cantoohide,

I know some of the background from an interview with Richard Stanley (I think that's his name)--he's had a rather stumbling career, and I really enjoyed his DUST DEVIL. I agree with your observation about the spiraling insanity of the characters. If only--but why start?

The book is GREAT. It is smart, well-plotted, and sustains a mood of messing with truly dangerous things. (I know someone's going to want to quote that story about human-animal experiments in the UK, but please resist, it's already in two other threads.)

Some of Wells's books don't hold up, but this one definitely does (as does THE TIME MACHINE).

 “The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.”
 Joseph Priestley