The Wonder is one of those early science fiction classics: the mind-bending story of a prodigy in Edwardian England that has aged remarkably well because it is concentrated on people rather than technology, and depicts the position of the gifted (superhuman) child as an outsider to the society around him. First published in 1911, The Wonder was the first novel to deal fully with the sociological implications of a vastly superior human amongst us. It's young hero, Victor Stott, is a giant-headed, awkward boy who never cries or says a word, quite unlike his father the cricket superstar. At first, the strange child is believed to be an idiot. But it soon becomes apparent that once he has had access to a library, he is able to form theories which leave the greatest minds of his era far behind. Victor’s visible intelligence quickly frightens those around him. He can master any language—perhaps even control people with his mind. As word of his otherworldly gifts spreads, so too do fears of what he might be capable of. J.D. BERESFORD (1873–1947) was an English writer, best known for his science fiction, horror and ghost stories. Beresford was an admirer of H.G. Wells, and wrote the first critical study of Wells in 1915.