First published in 1895 just before his first novel, The Time Machine, The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents features H. G. Wells' earliest science fiction stories. Ranging from a plot to wipe out London through biological terrorism to an unknown creature preying on scientists at a remote astronomical observatory, the stories display the amazing imagination and plot twists that are characteristic of the author's later works. Full of youthful exuberance, each of these tales presented in their original context provide for a greater appreciation for how Wells developed his craft. Several of the brief plots laid out in this collection were subsequently expanded by the author into larger works, while others could be the basis for other writers' efforts, such as "The Flowering of the Strange Orchid," which is essentially the same story as "Little Shop of Horrors."

Contents: The Stolen Bacillus; The Flowering of the Strange Orchid; In The Avu Observatory; The Temptation of Harringay; The Diamond Maker; Aepyornis Island; The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes; The Hammerpond Park Burglary; A Moth—Genus Novo; The Treasure in the Forest.