The Invisible Man

Synopsis

Often referred to as a “father of science fiction”, H. G. Wells was one of the first authors to write a type of speculative fiction which referenced the advancements in science of his time. Characteristic of Wells’ work is its cautionary nature which warned against the unintended consequences of technological development gone too far. First published serially in “Pearson's Weekly” in 1897, “The Invisible Man” is just such a story. At the beginning of the novel, a mysterious man named Griffen appears in a snowstorm at the local inn of the English village of Iping in West Sussex. Rarely emerging from his room Griffen works continuously with a set of chemicals and laboratory apparatus. Soon it is revealed that Griffin is a former medical student who has invented a chemical process to render bodies invisible. Having impulsively tried the formula upon himself, Griffen is, unfortunately, unable to turn himself visible again. Running out of money and driven to the brink of madness by his condition, Griffen turns to crime to continue his experiments. As suspicion grows around the mysterious man the townsfolk begin to close in on Griffen as the novel races to its tragic conclusion.