Bicycles arguably belong in science fiction every bit as much as spaceships, phasers and Wookies. Just ask Jeremy Withers, an assistant professor at Iowa State University in Ames who teaches sci-fi, British literature and the history of the English language. He’s also author of the new book “War of the Wheels: H.G. Wells and the Bicycle.” Withers embarks on a far-ranging discussion with Kyle Munson on two-wheeled machines, fictional aliens and Wells’ earthly reputation as a philanderer. (Who were the first people to encounter Martians in Well’s landmark sci-fi novel, “The War of the Worlds”? Bicyclists!) And of course this week also brings another great installment of Andrea Parrott’s “Parrott Talk,” where she answers your urgent questions about bicycling.
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