The Star H.G. Wells
Linoleum cuts by Rosalío García Ascencio
First published in the Christmas 1897 issue of The Graphic and collected two years later in Tales of Space and Time, H. G. Wells’s “The Star” stands as one of the earliest and most powerful works of apocalyptic science fiction in the English language.
A strange luminous body enters the solar system and collides with Neptune, forging a blazing new star that hurtles sunward, passing perilously close to Earth. As the celestial intruder draws nearer, its gravitational fury triggers earthquakes, tidal waves, and melting ice caps, while humanity cycles through wonder, denial, and terror.
Wells tells this story not through a single protagonist but through the collective voice of a world under siege—scientist and laborer, believer and skeptic—building a remorseless planetary tension that culminates in a final shift of perspective so coolly devastating it has haunted readers for more than a century.
About The Edition
Our edition of “The Star” by H. G. Wells is presented as part of our Short Story series in a single state of four hundred unnumbered copies with no rights attached. The edition measures 6½” × 9½” and features five linoleum cuts by Rosalío García Ascencio, one of which is presented as a fold-out.
It is designed by Bradley Hutchinson and printed letterpress on his Heidelberg Cylinder in Austin, Texas on mouldmade Hahnemühle Biblio. The artwork is printed from the original blocks and the typeface is Espinosa Nova. The title and first page are printed in two colors, requiring two passes through the press. The volume is 24 pages and is hand sewn into Arches Cover wrappers by the printer and features a letterpress printed cover label. It is signed by the artist.
A Note on the Typography
The text is set in Espinosa Nova, designed by Cristóbal Henestrosa, a professor of typography and type design at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City. It is a revival of the types of Antonio de Espinosa, a printer who worked in Mexico City from 1551 until his death around 1575 and is considered the first punchcutter in the Americas. In 2010 it received certificates of excellence from both the Type Directors Club and Tipos Latinos, the Latin American typography biennial. Robert Bringhurst, who writes on typography and book design, described it as “an unusually intelligent family of type.”
About the Author
About the Artist
Rosalío García Ascencio
Rosalío García Ascencio is a self-taught printmaker and illustrator from Puácuaro, a Purépecha community in Michoacán, Mexico. Working primarily in linocut, woodcut and lithography, he creates imagery rooted in the traditions, landscapes, and everyday life of his native region. Through a meticulous approach to printmaking and illustration, he seeks to create images that balance narrative, symbolism, and craftsmanship. In addition to his personal artistic practice, García works as a master printer at La Mano Press in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, where he collaborates on fine art print projects while continuing to develop his own body of work.
Please note: This edition is not included as part of Lifetime Subscriptions.
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“The Star” fits inside our Short Story Series Clamshell Enclosure, which holds 5-6 titles from the series. Order them together and save on shipping.
Price: $75
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Illustration © 2026 by Rosalío García Ascencio
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