Mr. Ledbetter's Vacation

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"Mr. Ledbetter's Vacation"
Short story by H. G. Wells
CountryUnited Kingdom
Genre(s)Science fiction
Publication

"Mr. Ledbetter's Vacation" (sometimes rendered "Leadbetter") is a short story written by H. G. Wells in 1894. The story deals with the internal human conflict between rationality and the irrational fear of the unknown.

Publication[edit]

"Mr. Ledbetter's Vacation" was published in The Strand Magazine Vol. XVI: July - December 1898 (London: George Newnes Limited, 1898). That volume also contained an article on "The Boyhood of Lewis Carroll," recently deceased'; short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; "The Larrakin of Diamond Creek" by A. J. Raffles-author E. W. Hornung and stories/articles by W. W. Jacobs, L. T. Meade and others.[1]

Plot summary[edit]

"Mr. Leadbetter is in holy orders, and for more years than he cares to remember has led a virtuous, worthwhile and very dull life. After drinking a little more than is good for him whilst on holiday, he rashly decides to commit a crime. It has consequences he could never have imagined - he ends up on the other side of the world."[2]

Adaptations[edit]

Mr. Leadbetter's Vacation was adapted into a 30-minute BBC radio drama in the mid-1950s by Lance Sieveking. It was subsequently broadcast by NBC as part of their "Showcase" series, on 16 October 1954.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Book Listing at Biblio.com. Accessed March 9, 2008
  2. ^ a b Diversity Website - Lance Sieveking Radio Plays. Accessed March 9, 2008

External links[edit]