John R. Hammond – författare

The Time Machine is one of the most important works of science fiction. It greatly influenced the genre and continues to be widely read at all levels. This reference guide overviews the novel for students and general readers. Written by a leading scholar on H.G. Wells, the volume covers all aspects of the work, including its plot, textual history, historical and intellectual contexts, themes, style, and reception.Written more than 100 years ago, H.G. Wells' first novel forever shaped the course of science fiction. Of all his vast writings, The Time Machine seems most likely to ensure his permanent place in literary history. But more than a literary work, it is now widely recognized as a key text in the history of ideas, for the notion of time travel has profoundly influenced human thought. So too, with its bleak view of the future, The Time Machine has made a seminal contribution to the ongoing debate concerning the future course of evolution.Though The Time Machine is widely read and studied, there is relatively little written about it. Prepared by a leading authority on H.G. Wells, this reference is a convenient introductory guide to the novel. It examines all aspects of the work, including its textual history, historical and intellectual contexts, themes, literary style, and critical reception. The volume also includes a detailed plot summary and an extensive bibliographic essay.

John Hammond offers an introduction to the life and work of H G Wells which is of interest and value to both the student and the general reader.  Although Wells is studied at undergradute level there is no introductory text available as yet, instead students can only consult full length detailed biographies.   John Hammond provides a concise overview allowing the student to read  Wells with greater critical appreciation and to undertand the main areas of discussion and disagreement concerning the author.

This comprehensive reference guide introduces James Hilton's novel Lost Horizon for contemporary students and general readers. The opening section provides a summary of Hilton's life and describes his circumstances at the time of writing the novel. This is followed with a chapter-by-chapter summary of the plot, a glossary of words and phrases which may be helpful to twenty-first century readers, and an alphabetically arranged guide to the novel's characters. In addition, the author examines the initial critical reception of the book, its publishing history, and the success of its major film adaptations in separate chapters. Several appendices provide recommended questions for discussion and Hilton's original preface to Lost Horizon.

The writer and Academy Award-winner James Hilton is best known as the author of Goodbye, Mr. Chips and Random Harvest as well as the novel Lost Horizon in which he invented Shangri-La--the fictional place and the utopian concept. This reference guide to the entirety of Hilton's works--novels, short stories, nonfiction, and film adaptations--gives a detailed account of his life and literary career (including a complete chronology), a listing of his works, and a key to the important characters and locations. The main body of the text is devoted to an examination of his writing, including a section devoted to adaptations of his novels into movies.

John Hammond offers an introduction to the life and work of H G Wells which is of interest and value to both the student and the general reader. Although Wells is studied at undergradute level there is no introductory text available as yet, instead students can only consult full length detailed biographies. John Hammond provides a concise overview allowing the student to read Wells with greater critical appreciation and to undertand the main areas of discussion and disagreement concerning the author.