The World Set Free

by H. G. Wells, Golden Quill Classics (Editor)

Overview

He imagined atomic bombs decades before they became reality. The World Set Free (1914), by H. G. Wells, is a visionary science fiction novel that predicted the dawn of nuclear power and its shattering impact on civilization. The story explores a future where scientists unlock the destructive force of atomic energy. What begins as a triumph of human ingenuity quickly spirals into global catastrophe, as cities are devastated by unstoppable weapons of unprecedented power. Out of the ashes, humanity faces a choice: continue down the path of annihilation, or rebuild a world guided by peace and reason. Far more than a tale of destruction, Wells' novel is a meditation on science, responsibility, and the potential for both ruin and renewal. Written decades before the Manhattan Project, its uncanny accuracy makes it one of the most extraordinary works of speculative fiction ever created. A chilling yet hopeful vision, The World Set Free remains a timeless warning about the consequences of discovery without wisdom. 👉 Click "Buy Now" and experience H. G. Wells' prophetic tale of atomic power and humanity's future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9782387170842
Publisher:	Golden Quill Classics
Publication date:	09/12/2025
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	170
File size:	490 KB

About the Author

H.G. Wells (1866–1946) is best known today as author of pioneering scientific romances such as The Time Machine(1895), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898). An influence on sf authors from Olaf Stapledon to Arthur C. Clarke, he was also a social critic and futurist who penned dozens of novels, stories, and works of history and social commentary in which he proposed more rational ways to organize society.

Date of Birth:

September 21, 1866

Date of Death:

August 13, 1946

Place of Birth:

Bromley, Kent, England

Place of Death:

London, England

Education:

Normal School of Science, London, England

Table of Contents

Series Foreword ix
Introduction: A Crash Louder Than Thunder xv
Sarah Cole
Preface xxv

Prelude: The Sun Snares 1
1 The New Source of Energy 25
2 The Last War 63
3 The Ending of War 113
4 The New Phase 163
5 The Last Days of Marcus Karenin 207

Afterword: Shall We Play a Game? 243
Joshua Glenn

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“The World Set Free is a crucial novel in Wells’s amazing effort, and it’s great to see it in a new edition.”
—Kim Stanley Robinson, author of The Ministry for the Future

“A breathless story of great wars of World Powers, of hovering aeroplanes with atomic bombs, and of peace between Kings in a World Council.” 
—Sinclair Lewis, Detroit Free Press (1914)

“The color, vigor, and picturesqueness of Mr. Wells’s description of this last war combine to produce an amazing effect.”
—The New York Times (1914)
 
“The World Set Free is not so much fiction as a forecast of a quite improbable future.”
—The Bookman (1914)

Editorial Reviews

"The World Set Free, with its predictions of aerial warfare, atomic bombs, and international peace conferences, takes first place in the Nostradamus sweepstakes for those who prefer their science fiction to be predictive."
—Los Angeles Review of Books

From the Publisher