The Shape Of Things To Come (S.F. MASTERWORKS Book 7)

This book is a good read. However, pay close attention to disregard the descriptions that the book tries to sell itself with. This book aged very poorly. H. G. Wells was an avid supporter for a new world order. He believed that not only would it come about, but that the survival of mankind depended upon it.The nature of this book is simply H. G. Well's daydreams about how history should unfold leading up to it. Everything he wrote, however, is frozen in a pre world war two mindset, and the author is unable to break free from it no matter how strongly he tries to. However, it was for this reason that he believed in the new world order that made read the book in the first place. If from that standpoint you read the book, you will certainly enjoy the book. Otherwise, I'm afraid you will certainly be come over by an intense desire to break free from the clutches of boredom and put the book down more often than you find yourself gasping for air.I found this reading amusing at lengths on certain details and thoughts that H. G. Wells wrote which are of worthy note besides of course his view on the new world order.For instance, he envisioned the use of missiles in aerial combat, calling them "aerial torpedoes" since it never had been invented yet. Or how he had fictionally come about this history book of the future through the delirious off hand written notes of a man from the league of nations who would frequently find himself in between a limbo of being awake and asleep, who would always dream of reading a history of future time of a united world and then write what he read down.H. G. Wells had a very unique imagination, an imagination that triumphed in being able to communicate his imagination almost to be understood perfectly just as he sees it in his very own mind. On such a deep level, few authors are able to go so far in translating thoughts to perfection, his only downfall is his poor habit of palavering far too often.On the whole, I would say this book is great. But for those who have little free time, yet when they commit they refuse to not finish a book like myself, I would recommend at least delaying this read until later simply because the pay off is small. This a book that is likely to remain unfinished by most people.

I am a huge Wells fan and looked forward to reading this book However, instead of a compelling Wells story I found a dated Fabian socialist screed. If that isn't boring enough Wells is extremely repetitive. Additionally be today's standard the book is rather Anglo-centric and racist.

This is /not/ a novel telling the same story as the film.This is a textbook from the year 2106 or so, copied manually when seen in a series of dreams, and edited.And it reads like a textbook.That said, the film was clearly based on it, taking a different approach to the topic. Oh, and ending at the start of the final revolt.The future portrayed is … fascinating. Well's picture of WWII is both uncannily similar to the real thing and quite different.The history after that is one of collapse followed by reconstruction. Readers of other books by Wells may have no problems recognizing the ideas used.

Just don't believe the politics. Real life socialism failed because it has to control the entire economy, and the necessary result is tyranny, because every freedom depends on economic freedoms.

If you like old sci-fi you will love this book..starting before ww1 and up through now..how the world changes...great writing and good guess on the future.

A decent, lesser known work by the author that's a little dry in its narrative as a history. An excellent edition of the work.

Not really a novel, it is a meander through future history—what Wells would have liked the world to turn out at. Still working on it; but it's a rewarding slog.

The complete text, with the best cover. Recommended!

Not what I was expecting, I suppose I should have read the description more carefully. Very boring stuff for me, gave up after examining pages through the rest of the book and finding it to be all interpretation of the original.

Quite hard to read, didn't get past the first few chapters.

Happy purchase

good read prescient...

as described