Wells's first literary work (preceded only by two scientific texts). These fourteen pieces had all appeared in "The Pall Mall Gazette" in 1893-94, while Wells had bee n a drama critic on that publication's staff; he used a "bombastic old fraud" of an "Uncle" character to expound his opinions on a variety of social m atters. "The best of the pieces involve fashionable conversation, how to li sten to social music, the problems of the newly married, riding a tricycle (as opposed to a bicycle which was much less dignified)." [Smith]. SELECT CONVERSATIONS, published in June 1895, heralded Wells's explosion onto the literary scene: THE TIME MACHINE was published one day later, followed by THE WONDERFUL VISIT in September and THE STOLEN BACILLUS in November.