The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents

In Short

This 1895 short story collection gathers fifteen early tales of science fiction, dark comedy, and adventure. Across these varied narratives, everyday nineteenth-century life is disrupted by extraordinary scientific hazards, dangerous flora and fauna, and surreal psychological afflictions. An anarchist steals a deadly pathogen, a botanist cultivates a predatory orchid, an astronomer battles an unknown beast in his observatory, and a man experiences two physical locations at once. Celebrated for its inventive ingenuity, the volume remains a vital landmark of early science fiction, showcasing a master storyteller discovering the terrifying and absurd possibilities of a rapidly modernizing world.

The Story

The collection opens with "The Stolen Bacillus," in which a pale visitor tricks a foolish bacteriologist into handing over a tube of living cholera germs. Believing he possesses a weapon that could poison London's water supply, the visitor flees in a cab, pursued by the frantic scientist. When the tube shatters during the chase, the fanatic swallows the remaining drops to become a walking vector of pestilence, only to learn he has consumed a harmless substance meant to turn monkeys blue.

This mix of absurd peril and dark comedy recurs throughout the book. In "The Flowering of the Strange Orchid," a quiet collector named Wedderburn buys an unidentified, shrivelled root harvested from a deadly swamp. As the exotic plant matures, it blooms into a stunning flower that emits a suffocating perfume, drugging Wedderburn and draining his blood through aerial rootlets until his housekeeper pulls him free. In "In the Avu Observatory," an astronomer named Woodhouse finds himself trapped in absolute darkness within a dome, fighting off a winged, fanged beast with a broken water bottle.

Other tales shift from isolated terror to strange discoveries and ironic misadventures. In "A Deal in Ostriches," passengers on a ship bid wildly on birds suspected of swallowing a valuable diamond. "Through a Window" finds an invalid trapped in his room, watching helplessly as a wounded, knife-wielding fugitive scrambles onto his balcony. In "The Diamond Maker," a destitute inventor explains how he successfully synthesized diamond powder, only to find himself ruined by the very process that consumed his life. "Aepyornis Island" recount a castaway's bizarre companionship with a giant, prehistoric bird hatched from a fossilized egg, which eventually grows aggressive and forces him to kill it.

Mental phenomena and industrial mythologies close out the volume's broader arcs. "The Remarkable Case of Davidson's Eyes" follows a lab technician whose vision is somehow warped so that he sees a remote South Pacific island while physically walking through London. In "The Lord of the Dynamos," a oppressed worker named Azuma-zi begins worshipping a massive electrical generator, ultimately sacrificing his abusive supervisor to the machine. In "The Treasure in the Forest," two greedy men decode a dead man's map to find buried gold, only to fall victim to the lethal, microscopic thorn-traps guarding it.

How It Unfolds

A stolen strain A fanatic tricks a bacteriologist into showing him a live cholera culture, steals the vial, and flees into the streets of London. The scientist pursues him, leading to a frantic cab chase that ends in a bizarre revelation about the stolen sample.

The lethal bloom An orchid collector purchases an unknown, hideous root collected from a tropical swamp where its finder died. Once the plant blossoms, it releases a stupefying scent and attacks its owner, forcing his housekeeper to rescue him from its vampire-like tendrils.

Night in the dome An astronomer working late in a remote observatory is suddenly ambushed by an aggressive, bat-like creature. Trapped in pitch blackness, he fights off the monster using a jagged broken bottle before regaining his footing.

A glittering gamble Shipboard travelers learn that a costly diamond was swallowed by one of five ostriches. An auction ensues where passengers buy and slaughter the birds one by one in a frantic search for the gem.

Vision split in two A laboratory accident leaves a man named Davidson seeing a sunlit beach and distant ships while remaining physically present in London. Doctors struggle to understand his dual perception as his vision gradually realigns with his actual surroundings.

Service to the machine An abused migrant worker finds a divine presence in the rhythmic hum of a giant electrical dynamo. Driven to madness by cruel treatment, he offers a human sacrifice to the machine before perishing himself.

The People

• The Bacteriologist wants to research deadly microbes safely, but his pride leads him to show off a live culture to a visitor. When the tube is stolen, he chases the thief down, only to realize his own dramatic misdirection.
• Wedderburn wants to cultivate a rare, unnamed orchid species to gain prestige in botanical circles. He ignores the dark circumstances of its discovery until the blooming plant almost drains his life blood.
• Woodhouse wants to conduct astronomical observations in peace. When a monstrous creature invades his observatory, he must abandon his academic quietude and fight savagely for survival in total darkness.
• Davidson wants his normal eyesight restored after an electrical discharge warps his vision. He suffers through the disorienting experience of seeing a far-off island while moving through English interiors.
• Azuma-zi wants relief from the brutal beatings of his supervisor, Holroyd. He finds spiritual purpose in worshipping a giant electric generator, ultimately taking revenge on his tormentor in a fatal encounter.
• Evans and Hooker want to retrieve hidden treasure using a stolen map. Their greed drives them to ignore obvious dangers, leading to a fatal encounter with poison traps in the jungle.

In Its Own Voice

"And yet those little particles, those mere atomies, might multiply and devastate a city! Wonderful!"

A visitor marvels at the microscopic power of deadly bacteria displayed under a microscope before stealing the living sample.

"He had seized the water-bottle by its neck and brought it down with a shivering crash upon the head of the strange beast."

Inside a pitch-black observatory, Woodhouse desperately defends himself against an unknown, winged creature.

"Scientific people tell us that savages give souls to rocks and trees--and a machine is a thousand times more alive than a rock or a tree."

An isolated worker begins to view a massive electric generator as an imposing, living deity demanding devotion.

What It's Really About

The collection examines humanity's precarious control over the forces it seeks to master. Beneath the exciting plots lies a deep skepticism regarding nineteenth-century progress, industrial power, and scientific hubris. Whether dealing with microscopic pathogens, exotic flora, or high-voltage machinery, the characters repeatedly discover that nature and technology possess chaotic, dangerous elements that resist total subjugation. The stories also explore isolation and alienation, demonstrating how individuals—whether stranded on remote islands or operating heavy machinery in London—are easily overwhelmed when separated from ethical boundaries and social structures.

Why Read It Today

This collection offers a fascinating window into early science fiction, capturing the anxieties of the late Victorian era with sharp, energetic prose. Readers who enjoy dark suspense, scientific oddities, and inventive horror will find these short narratives engaging and remarkably fast-paced.

The book does reflect its time, which modern readers should keep in mind. Portrayals of non-European characters carry period prejudices, colonial biases, and outdated terminology, particularly in tales set in distant territories or involving foreign workers. Furthermore, some stories lean heavily into dense Victorian vernacular, localized slang, or specific scientific jargon of the late 1800s.

Despite these historical elements, the core of the collection remains strikingly modern. Wells grips the reader by taking ordinary settings—a quiet study, an observatory, a greenhouse—and suddenly disrupting them with unexpected terror. The imaginative variety of the tales makes the volume an enduringly entertaining read for anyone curious about the roots of modern speculative fiction.