The Star by H. G. Wells Episode #206
H. G. Wells | May 3, 2024-
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The Star by H. G. Wells Episode #206
H. G. Wells
THE STAR
Episode #206 · Written by H. G. Wells · Narrated by Scott Miller
The Star begins with a small scientific anomaly: the motion of a distant planet no longer behaves as it should. Astronomers soon discover a massive object entering the solar system, and its growing brilliance becomes visible even to those who know nothing of astronomy.
As the object approaches, Wells shifts the focus from observatories to streets, homes, churches, and ships at sea. Humanity reacts in fragments. Some people fear divine judgment, others mock scientific warnings, and many cling to routine. The story unfolds as a global moment, showing how different cultures interpret the same cosmic event.
Rather than centering on a single hero, Wells presents a panoramic view of civilization facing forces beyond its control. Science provides understanding, but not comfort. Knowledge arrives faster than certainty, and insight does not grant power over the outcome.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
H. G. Wells was a pioneer of science fiction who believed the genre should engage seriously with science and society. Educated under biologist T. H. Huxley, he brought evolutionary thinking and scientific realism into his fiction.
Wells wrote during a period of rapid technological change, and many of his stories question whether intelligence guarantees wisdom. In The Star, he explores cosmic indifference, reminding readers that human history may be insignificant on a universal scale. The story remains striking for its clarity, scope, and refusal to offer false reassurance.
LISTEN TO THE STORY
Listen to The Star by H. G. Wells — a landmark of classic science fiction where astronomy reveals humanity’s fragile place in the universe.
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H. G. WELLS SHORT STORIES
Few writers stand at the true beginning of classic science fiction the way H. G. Wells does.
Before rockets filled magazine covers and robots stalked chrome cities, Wells was already tearing holes in reality. He sent men tumbling into parallel dimensions, opened doors to lost childhood Edens, hurled wandering stars toward Earth, and let ordinary shopkeepers toy with godlike power. His stories feel startlingly modern, yet they carry the sharp Victorian edge of a writer who understood both scientific possibility and human frailty.
On The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast we’ve explored the astonishing breadth of his shorter fiction. In The Star, a rogue celestial body drifts toward Earth, and the quiet calculations of astronomers collide with the terror of a watching world. The Crystal Egg offers a glimpse across space itself, peering toward Mars through an object no one fully understands. The Plattner Story thrusts a chemistry teacher into an inverted universe where left becomes right and life hangs by a thread.
Wells could be playful and unsettling in the same breath. The Man Who Could Work Miracles hands unlimited power to a very limited man—with chaotic results. The Door in the Wall tempts a statesman with a green door that leads to wonder, beauty, and regret. A Moth narrows its focus to a single, maddening presence that chips away at a rational mind.
And then there is the darker current running beneath his work. The Red Room traps us in a chamber where fear itself becomes the antagonist. The Sea Raiders drags something ancient and intelligent from the ocean depths onto the quiet shores of England. Whether gazing at the cosmos or listening for footsteps in a lonely house, Wells never lost sight of the human reaction to the unknown. Explore the stories below and return to the wellspring of vintage science fiction.
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The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast is the most listened-to vintage science fiction podcast in the world. Ranked the #1 Science Fiction Podcast in 43 countries and heard in more than 190 countries, the show has surpassed 4.2 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.
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