March 2021 Catalogue

58 I m a g i n e d W o r l d s E a r l y M a r c h 2 0 2 1 When The Sleeper Wakes , 1899, First Edition Inscribed By H.G. Wells To His Father 56. WELLS, H.G. When the Sleeper Wakes. London and New York, 1899. Octavo, original gilt-stamped red cloth, custom clamshell box. $18,000. Click for more info First edition of Wells’ “robust futuristic romance” of revolution, inscribed by the author to his father: “Joseph Wells. From his affectionate son. H.G. Wells.” InWells’ futuristicvariationon theRipVanWinkle theme, asleepingmanawakens after two centuries to play a messianic role in “a monster state, with one class of persons livingahedonistic lifeofpleasure,whileothersworkondeepunderground assembly lines… In the world of the woken viewer, many of the aspects of our modern urban life appear—moving sidewalks, aerial transport, a kinetoscope (modern cinema) and ‘Babble Machines’ to provide a sanitized and heavily edited version of the ‘news’” (Smith, 79-80). A “robust futuristic romance of socialist revolution” (Clute & Nicholls, 1313). H.G. Wells inherited his love of learning and his religious skepticism (both abundantly on display in When the Sleeper Wakes ) from his father, whom he greatly admired. “From Joe Wells… came the individual ironic style, the imagination, the tendency to dream, that were to mark the son. It was Joe Wells who brought home books borrowed from the Literary Institute, and who talked to his son about the stars, and worlds that might lie beyond this one” (Dickinson, 8). By the time of this inscription, Joseph’s business had finally failed, andH.G. was supporting his father andmother completely, renting a house for them in Liss, Hampshire. Scattered light foxing to text, mostly to front quarter of text; clothmildly soiled and toned, gilt bright. Awonderful presentation copy.