H.G. Wells' Exhibit at Netera's Coffee Lounge

By Bixyl Shuftan

Longtime readers may remember Netera Landar who wrote for the Newser for a time, and has been running "Netera's Coffee Lounge." In the past, the place was known for offering regular discussions of writers and musicians. For the past couple years, the Lounge has been ad Snug Harbor. Right now, Netera is showing off an H.G. Wells exhibit. On the second flour of the building, the exhibit is accessible through a teleporter on the floor.

Some of Well's science fiction stories are so well known, they've been made and remade into many movies and television programs, such as "The Invisible Man," "The Time Machine," "War of the Worlds," and "The Island of Dr. Moreau." Most can still be checked out at the library or purchased at bookstores. Probably only Jules Verne is about as well-remembered of the sci-fi writers of his time. On occasion, Wells himself has become a character in fiction such as the 1979 movie "Time After Time." Steampunk equipment and weapons are occasionally referred to as "Wellsian." Having inspired many beyond his time from science-fiction fans and writers alike to those with just a casual interest, Netera herself wondered what would it be like to have an actual conversation with the writer "with a fascination for history, politics, and social commentary."

The exhibit is a combination of written displays describing Wells and his life, photographs, pictures of movie posters based on his works, and props such as the time machine that one can sit in. Some of the facts are less than common knowledge, such as Wells' father was a professional sports player. And some are well known, such as the Orson Welles' radio play of H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" novel in 1938 that was told so much like actual news broadcasts, it caused widespread panic. The exhibit does not go much into Wells' later years of which his article on Wikipedia describes as a time when his reputation as a writer declined.

So if you're a fan of science fiction, especially steampunk, the H.G. Wells exhibit is worth a visit. For more information, check out Netera's own article on the exhibit, or Inara Pey's article.

And Netera, give me some time to think on which three books I would take with me.

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Bixyl Shuftan.