The Invisible Man

by H.G. Wells

19th CenturyFiction
48,164 words28 chapters~193 min read
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H.G. Wells' 1897 science fiction novel follows Griffin, a scientist who discovers how to make himself invisible but finds himself trapped by his own experiment. As Griffin's isolation drives him to increasingly violent acts, Wells explores the dark consequences of unchecked scientific ambition and social alienation in Victorian England.

Opening lines

The stranger came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow, the last snowfall of the year, over the down, walking from Bramblehurst railway station, and carrying a little black portmanteau in his thickly gloved hand. He was wrapped up from head to foot, and the brim of his soft felt hat hid every inch of his face but the shiny tip of his nose; the snow had piled itself against his shoulders and chest, and added a white crest to the burden he carried. He staggered into the “Coach and Horses” more dead than alive, and flung his portmanteau down. “A fire,” he cried, “in the name of human charity! A room and a fire!” He stamped and shook the snow from off himself in the bar, and followed Mrs. Hall into her guest parlour to strike his bargain. And with that much introduction, that and a couple of sovereigns flung upon the table, he took up his quarters in th
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About H.G. Wells

A visionary British author who lived from 1866 to 1946, this pioneering science fiction writer predicted time travel, alien invasions, and genetic engineering decades before they became scientific possibilities. His imaginative novels like The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds established the foundation of modern science fiction literature. All works by H.G. Wells

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