A review by mpclemens
The Door in the Wall and Other Stories by H.G. Wells

4.0

Who knew H.G. Wells wrote noir? He's celebrated for [b:The War of the Worlds|8909|The War of the Worlds|H.G. Wells|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320391644s/8909.jpg|3194841], [b:The Time Machine|2493|The Time Machine|H.G. Wells|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327942880s/2493.jpg|3234863] and other foundational works of what was to become Science Fiction, but these stories show a side of Wells I'd never encountered before. Still florid and descriptive, with the occasional section of occasional (and unfortunate) racism, these stories round out Wells as an author truly ahead of his time. "The Cone" would not be out of place as a the plot of a 1940's film of jealousy and murder, though it was written nearly 50 years prior. There's elements of fantasy in these stories, and the standard touches of Wellsian futurism and technology, but none of it so far-fetched that it affects its readability. A very pleasant surprise.