H. G. Wells, A Modern Utopia

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H. G. Wells's

A Modern Utopia

is a utopian work serialised in the

Fortnightly Review

between October 1904 and April 1905 and published in book form in April 1905. In “A Note to the Reader” which prefaced the first edition, Wells wrote, “I am aiming throughout at a sort of shot-silk texture between philosophical discussion on the one hand and imaginative narrative on the other.” Hence Wells intended

A Modern Utopia

as a hybrid between sociological discussion and novelistic endeavour.

A Modern Utopia begins with an explanation that the narrator of the work is not to be confused with the author. The vision of utopia to be presented is that of the “Voice”, who will narrate his utopian adventures. The author describes himself as a chairman insisting on his “few words” before he

2260 words

Citation: McLean, Steven. "A Modern Utopia". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 16 October 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7046, accessed 19 March 2024.]

7046 A Modern Utopia 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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