The Invisible Man

Griffin, the Promethean hero of The Invisible Man (1897), is one of Wells's most striking and tragic conceptions--a scientist whose apparently omnipotent power of passing unseen among his fellow humans rebounds on him as a terrible curse. From its opening in a small village inn, the narrative moves inexorably towards a climax of terror as the whole of England unites to hunt down and destroy the invisible alien. The Introduction examines not only the many imitations, but also Wells's own skillful blending of contemporary scientific ideas and chilling Gothic effects.