Hesperus Classics

Published in 1904, this forgotten classic is sci-fi and dystopia at its best, written by the creator and master of the genreFollowing extensive research in the field of "growth," Mr. Bensington and Professor Redwood light upon a new mysterious element, a food that causes greatly accelerated development. Initially christening their discovery "The Food of the Gods," the two scientists are overwhelmed by the possible ramifications of their creation. Needing room for experiments, Mr. Besington chooses a farm that offers him the chance to test on chickens, which duly grow monstrous, six or seven times their usual size. With the farmer, Mr. Skinner, failing to contain the spread of the Food, chaos soon reigns as reports come in of local encounters with monstrous wasps, earwigs, and rats. The chickens escape, leaving carnage in their wake. The Skinners and Redwoods have both been feeding their children the compound illicitly-their eventual offspring will constitute a new age of giants. Public opinion rapidly turns against the scientists and society rebels against the world's new flora and fauna. Daily life has changed shockingly and now politicians are involved, trying to stamp out the Food of the Gods and the giant race. Comic and at times surprisingly touching and tragic, Wells' story is a cautionary tale warning against the rampant advances of science but also of the dangers of greed, political infighting, and shameless vote-seeking.

"The honourable Robert Boyle esq., the son of Richard Boyle, the first Earl of Cork, was born at Lismore in the county of Cork. He was nursed by an Irish nurse, after the Irish manner, where they put the child in a pendulous satchel instead of a cradle, with a slit for the child's head to peep out." This new selection from John Aubrey's enormous work of 17th-century biography, Brief Lives, brings together his writings on contemporary scientists, explorers and men of innovation, including astronomer Edmund Halley, celebrated mapmaker Wenceslaus Hollar, and the architects Christopher Wren and Inigo Jones. Simultaneously quirky, amusing, and informative, these pieces together provide a fascinating portrait of an exciting and inventive age.

A 1638 work of erotic fiction features nun-to-nun dialogues in the sexual arts "Is it right that a girl so accomplished be secluded as you are? No, no, my child, I want to share with you my most secret habits, and to give you a true notion of the deeds of a wise nun." This landmark erotic novel salaciously presents the education, one might say indoctrination, of green Catholic nun Sister Agnes at the hands of her more experienced cohort Sister Angelique. Religious demystification coincides with sexual awakening in a scurrilous work which stands as a precursor to those of authors such as the Marquis de Sade.

A chance encounter in a Parisian café leads to a series of unfortunate misunderstandings that threaten to bring to a premature and irreconcilable end the envisioned marriage between a pair of young lovers. When eligible bachelor Dick Naseby meets the lovely young Esther Van Tromp, a woman estranged from her cherished father, a talented artist whose success takes him around the world, he is too well-bred and smitten with her to confess the truth: he knows her father well. He wrongly believes that to reveal the truth would cause great harm, and the consequences of his deceit soon become tangible.

Written in the tongue-in-cheek manner for which he was famous, Monsieur de Voltaire' s memoirs reveal a new perspective on the international politics and history of the 18th century. Voltaire's role as acclaimed author, poet, dramatist, and philosopher led him to experience the personal attentions of the most illustrious men and women of his time. His irreverent, to say the least, portrayals of the leading figures of the day provide a hilarious portrait of the royal courts of Europe which fought over his services for almost 30 years. Only published posthumously, these memoirs relate and then commentate on literary accomplishments, historic fact, and salacious gossip alike.

Offering a woman's take on life's preoccupations, Jenny Wren presents her amusing thoughts on matters ranging from love and politics to tea and bills: "Why were such things invented?" Her witty musings also consider children and dogs, alongside such subjects as the town, the country, dancing, and concerts. Published in 1891, these delightful essays offer a humorous insight into the thoughts and fixations of a woman in Victorian England, while many points remain as relevant today as when the book first appeared.