H.G. Wells, Master of Short Stories and Science Fiction

H.G. Wells (Herbert George Wells, 1866–1946) was an English writer who helped shape modern science fiction. He wrote famous novels like The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds, but he also wrote many short stories — and these are some of his most exciting and enjoyable works.

Wells started life in a poor family and worked as a draper’s assistant before studying science under T.H. Huxley, a famous biologist and defender of Darwin’s theory of evolution. This scientific background gave Wells’s fiction a strong mix of real science and imagination.

He was not only a writer but also a thinker who wrote about politics, education, and the future. He believed in progress and dreamed of a better world — though many of his stories also warned about what could go wrong if we misused science. Wells met and debated with famous writers like Henry James, and even Joseph Conrad admired his work. He exchanged letters with Leo Tolstoy and interviewed Stalin in 1934 — though he found the Soviet leader’s answers unimpressive.

His life was full of curiosity, invention, and energy — and that spirit lives on in every page he wrote.

Wells’s short stories are often strange, clever, and full of unexpected twists. Best of all, they are usually only a few pages long — perfect for busy readers, curious minds, and even English learners. You don’t need to read a whole novel to experience his big ideas. These stories are quick to read, easy to follow, and often end with a surprise that makes you think.

Let’s explore some of his most powerful short stories — each one a little window into science, mystery, or human nature.

A Dream of Armageddon

In this story, a man tells about his strange dreams of a future world destroyed by war. The dreams feel real, like memories. It’s a haunting look at future visions, peace vs. power, and how choices can shape history. The story feels modern even today.

I dreamt I was another man, you know, living in a different part of the world and in a different time. I dreamt that night after night. Night after night I woke into that other life. Fresh scenes and fresh happenings — until I came upon the last — ”

A Dream of Armageddon, H. G. WellsOpen book

If you're learning English, we recommend starting with the adapted version of this story.

The Flowering of the Strange Orchid

A man buys a rare orchid, but it starts to grow in a very unusual — and scary — way. This story is a fun mix of botany, suspense, and science gone wrong. It shows how even something beautiful can be dangerous.

“That one ” — he pointed to a shrivelled rhizome — “was not identified. It may be a Palaeonophis — or it may not. It may be a new species, or even a new genus. And it was the last that poor Batten ever collected.”

The Flowering of the Strange Orchid, H. G. WellsOpen book

English learners might enjoy the easier adapted version of this tale.

The Cone

Set in a dark industrial town, this story tells of a visit to a dangerous iron factory — and a secret between two men. It’s more like a thriller than science fiction, with deep emotions and a shocking ending.

Then suddenly the door clicked and closed. They turned their heads, and he started violently back. In the shadow of the room stood a great shadowy figure-silent. They saw the face dimly in the half-light, with unexpressive dark patches under the pent-house brows. Every muscle in Raut’s body suddenly became tense. When could the door have opened? What had he heard? Had he heard all? What had he seen?

The Cone, H. G. WellsOpen book

This story is also available in a simplified version, perfect for ESL readers.

The Door in the Wall

A successful man remembers finding a mysterious green door as a child. Behind it was a peaceful, magical world — but he never returned. This quiet, emotional story is about lost chances, childhood dreams, and the path not taken.

As his memory of that childish experience ran, he did at the very first sight of that door experience a peculiar emotion, an attraction, a desire to get to the door and open it and walk in. And at the same time he had the clearest conviction that either it was unwise or it was wrong of him — he could not tell which — to yield to this attraction.

The Door in the Wall, H. G. WellsOpen book

The Country of the Blind

A man discovers a hidden valley where everyone is blind. He believes he can help them — but they see the world differently. This brilliant tale explores difference, arrogance, and the idea that seeing doesn’t always mean understanding.

Three hundred miles and more from Chimborazo, one hundred from the snows of Cotopaxi, in the wildest wastes of Ecuador’s Andes, there lies that mysterious mountain valley, cut off from the world of men, the Country of the Blind.

The Country of the Blind, H. G. WellsOpen book

The Crystal Egg

In a London shop, a man finds a glowing egg that shows visions of Mars. The story connects to Wells’s later novel The War of the Worlds and asks: What if we’re being watched? It mixes everyday life with cosmic mystery.

It occurred to Mr. Cave that this was not in accordance with the laws of optics as he had known them in his younger days. He could understand the rays being refracted by the crystal and coming to a focus in its interior, but this diffusion jarred with his physical conceptions. He approached the crystal nearly, peering into it and round it, with a transient revival of the scientific curiosity that in his youth had determined his choice of a calling. He was surprised to find the light not steady, but writhing within the substance of the egg, as though that object was a hollow sphere of some luminous vapour.

The Crystal Egg, H. G. WellsOpen book

The Stolen Body

Two researchers try astral projection — separating the spirit from the body. But something goes wrong. This short tale is a creepy mix of science and the supernatural, showing how curious minds can get into serious trouble.

Their experiments were conducted in the following manner: At a pre-arranged hour Mr. Bessel shut himself in one of his rooms in the Albany and Mr. Vincey in his sitting-room in Staple Inn, and each then fixed his mind as resolutely as possible on the other. Mr. Bessel had acquired the art of self-hypnotism, and, so far as he could, he attempted first to hypnotise himself and then to project himself as a “phantom of the living” across the intervening space

The Stolen Body, H. G. WellsOpen book

The Star

A new star appears in the sky — and heads toward Earth. People panic, but the ending isn’t what you expect. This cosmic story reminds us how small we are in the universe, and how big events can bring out fear, wonder, and hope.

On the third day of the new year the newspaper readers of two hemispheres were made aware for the first time of the real importance of this unusual apparition in the heavens. “A Planetary Collision,” one London paper headed the news, and proclaimed Duchaine’s opinion that this strange new planet would probably collide with Neptune. The leader writers enlarged upon the topic. So that in most of the capitals of the world, on January 3rd, there was an expectation, however vague of some imminent phenomenon in the sky;

The Star, H. G. WellsOpen book

What About His Famous Novels?

Wells is best known for these three books:

The Time Machine – A traveler builds a machine that takes him far into the future, where he meets strange beings called Morlocks and Eloi. This novel introduced the idea of time travel as science, not magic — and it asks deep questions about human progress and class division.

The Invisible Man – A scientist discovers how to make himself invisible, but things quickly go wrong. It’s a mix of science fiction and psychological horror, exploring how power and isolation can change a person.

The War of the Worlds – Martians land on Earth and begin destroying everything in their path with heat rays and giant machines. This was one of the first alien invasion stories ever written, and it makes us think about survival, technology, and how humans react to fear.

These novels are amazing, but they take more time to read. If you want to start small, Wells’s short stories are the perfect way in.

Why You Should Read His Short Stories

H.G. Wells’s short stories are a great way to explore classic science fiction without needing a lot of time. Each one is short and easy to follow, even if you're still learning English. They often start with something simple — a man in a shop, a strange plant, or a new star in the sky — but quickly turn into something surprising or mysterious.

These stories are full of imagination and big ideas, but they’re also fun to read. You never know what will happen next, and many of them end with a twist that makes you think. Best of all, you can enjoy an entire story in one sitting — whether on a lunch break, before bed, or as part of a reading routine.

Even though H.G. Wells wrote more than 100 years ago, his stories still feel fresh, exciting, and meaningful today. If you’re curious about science, human nature, or the unknown, his short stories are a perfect place to start.

Start with any story above and discover the joy of classic sci-fi in just one sitting.