Summary
The Country of the Blind, and Other Stories is a captivating collection of thirty-three short stories by H.
G.
Wells that showcases his mastery of speculative fiction.
Ranging from eerie horror to sharp satire, these tales explore themes of science, human folly, morality, and the unknown.
At the heart of the collection is the renowned title story:
"The Country of the Blind" – A mountaineer stumbles upon an isolated valley where everyone is blind—and has been for generations.
Believing “in the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king,” he expects dominance, but instead discovers a culture with no place for sight and a terrifying inversion of logic and power.
Other notable stories include:
"The Door in the Wall" – A man recalls a magical green door from his childhood that led to an enchanted world—and his lifelong longing to return.
"The Star" – A cosmic catastrophe unfolds as a celestial body collides with Neptune, threatening Earth and revealing our cosmic fragility.
"The Story of the Late Mr.
Elvesham" – A young man falls victim to a mind-transfer plot and wakes up in an old man's body.
"The Truth About Pyecraft" – A humorous and bizarre story about a man who becomes weightless thanks to an unfortunate potion.
"The Man Who Could Work Miracles" – Also included in Tales of Space and Time, this is a satirical tale of absolute power and its unintended consequences.
Each story stands alone but collectively forms a brilliant mosaic of early speculative fiction and social commentary, showing Wells’s wit, imagination, and skepticism toward modernity and human nature.