Written on the eve of the First World War, this novel follows the history of scientific discovery from the nineteenth century into the future. Wells imagines the harnessing of atomic energy, first as a source of industrial change and then as a terrible weapon. The book is less a conventional story than a sweeping account of how societies respond to new power, through the lives of scientists, politicians and ordinary people. It is remarkable for anticipating atomic warfare and for its hope of a unified world order.
Quotes
The history of mankind is the history of the attainment of external power.