I read all of Wells’ novels when I was in high school. I was blessed, very blessed, to have an English teacher throughout high school who demanded students go beyond surface level reading to ponder deeper questions. We were encouraged to extrapolate Wells' themes and scientific ideas, to see where they led, most often in perplexing conversations, ones that left unanswered questions.
Like you, I have returned to his writing again and again- the mark of a GREAT BOOK- and continued that teacher’s methodology , asking students to ponder, even as they engaged with a wonderfully crafted story. They wrote in book margins: what is this hinting at, in our present age; what do I disagree/agree with here?
We know how tirelessly he pursued writing thoughtful scientific possibilities, and technological wonders to question alongside these his concern for humanity. I was struck by your words, "he worked tirelessly for world peace" and we can only imagine his broken heart when he died right after the Second World War.
Despite the possibility of a broken heart , we today must work tirelessly. Within society is a tendency to mechanize being human, a concern far reaching due to AI +Science.
This 'evolution crossroad' is here, and while it is glaringly evident, it remains a crossroad of a yet to be revealed unimaginable societal change, far greater than changes in Wells’ lifetime.
He lead the way, amongst many, speaking boldly to the heart, the soul and the spirit of humanity. We can do no less.
It's wonderful to hear about your experience with Wells, finally a kindred spirit. What a gift to be guided to ponder those deeper questions and see the contemporary relevance in his work from a young age. That practice of "extrapolating themes" and engaging in those "perplexing conversations" is precisely the kind of active, critical engagement Wells championed.
Your point about encouraging your students to annotate and question, speaks volumes about the lasting power of your approach and the great narratives we have available to us.
He truly did weave profound concerns for humanity into his "scientific possibilities and technological wonders." I share your sense of his profound disappointment, perhaps even heartbreak, at the state of the world by the end of his life, despite his tireless efforts. And you're absolutely right, the "evolution crossroad" we face now, particularly with AI and other rapid advancements, feels like an echo, albeit amplified, of the societal shifts he grappled with. The challenge to avoid the "mechanization of being human" is indeed a profound one.
Wells did lead the way in "speaking boldly to the heart, the soul and the spirit of humanity." Your closing words, "We can do no less," are a powerful and fitting call to action.
Great science fiction is always about holding a mirror up to humanity, for us to see ourselves as we really are, warts and all, and no one did it better than H.G. Wells.
I read all of Wells’ novels when I was in high school. I was blessed, very blessed, to have an English teacher throughout high school who demanded students go beyond surface level reading to ponder deeper questions. We were encouraged to extrapolate Wells' themes and scientific ideas, to see where they led, most often in perplexing conversations, ones that left unanswered questions.
Like you, I have returned to his writing again and again- the mark of a GREAT BOOK- and continued that teacher’s methodology , asking students to ponder, even as they engaged with a wonderfully crafted story. They wrote in book margins: what is this hinting at, in our present age; what do I disagree/agree with here?
We know how tirelessly he pursued writing thoughtful scientific possibilities, and technological wonders to question alongside these his concern for humanity. I was struck by your words, "he worked tirelessly for world peace" and we can only imagine his broken heart when he died right after the Second World War.
Despite the possibility of a broken heart , we today must work tirelessly. Within society is a tendency to mechanize being human, a concern far reaching due to AI +Science.
This 'evolution crossroad' is here, and while it is glaringly evident, it remains a crossroad of a yet to be revealed unimaginable societal change, far greater than changes in Wells’ lifetime.
He lead the way, amongst many, speaking boldly to the heart, the soul and the spirit of humanity. We can do no less.
It's wonderful to hear about your experience with Wells, finally a kindred spirit. What a gift to be guided to ponder those deeper questions and see the contemporary relevance in his work from a young age. That practice of "extrapolating themes" and engaging in those "perplexing conversations" is precisely the kind of active, critical engagement Wells championed.
Your point about encouraging your students to annotate and question, speaks volumes about the lasting power of your approach and the great narratives we have available to us.
He truly did weave profound concerns for humanity into his "scientific possibilities and technological wonders." I share your sense of his profound disappointment, perhaps even heartbreak, at the state of the world by the end of his life, despite his tireless efforts. And you're absolutely right, the "evolution crossroad" we face now, particularly with AI and other rapid advancements, feels like an echo, albeit amplified, of the societal shifts he grappled with. The challenge to avoid the "mechanization of being human" is indeed a profound one.
Wells did lead the way in "speaking boldly to the heart, the soul and the spirit of humanity." Your closing words, "We can do no less," are a powerful and fitting call to action.
Great science fiction is always about holding a mirror up to humanity, for us to see ourselves as we really are, warts and all, and no one did it better than H.G. Wells.