The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham

Book excerpt: Adapted into episode one of the TV mini-series, The Nightmare Worlds of H.G. Wells – starring Ray Winstone and Michael Gambon – The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham is a short story by H.G. Wells. A young, poverty-stricken man called Edward Eden meets a strange older gentleman, Egbert Elvesham, who declares that he would like Eden to be his sole heir. At the end of a meal together, Elvesham pours a strange pink powder into their drinks and the following day, Edward Eden wakes to find himself in Elvesham’s body in a ‘Freaky Friday’ body-swapping scenario. Eden is destined for more than he signed up for in this fantasy, horror story. H.G. Wells (1866 – 1946) was a prolific writer and the author of more than 50 novels. Additionally, he wrote more than 60 short stories, alongside various scientific papers. Many of his most famous works have been adapted for film and television, including ‘The Time Machine,’ starring Guy Pearce, ‘War of the Worlds,’ starring Tom Cruise, and ‘The Invisible Man,’ starring Elizabeth Moss. Because of his various works exploring futuristic themes, Wells is regarded as one of the ‘Fathers of Science Fiction.’