The First Men in the Moon

It's wild to experience what a writer living in Edwardian times — nearly 60 years before space travel — thought going to the moon might one day look like. I give Wells massive props for his imagination in getting his characters to the moon and his rich descriptions of the environment once they arrive.

Chapters 6-10 are exhilarating. When the characters board the sphere, I thought to myself: "I've never watched or read anything like this." I would recommend this section at least if you can't commit to the whole book.

Unfortunately, for me, the story drags on in the later chapters. I thought the narrator's final actions were dishonorable and sort of irredeemable — which is a choice, for sure, but it's not the one I wanted. The appendix section was also a slog to get through.

Elements that took me out of the story were the scientific explanations hand-waved by the narrator. Wells clearly knew a great deal about science, but I got the impression he used the narrator's lack of understanding as a crutch. I also caught myself questioning more than once: would a character in this scenario really be able to recall these details months later? Would they really be able to communicate such discoveries using morse code?

3.5 stars for an INCREDIBLE setup of a story decades ahead of its time, but with what felt like a disappointing follow-through. I still regard the opening act fondly, and I love how Wells gets his characters to the moon quickly and gives them a sandbox to play in. I also thoroughly enjoyed the discoveries made once on the moon — I had no idea what to expect! It was a fun ride, but the last half would probably keep me from reading it again.