Select Conversations with an Uncle (Now Extinct) and Two Other Reminiscences

"Select Conversations with an Uncle (Now Extinct) and Two Other Reminiscences" by H.G. Wells is a collection of essays written in the late 19th century. The narrative features an uncle who embodies a blend of intellectual observation and humorous social commentary as he expresses his views on various topics such as fashion, society, and the human condition. Through witty dialogues and reflections, the uncle discusses themes of social norms, ideals, and the absurdities of contemporary life. The opening of the text introduces the uncle's character, who is depicted as lively, talkative, and slightly disillusioned with the modern world. He emerges into society with high hopes of engaging in stimulating conversations, but finds himself frustrated by the lack of wit among the literary elite he encounters. His criticisms extend to the fashionable circles of London, where he expresses disdain for the superficiality he sees. Key points of his monologues touch on topics like the nature of fashion, the discomfort of humanity, and the societal expectations surrounding ideals, culminating in a rich exploration of human folly and the quest for meaning within societal constructs. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Herbert George Wells was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, history, popular science, satire, biography, and autobiography. Wells' science fiction novels are so well regarded that he has been called the "father of science fiction".