The Croquet Player is a short story by H.G. Wells, first published in 1936. It tells the story of a mysterious croquet player who appears in a small English village and challenges the locals to a game. The locals are amazed by his skill and the strange, almost supernatural, way he plays the game. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the croquet player is not what he seems, and that he is in fact a supernatural being from another world. The story is a meditation on the nature of reality and the power of imagination. It is also a commentary on the human condition, and the way in which we can be both captivated and terrified by the unknown.
By H.G. Wells · First published 1937 · Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery · 4 chapters