The Invisible Man

Spoiler alert: H. G. Wells’ science fiction classic really is about an invisible man. Written in 1897 as scientific progress and new inventions were revolutionizing the world, Wells’ novel still carries a palpable sense of wonder, amazement, and fear. We jump into the story feet-first from the opening page: The mysterious scientist Griffin is already invisible when we meet him and his horrifying backstory isn’t revealed until we’re almost halfway through his terrifying descent into insanity. Much more so than Mary Shelley’s earlier mad-scientist classic, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man feels modern and contemporary. Wells’ fundamental point—that technological progress inevitably comes with dangerous unintended consequences—is still something we’re grappling with well over a century later. We suspect this novel will forever feel unnerving and timely.