The Science Fiction Collection. 15+ Sci-Fi Books Read online




  The Science Fiction Collection. 15+ Sci-Fi Books:

  Ray Bradbury The Monster Maker, Rocket Summer, Isaac Asimov Youth, E.M. Forster Machine Stops, Orwell 1984 and others

  Contents:

  Ray Bradbury A Little Journey

  Ray Bradbury Zero Hour

  Ray Bradbury Morgue Ship

  Ray Bradbury Lazarus Come Forth

  Ray Bradbury Jonah of the Jove-Run

  Ray Bradbury Defense Mech

  Ray Bradbury Rocket Summer

  Ray Bradbury The Monster Maker

  Ray Bradbury Asleep in Armageddon

  Isaac Asimov Youth

  E.M. Forster The Machine Stops

  George Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four

  Robert Louis Stevenson The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

  Arthur Machen The Great God Pan

  Arthur Conan Doyle The Lost World

  Edwin A. Abbott Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions

  Jules Verne A Journey to the Interior of the Earth

  H. G. Wells The Island of Doctor Moreau

  H. G. Wells The Invisible Man

  H. G. Wells Time Machine

  H. G. Wells The War of the Worlds

  Table of Contents

  Ray Bradbury A LITTLE JOURNEY

  ZERO HOUR

  MORGUE SHIP

  LAZARUS COME FORTH

  JONAH OF THE JOVE-RUN

  DEFENSE MECH

  ROCKET SUMMER

  THE MONSTER MAKER

  ASLEEP IN ARMAGEDDON

  Isaac Asimov YOUTH

  E.M. Forster THE MACHINE STOPS I THE AIR-SHIP

  II THE MENDING APPARATUS

  III THE HOMELESS

  George Orwell NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR Part One Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Part Two Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Part Three Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Robert Louis Stevenson THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE Story of the Door

  Search for Mr. Hyde

  Dr. Jekyll Was Quite at Ease

  The Carew Murder Case

  Incident of the Letter

  Incident of Dr. Lanyon

  Incident at the Window

  The Last Night

  Dr. Lanyon's Narrative

  Henry Jekyll's Full Statement of the Case

  Arthur Machen THE GREAT GOD PAN I. THE EXPERIMENT

  II. MR. CLARKE'S MEMOIRS

  III. THE CITY OF RESURRECTIONS

  IV. THE DISCOVERY IN PAUL STREET

  V. THE LETTER OF ADVICE

  VI. THE SUICIDES

  VII. THE ENCOUNTER IN SOHO

  VIII. THE FRAGMENTS

  Arthur Conan Doyle THE LOST WORLD Chapter I. „There Are Heroisms All Round Us“

  Chapter II. „Try Your Luck with Professor Challenger“

  Chapter III. „He is a Perfectly Impossible Person“

  Chapter IV. "It's Just the very Biggest Thing in the World"

  Chapter V. „Question!“

  Chapter VI. „I was the Flail of the Lord“

  Chapter VII. „To-morrow we Disappear into the Unknown“

  Chapter VIII. „The Outlying Pickets of the New World“

  Chapter IX. „Who could have Foreseen it?“

  Chapter X. „The most Wonderful Things have Happened“

  Chapter XI. „For once I was the Hero“

  Chapter XII. „It was Dreadful in the Forest“

  Chapter XIII. „A Sight which I shall Never Forget“

  Chapter XIV. „Those Were the Real Conquests“

  Chapter XV. „Our Eyes have seen Great Wonders“

  Chapter XVI. „A Procession! A Procession!“

  Edwin A. Abbott FLATLAND: A ROMANCE OF MANY DIMENSIONS PART I: THIS WORLD “Be patient, for the world is broad and wide.” Section 1. Of the Nature of Flatland

  Section 2. Of the Climate and Houses in Flatland

  Section 3. Concerning the Inhabitants of Flatland

  Section 4. Concerning the Women

  Section 5. Of our Methods of Recognizing one another

  Section 6. Of Recognition by Sight

  Section 7. Concerning Irregular Figures

  Section 8. Of the Ancient Practice of Painting

  Section 9. Of the Universal Colour Bill

  Section 10. Of the Suppression of the Chromatic Sedition

  Section 11. Concerning our Priests

  Section 12. Of the Doctrine of our Priests

  PART II: OTHER WORLDS “O brave new worlds, that have such people in them!” Section 13. How I had a Vision of Lineland

  Section 14. How I vainly tried to explain the nature of Flatland

  Section 15. Concerning a Stranger from Spaceland

  Section 16. How the Stranger vainly endeavoured to reveal to me in words the mysteries of Spaceland

  Section 17. How the Sphere, having in vain tried words, resorted to deeds

  Section 18. How I came to Spaceland, and what I saw there

  Section 19. How, though the Sphere shewed me other mysteries of Spaceland, I still desired more; and what came of it

  Section 20. How the Sphere encouraged me in a Vision

  Section 21. How I tried to teach the Theory of Three Dimensions to my Grandson, and with what success

  Section 22. How I then tried to diffuse the Theory of Three Dimensions by other means, and of the result

  Jules Verne A JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH PREFACE

  CHAPTER I. THE PROFESSOR AND HIS FAMILY

  CHAPTER II. A MYSTERY TO BE SOLVED AT ANY PRICE

  CHAPTER III. THE RUNIC WRITING EXERCISES THE PROFESSOR

  CHAPTER IV. THE ENEMY TO BE STARVED INTO SUBMISSION

  CHAPTER V. FAMINE, THEN VICTORY, FOLLOWED BY DISMAY

  CHAPTER VI. EXCITING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT AN UNPARALLELED ENTERPRISE

  CHAPTER VII. A WOMAN'S COURAGE

  CHAPTER VIII. SERIOUS PREPARATIONS FOR VERTICAL DESCENT

  CHAPTER IX. ICELAND! BUT WHAT NEXT?

  CHAPTER X. INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS WITH ICELANDIC SAVANTS

  CHAPTER XI. A GUIDE FOUND TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH

  CHAPTER XII. A BARREN LAND

  CHAPTER XIII. HOSPITALITY UNDER THE ARCTIC CIRCLE

  CHAPTER XIV. BUT ARCTICS CAN BE INHOSPITABLE, TOO

  CHAPTER XV. SNÆFELL AT LAST

  CHAPTER XVI. BOLDLY DOWN THE CRATER

  CHAPTER XVII. VERTICAL DESCENT

  CHAPTER XVIII. THE WONDERS OF TERRESTRIAL DEPTHS

  CHAPTER XIX. GEOLOGICAL STUDIES IN SITU

  CHAPTER XX. THE FIRST SIGNS OF DISTRESS

  CHAPTER XXI. COMPASSION FUSES THE PROFESSOR'S HEART

  CHAPTER XXII. TOTAL FAILURE OF WATER

  CHAPTER XXIII. WATER DISCOVERED

  CHAPTER XXIV. WELL SAID, OLD MOLE! CANST THOU WORK I' THE GROUND SO FAST?

  CHAPTER XXV. DE PROFUNDIS

  CHAPTER XXVI. THE WORST PERIL OF ALL

  CHAPTER XXVII. LOST IN THE BOWELS OF THE EARTH

  CHAPTER XXVIII. THE RESCUE IN THE WHISPERING GALLERY

  CHAPTER XXIX. THALATTA! THALATTA!

  CHAPTER XXX. A NEW MARE INTERNUM

  CHAPTER XXXI. PREPARATIONS FOR A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY

  CHAPTER XXXII. WONDERS OF THE DEEP

  CHAPTER XXXIII. A BATTLE OF MONSTERS

  CHAPTER XXXIV. THE GREAT GEYSER

  CHAPTER XXXV. AN ELECTRIC STORM

  CHAPTER XXXVI. CALM PHILOSOPHIC DISCUSSIONS

  CHAPTER XXXVII. THE LIEDENBROCK MUSEUM OF GEOLOGY

  CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE PROFESSOR IN HIS CHAIR AGAIN

  CHAPTER XXXIX. FOREST SCENERY ILLUMINATED BY ELECTRICITY

  CHAPTER XL. PREPARATIONS FOR BLASTING A PASSAGE TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH

  CHAPTER XLI. THE GREAT EXPLOSION AND THE RUSH DOWN BELOW

  CHAPTER XLII. HEADLONG SPEED UPWARD THROUGH THE HORRORS OF DARKNESS

  CHAPTER XLIII. SHOT OUT OF A VOLCANO AT LAST!

  CHAPTER XLIV. SUNNY LANDS IN THE BLUE MEDITERRANEAN

  CHAPTER XLV. ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

  H. G. Wells THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU INTRODUCTION.

  I. IN THE DINGEY OF THE “LADY VAIN.”

  II. THE MAN WHO WAS GOING NOWHERE.

  III. THE STRANGE FACE.

  IV. AT THE SCHOONER'S RAIL.

  V. THE MAN WHO HAD NOWHERE TO GO.

  VI. THE EVIL-LOOKING BOATMEN.

  VII. THE LOCKED DOOR.

  VIII. THE CRYING OF THE PUMA.

  IX. THE THING IN THE FOREST.

  X. THE CRYING OF THE MAN.

  XI. THE HUNTING OF THE MAN.

  XII. THE SAYERS OF THE LAW.

  XIII. A PARLEY.

  XIV. DOCTOR MOREAU EXPLAINS.

  XV. CONCERNING THE BEAST FOLK.

/>   XVI. HOW THE BEAST FOLK TASTE BLOOD.

  XVII. A CATASTROPHE.

  XVIII. THE FINDING OF MOREAU.

  XIX. MONTGOMERY'S “BANK HOLIDAY.”

  XX. ALONE WITH THE BEAST FOLK.

  XXI. THE REVERSION OF THE BEAST FOLK.

  XXII. THE MAN ALONE.

  THE INVISIBLE MAN CHAPTER I THE STRANGE MAN'S ARRIVAL

  CHAPTER II MR. TEDDY HENFREY'S FIRST IMPRESSIONS

  CHAPTER III THE THOUSAND AND ONE BOTTLES

  CHAPTER IV MR. CUSS INTERVIEWS THE STRANGER

  CHAPTER V THE BURGLARY AT THE VICARAGE

  CHAPTER VI THE FURNITURE THAT WENT MAD

  CHAPTER VII THE UNVEILING OF THE STRANGER

  CHAPTER VIII IN TRANSIT

  CHAPTER IX MR. THOMAS MARVEL

  CHAPTER X MR. MARVEL'S VISIT TO IPING

  CHAPTER XI IN THE "COACH AND HORSES"

  CHAPTER XII THE INVISIBLE MAN LOSES HIS TEMPER

  CHAPTER XIII MR. MARVEL DISCUSSES HIS RESIGNATION

  CHAPTER XIV AT PORT STOWE

  CHAPTER XV THE MAN WHO WAS RUNNING

  CHAPTER XVI IN THE "JOLLY CRICKETERS"

  CHAPTER XVII DR. KEMP'S VISITOR

  CHAPTER XVIII THE INVISIBLE MAN SLEEPS

  CHAPTER XIX CERTAIN FIRST PRINCIPLES

  CHAPTER XX AT THE HOUSE IN GREAT PORTLAND STREET

  CHAPTER XXI IN OXFORD STREET

  CHAPTER XXII IN THE EMPORIUM

  CHAPTER XXIII IN DRURY LANE

  CHAPTER XXIV THE PLAN THAT FAILED

  CHAPTER XXV THE HUNTING OF THE INVISIBLE MAN

  CHAPTER XXVI THE WICKSTEED MURDER

  CHAPTER XXVII THE SIEGE OF KEMP'S HOUSE

  CHAPTER XXVIII THE HUNTER HUNTED

  THE EPILOGUE

  THE TIME MACHINE I

  II

  III

  IV

  V

  VI

  VII

  VIII

  IX

  X

  XI

  XII

  EPILOGUE

  THE WAR OF THE WORLDS BOOK ONE THE COMING OF THE MARTIANS CHAPTER ONE THE EVE OF THE WAR

  CHAPTER TWO THE FALLING STAR

  CHAPTER THREE ON HORSELL COMMON

  CHAPTER FOUR THE CYLINDER OPENS

  CHAPTER FIVE THE HEAT-RAY

  CHAPTER SIX THE HEAT-RAY IN THE CHOBHAM ROAD

  CHAPTER SEVEN HOW I REACHED HOME

  CHAPTER EIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE THE FIGHTING BEGINS

  CHAPTER TEN IN THE STORM

  CHAPTER ELEVEN AT THE WINDOW

  CHAPTER TWELVE WHAT I SAW OF THE DESTRUCTION OF WEYBRIDGE AND SHEPPERTON

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN HOW I FELL IN WITH THE CURATE

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN IN LONDON

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN SURREY

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN THE EXODUS FROM LONDON

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN THE "THUNDER CHILD"

  BOOK TWO THE EARTH UNDER THE MARTIANS CHAPTER ONE UNDER FOOT

  CHAPTER TWO WHAT WE SAW FROM THE RUINED HOUSE

  CHAPTER THREE THE DAYS OF IMPRISONMENT

  CHAPTER FOUR THE DEATH OF THE CURATE

  CHAPTER FIVE THE STILLNESS

  CHAPTER SIX THE WORK OF FIFTEEN DAYS

  CHAPTER SEVEN THE MAN ON PUTNEY HILL

  CHAPTER EIGHT DEAD LONDON

  CHAPTER NINE WRECKAGE

  CHAPTER TEN THE EPILOGUE

  Ray Bradbury

  A LITTLE JOURNEY

  She'd paid good money to see the inevitable… and then had to work to make it happen!

  There were two important things-one, that she was very old; two, that Mr. Thirkell was taking her to God. For hadn't he patted her hand and said: "Mrs. Bellowes, we'll take off into space in my rocket, and go to find Him together."

  And that was how it was going to be. Oh, this wasn't like any other group Mrs. Bellowes had ever joined. In her fervor to light a path for her delicate, tottering feet, she had struck matches down dark alleys, and found her way to Hindu mystics who floated their flickering, starry eyelashes over crystal balls. She had walked on the meadow paths with ascetic Indian philosophers imported by daughters-in-spirit of Madame Blavatsky. She had made pilgrimages to California's stucco jungles to hunt the astrological seer in his natural habitat. She had even consented to signing away the rights to one of her homes in order to be taken into the shouting order of a temple of amazing evangelists who had promised her golden smoke, crystal fire, and the great soft hand of God coming to bear her home.

  None of these people had ever shaken Mrs. Bellowes' faith, even when she saw them sirened away in a black wagon in the night, or discovered their pictures, bleak and unromantic, in the morning tabloids. The world had roughed them up and locked them away because they knew too much, that was all.

  And then, two weeks ago, she had seen Mr. Thirkell's advertisement in New York City:

  COME TO MARS!

  Stay at the Thirkell Restorium for one week. And then, on into space on the greatest adventure life can offer!

  Send for Free Pamphlet: "Nearer My God To Thee."

  Excursion rates. Round trip slightly lower.

  "Round trip," Mrs. Bellowes had thought. "But who would come back after seeing Him?"

  And so she had bought a ticket and flown off to Mars and spent seven mild days at Mr. Thirkell's Restorium, the building with the sign on it which flashed: THIRKELL'S ROCKET TO HEAVEN! She had spent the week bathing in limpid waters and erasing the care from her tiny bones, and now she was fidgeting, ready to be loaded into Mr. Thirkell's own special private rocket, like a bullet, to be fired on out into space beyond Jupiter and Saturn and Pluto. And thus-who could deny it?-you would be getting nearer and nearer to the Lord. How wonderful! Couldn't you just feel Him drawing near? Couldn't you just sense His breath, His scrutiny, His Presence?

  "Here I am," said Mrs. Bellowes, "an ancient rickety elevator, ready to go up the shaft. God need only press the button."

  Now, on the seventh day, as she minced up the steps of the Restorium, a number of small doubts assailed her.

  "For one thing," she said aloud to no one, "it isn't quite the land of milk and honey here on Mars that they said it would be. My room is like a cell, the swimming pool is really quite inadequate, and, besides, how many widows who look like mushrooms or skeletons want to swim? And, finally, the whole Restorium smells of boiled cabbage and tennis shoes!"

  She opened the front door and let it slam, somewhat irritably.

  She was amazed at the other women in the auditorium. It was like wandering in a carnival mirror-maze, coming again and again upon yourself-the same floury face, the same chicken hands, and jingling bracelets. One after another of the images of herself floated before her. She put out her hand, but it wasn't a mirror; it was another lady shaking her fingers and saying:

  "We're waiting for Mr. Thirkell. Sh!"

  "Ah," whispered everyone.

  The velvet curtains parted.

  Mr. Thirkell appeared, fantastically serene, his Egyptian eyes upon everyone. But there was something, nevertheless, in his appearance which made one expect him to call "Hi!" while fuzzy dogs jumped over his legs, through his hooped arms, and over his back. Then, dogs and all, he should dance with a dazzling piano-keyboard smile off into the wings.

  Mrs. Bellowes, with a secret part of her mind which she constantly had to grip tightly, expected to hear a cheap Chinese gong sound when Mr. Thirkell entered. His large liquid dark eyes were so improbable that one of the old ladies had facetiously claimed she saw a mosquito cloud hovering over them as they did around summer rain-barrels. And Mrs. Bellowes sometimes caught the scent of the theatrical mothball and the smell of calliope steam on his sharply pressed suit.

  But with the same savage rationalization that had greeted all other disappointments in her rickety life, she bit at the suspicion and whispered, "This time it's real. This time it'll work. Haven't we got a rocket?"

  Mr. Thirkell bowed. He smiled a sudden Comedy Mask smile. The old ladies looked in at his epiglottis and sensed chaos there.

  Before he even began to speak, Mrs. Bellowes saw him picking up each of his words, oiling it, making sure it ran smooth on its rails. Her heart squeezed in like a tiny fist, and she gritted her porcelain teeth.

  "Friends," said Mr. Thirkell, and you could hear the frost snap in the hearts of the entire assemblage.

  "No!" said Mrs. Bellowes ahead of time. She could hear the bad news rushing at her, and herself tied to the track while the immense black wheels threatened and the whistle screamed, helpless.

  "There will be a slight delay," said Mr. Thirkell.