Men Who Could Work Miracles: The Tragicomedy of Wellsian Science Fiction

The scientific experiments in the early Wells remind us of nothing so much as the attempts of George McWhirter Fotheringay, the bar-room philosopher in Wells' comic fable 'The Man who could work Miracles' (1898), to change the world in ways that would be more to his liking. [...]they...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFoundation (Dagenham) Vol. 46; no. 127; p. 33
Main Author Parrinder, Patrick
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Dagenham Science Fiction Foundation 01.01.2017
Subjects
19th century
British & Irish literature
English literature
Fiction
Folklore
Food
Gothic fiction
Heroism & heroes
Inventors
Laboratories
Literary characters
Literary criticism
Literary devices
Literary influences
Literature
Logic
Men
Narrative techniques
Orwell, George (Eric Blair) (1903-1950)
Science fiction & fantasy
Scientists
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft (1797-1851)
Society
Tone
Traditions
Tragicomedy
Wells, H G (1866-1946)
Writers
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Summary:The scientific experiments in the early Wells remind us of nothing so much as the attempts of George McWhirter Fotheringay, the bar-room philosopher in Wells' comic fable 'The Man who could work Miracles' (1898), to change the world in ways that would be more to his liking. [...]they are descended from the protagonists of earlier fantastic literature, written before the word 'scientist' was invented. First one animal trait, then another, creeps to the surface and stares out at me. [...] [...]the opening of The Food of the Gods is, once again, cast in what was becoming Wells' typical comic manner, with its 'indulgently avuncular tone' and 'belittling process of characterisation' (Haynes 1980: 18-19). [...]we learn that, for all his intellectual distinction, Mr Bensington is a short, bald man, plagued with corns, and an inaudible lecturer.
ISSN:0306-4964