Science fiction · Scientific romance
The First Men in the Moon
Reading level: we suggest CEFR B2–C1 for reading The First Men in the Moon. Length: about 70,000 words.
- Suggested levelB2–C1
- Lengthabout 70,000 words
- Original languageEnglish
The story
A bankrupt businessman, Bedford, meets an eccentric scientist, Cavor, who has invented Cavorite — a substance that blocks gravity. Together they build a sphere and fly to the Moon.
Beneath the lunar surface they find the Selenites, an insect-like civilisation in which every individual is shaped for a single job. Bedford sees gold; Cavor sees knowledge. Only one of them will come home.
Themes: science and ambition, colonialism, alien societies, human greed.
Why it's a good book for language learners
Wells mixes adventure with long passages of description and reflection, so this is a good step up for upper-intermediate readers. The vocabulary of science is surprisingly modern, and the contrast between Bedford's greed and Cavor's curiosity gives you plenty to discuss or write about.
How hard is the English in The First Men in the Moon?
- Flesch Reading Ease74.9
- Flesch–Kincaid grade6.6
- Words per sentence15.1
Measured by PageWalker on the full English text of the book. Flesch Reading Ease runs from 0 to 100 (higher is easier; 60–70 is plain English) and the Flesch–Kincaid grade is a US school grade. These formulas only count sentence and word length, so they miss old-fashioned vocabulary, wordplay and style. That is why our CEFR level, which takes those into account, can be higher than the formula suggests.
What you'll practise
- Scientific and technical vocabulary
- Hypotheticals: if/would/might
- Long sentences with several clauses
- Describing unfamiliar places
Reading tip
Pause after the arrival on the Moon and describe the landscape in your own words before reading Wells's version.
Did you know?
The novel was serialised in The Strand Magazine — the same magazine that published Sherlock Holmes — in 1900–1901.
The PageWalker adventure
In the adventure you choose between Bedford's caution and Cavor's curiosity on the lunar surface. You can try the first page in your browser, and the adventure is available in 13 languages with click-to-translate.
The First Men in the Moon in other languages
- EnglishThe First Men in the Moon
- العربيةأول رجال على القمر
- DeutschDie ersten Menschen auf dem Mond
- EspañolLos Primeros Hombres en la Luna
- FrançaisLes Premiers Hommes dans la Lune
- हिन्दीद फर्स्ट मेन इन द मून
- ItalianoI primi uomini sulla Luna
- 日本語月世界最初の人間
- 한국어달에 간 최초의 인간
- PortuguêsOs Primeiros Homens na Lua
- РусскийПервые люди на Луне
- TürkçeAydaki İlk İnsanlar
- 简体中文月球上的第一批人
Questions about The First Men in the Moon
What reading level is The First Men in the Moon?
We suggest CEFR B2–C1 for reading The First Men in the Moon. Wells mixes adventure with long passages of description and reflection, so this is a good step up for upper-intermediate readers. On readability formulas the English text scores a Flesch Reading Ease of 74.9 and a Flesch–Kincaid grade of 6.6, with an average of 15.1 words per sentence.
How long is The First Men in the Moon?
The First Men in the Moon by H. G. Wells (1901) is about 70,000 words.
Can I play The First Men in the Moon as an interactive adventure?
Yes. In the adventure you choose between Bedford's caution and Cavor's curiosity on the lunar surface. You can try the first page in your browser, in 13 languages.
Updated 16 October 2026
