The San Francisco call., 1901-12-29

is. Mr.. Wells is so expert in com mb1n1nS
scientific facts and possibilities with f1c-
ton into an interesting romance that it
is sometimes difficult for the average
reader to detect the point where one
leaves off and the other begins. In the
present story, "The First Men in the
Moon,' the moon is the scene of the prin-
cipal events
So much speculation has gone on about
present and past conditions of that pre-
sumedly dead orb that when we hear
that human life exists beneath its sur
face and vegetable life above ground at
certain seasons, we are naturally pre-
pared to hear some such tale of wonder
as that which Mr.. Wells has prepared
for our delectation. An interesting tale
it is. in spite of the fact that here, as in
most of Mr.. Wells stories of improbable
events, there is a strong element of the
weird and the grotesque which causes a
shudder as well as a smile.
The first men to go to the moon, ac
cording to our historian, are two Eng
hshmen, who travel from the earth to
the moon in steel sphere invented By
one of them, Mr.. Cavor. Cavor is a sci
enlist who discovers a substance which
he calls "cavorite." This substance is
found to possess the power of overcoming
the attraction of gravitation. Conse-
quently, when it is placed between any
particular object and the earth, this OBJ
Ject as it has then no specific gravity,
has tendency to rise in the air
Cavor, assisted by a friend, Mr.. Bed
ford, constructs a steel sphere which has
on the outer surface an enameling of
cavorite. The sphere is furnished with
supply of solidified air, food and every
thing else necessary to support in comfort
Cavor and Bedford when they go on
journey they plan. When all is in readi-
ness the sphere is set loose from earth
and goes floating off rapidly into space.
By opening windows placed in different
parts Of the sphere it can be made sub
ject to the law of gravitation and be at
tracted toward a particular object Cavor
decides to visit the moon and sails in its
direction The description of the land
ing on the moon just before the breaking
of the lunar day, the approach of light
and the transformation it effects in turn
ing a dead world into one quickened by
life is one of the best things in the book.
Cavor and Bedford alight from the
sphere and begin their Investigations of
the new world. They soon lose sight of
the sphere, and before they can recover
it they are captured by the Selenttes, as
they dub the inhabitants of the moon.
These creatures are in form closely al
lied to insects, but in power of mind they
have advanced to point beyond that
attained by man.
Bedford and Cavor are carried by these
creatures to the underground world
where they live. The Englishmen have
glimpse of the wonders of the Selenite
civilization before they make their es-
cape to the surface of the moon. When
they are once again there they separate
and start upon search for the sphere.
Bedford is lucky enough to find it. He
sets out again to see if he can discover
Cavor. This he fails to do, but he finds
a note from Cavor saying that he has
again been captured by the Selenites. As
the lunar night is almost at hand Bed
ford is compelled to go back alone to the
sphere. He intends to revisit the earth
and there find the resources necessary to
effect the rescue of Cavor. Bedford does
make his way to the earth, but soon after
reaching it he loses the sphere beyond
hope of recovery. So CavOr is left to his
fate alone in the moon. Something is
heard of CavOr again, however, as he
finds means to telegraph to the earth
something more of his discoveries there.
His reports are fragmentary, but they
give in clear outline the salient features
of the peculiar life of the moon people
Cavors disappearance from sight, or
to satisfy the curiosity of the reader as
to the peculiar race of Selenites, with
their intellect and their ugliness. pub
lished by the Bowen Merrill Company,
Indianapolis.)