonder without spectacle, using restraint to make the impossible feel quietly inevitable.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to The Crystal Egg by H. G. Wells — a vintage science fiction classic where a mysterious object reveals a hidden world beyond human sight.

ABOUT THE LOST SCI-FI PODCAST

The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast is the most listened-to vintage science fiction podcast in the world. Ranked the #1 Science Fiction Podcast in 34 countries and heard in more than 190 countries, the show has surpassed 3.3 million listens.

Each episode features carefully selected stories from the Golden Age of science fiction, professionally narrated. Timeless storytelling the way it was meant to be heard.

What listeners are saying:

★★★★★ “I don’t remember how exactly I found this podcast, but I fell in love with it right away, probably after the first two paragraphs of the narrated story I listened to first. I have a rather big list of podcasts I’m subscribed to, but whenever I see an update from the Lost Sci-Fi, it immediately gets to the first position in my listening queue. Great selection of SciFi works, unparalleled narration where everything only adds up to creating a very enjoyable listening experience: the narrator’s deep and clear voice, just the right speed of the narration, and a perfect balance between narrating and voice acting.”
— ThatsMeMomLetMeIn

★★★★★ “Excellent Podcast. Thank for bringing these wonderful stories from the Golden Age of Sci Fi to life. Please keep doing what you are doing.”
— NJ Short Story Fan

Vintage science fiction. Professionally narrated. Carefully curated.

📬 JOIN LOST SCI-FI WEEKLY

28,000+ Listeners Can’t Be Wrong

Get vintage sci-fi stories, podcast episodes, and surprises every Monday.

FREE SCI-FI EVERY WEEK

✅ Check your email and confirm — that unlocks your free sci-fi downloads.

No spam in this galaxy. You can eject anytime.





  • cover play_circle_filled

    01. Lancelot Biggs Master Navigator
    Nelson S. Bond

  • cover play_circle_filled

    02. The Day The Monsters Broke Loose
    Robert Silverberg

  • cover play_circle_filled

    03. Hide and Seek
    Arthur C. Clarke

  • cover play_circle_filled

    04. Two Black Bottles
    H. P. Lovecraft

  • cover play_circle_filled

    05. Don’t Look Now
    Henry Kuttner

  • cover play_circle_filled

    06. Cosmic Tragedy
    Thomas S. Gardiner

  • cover play_circle_filled

    07. The Broken Axiom
    Alfred Bester

  • cover play_circle_filled

    08. Gambler's Asteroid
    Manly Wade Wellman

  • cover play_circle_filled

    09. Process
    A. E. van Vogt

  • cover play_circle_filled

    10. The Old Timer
    Richard R. Smith

  • cover play_circle_filled

    11. Dead Man's Planet
    Russ Winterbotham

  • cover play_circle_filled

    12. The Secret Flight of Friendship Eleven
    Alfred Connable

  • cover play_circle_filled

    01. Welcome to LostSciFi.com

  • cover play_circle_filled

    02. The Madness of Lancelot Biggs by Nelson S. Bond

  • cover play_circle_filled

    03. Don't Look Now by Henry Kuttner

  • cover play_circle_filled

    04. Poor Little Warrior by Brian W. Aldiss

  • cover play_circle_filled

    05. The Life–Work of Professor Muntz by Murray Leinster

  • cover play_circle_filled

    06. The Black Ewe by Fritz Leiber

  • cover play_circle_filled

    07. A Walk in the Dark by Arthur C. Clarke

  • cover play_circle_filled

    08. Time Enough At Last by Lynn Venable

  • cover play_circle_filled

    09. Duel on Syrtis by Poul Anderson

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Peacemaker by Alan E. Nourse Episode #483
    Alan E. Nourse

  • cover play_circle_filled

    The Big Tick by Ross Rocklynne Episode #482
    Ross Rocklynne

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Thompson’s Cat by Robert Moore Williams Episode #481
    Robert Moore Williams

  • cover play_circle_filled

    The Worlds of Joe Shannon by Frank M. Robinson Episode #480
    Frank M. Robinson

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Some Like It Cold by Dave Dryfoos Episode #479
    Dave Dryfoos

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Time Trap by Frank Belknap Long Episode #478
    Frank Belknap Long

  • cover play_circle_filled

    The Invader by Alfred Coppel Episode #477
    Alfred Coppel

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Electronic Landslide by Clyde Hostetter Episode #476
    Clyde Hostetter

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Keepers of the House by Lester Del Rey Episode #475
    Lester Del Rey

  • cover play_circle_filled

    We’re Off to Mars by Joe Gibson Episode #474
    Joe Gibson

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Last Resort by Stephen Bartholomew Episode #473
    Stephen Bartholomew

  • cover play_circle_filled

    They Reached for the Moon by William Oberfield Episode #472
    William Oberfield

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Death Walks on Mars by Alan J. Ramm Episode #471
    Alan J. Ramm

  • cover play_circle_filled

    An Eye for the Ladies by Milton Lesser Episode #470
    Milton Lesser

  • cover play_circle_filled

    The Wounded by Philip José Farmer Episode #469
    Philip José Farmer

play_arrow skip_previous skip_next volume_down
playlist_play