In the days of the comet. by H.G. Wells ...
H. G. Wells (1866 - 1946)
Category
Books
Date
1906
Materials
Place of origin
London
Collection
Quarry Bank, Cheshire
NT 3217582
Caption
In the Days of the Comet is a science-fiction novel set in the future. The narrator tells the story of how a passing comet brings about a dramatic change in human behaviour. ‘The great Change has come for evermore, happiness and beauty are our atmosphere, there is peace on earth and good will to all men.’ After the comet passes, people get along without fighting and nations put aside their differences in favour of working together. In the book, an imminent war between Britain and Germany is averted as a result of the change. Wells’ prediction of a potential war between these two nations, eight years before the outbreak of WW1, is interesting. While Wells was often able to predict future events with some accuracy (he foresaw the invention of aeroplanes, tanks, space travel, and even the world wide web), this book might well reveal how war in Europe seemed inevitable to people at the time. Wells was undoubtedly inspired to write this story by the discovery of a new comet in 1904. Only four years later, in 1910, comets were again in the news. In uncanny similarity to this story, a new comet, ‘the daylight comet’, suddenly appeared in the sky, confusing scientists and observers, who were waiting the return of Halley’s comet months later. When it did arrive, Halley’s comet passed closer to earth than it had previously, with earth moving through the comet’s tail. Some astronomers predicted that this would cause changes to the Earth’s atmosphere, just as happens in the book. Their predictions of how this would affect humanity however were not as positive as Wells’, leading to a mass panic with countless people buying gas masks and anti-comet pills.
Summary
Bibliographic description
viii, 305, [11] p. ;. 20 cm. Provenance: Blue oval rubber stamp on flyleaf and half-title: `Styal Village Club Library'. Old no. 243. Old NT inventory number at rear: `805'. Binding: Publisher's case, covered in green cloth, with gold lettering and embossed patterns on spine and front cover. Label on spine with shelf no. in ink.
Makers and roles
H. G. Wells (1866 - 1946)