In the days of the comet vs The Iron Heel: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Utopias, Classic Literature, Science Fiction, Fiction

In the days of the comet H. G. Wells · 1906 ★★★☆☆ 3.3 240 pages · ≈ 4 h 27 m · Challenging

H. G. Wells, in his 1906 In the Days of the Comet uses the vapors of a comet to trigger a deep and lasting change in humanity's perspective on themselves and the world. In the build-up to a great war, poor student…

London British and irish fiction Fantasy fiction

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The Iron Heel Jack London · 1907 ★★★★☆ 3.8 373 pages · ≈ 6 h 54 m · Challenging

Generally considered to be "the earliest of the modern Dystopian," it chronicles the rise of an oligarchic tyranny in the United States. It is arguably the novel in which Jack London's socialist views are most…

1 film adaptationBanned book

Revolutions Revolutionaries Socialism Political Fiction

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Side by side

The verdict

Readers rate The Iron Heel highest: The Iron Heel 3.8 · In the days of the comet 3.3.
In the days of the comet is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 6 for The Iron Heel.
The Iron Heel has the widest readership — 13121 ratings behind its score.

In the days of the comet: Check price →The Iron Heel: Check price →

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How to choose

Want a one-evening read? In the days of the comet ≈ 4h vs 6h for The Iron Heel Want the crowd-tested pick? The Iron Heel 13121 ratings vs 1911 for In the days of the comet Just want the better-reviewed one? The Iron Heel 3.8 vs 3.3 from readers

Scores by source

	In the days of the comet	The Iron Heel
Goodreads	3.3 (1911)	3.8 (13121)
Hardcover	2.5 (1)	3.7 (31)
Apple Books	3.5 (19)	4.0 (69)
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Reception

	In the days of the comet	The Iron Heel
Ratings	1911	13121
Editions	213	597
Citations	—	59
Film adaptations	1	1
Want to read	3013	26311
Reading it now	175	1090
Written reviews	194	1196
Wikipedia attention	565	5060
Pages	240	373
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Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: In the days of the comet or The Iron Heel?

The Iron Heel has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Iron Heel 3.8/5, In the days of the comet 3.3/5).

Which is shorter to read: In the days of the comet or The Iron Heel?

In the days of the comet is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: In the days of the comet (240 pages, ≈ 4 h 27 m); The Iron Heel (373 pages, ≈ 6 h 54 m).

Which is harder to read: In the days of the comet or The Iron Heel?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — In the days of the comet: Challenging; The Iron Heel: Challenging.

Have both books been made into films?

In the days of the comet: no film adaptation on record; The Iron Heel: 1 film adaptation.