H.G. Wells :: English Literature

H.G. Wells Herbert George Wells was born in 1866 in Bromley, Kent. His career as an author was fostered by an unfortunate accident as a child. He broke his leg and spent the mandatory rest period reading every book which he could find. Wells was awarded a scholarship and furthered his education at the Normal School of Science in London. It was at the Normal School that Wells came under the wing of the famous biologist Thomas H. Huxley. Wells' "science fiction" (although he never called it such)was clearly influenced by his studies at the Normal School and his interest in biology. H.G. Wells gained fame with his first major fiction work: The Time Machine in 1895. Soon after the publication of this book, Wells followed with The Island of Dr. Moreau (1895), The Invisible Man (1897), and perhaps his most famous popular work: The War of the Worlds (1898). Over the years Wells became concerned with the fate of human society in a world where technology and scientific study were advancing at a rapid pace. For a period he was a member of The Fabian Society, a group of social philosophers in London. Wells's later works became less science fiction and more social critique. The accuracy of the "science" in Wells's work has often been called into question. It is rumored that Wells and the French novelist Jules Verne actually criticized each other's writing. Wells's claim was that "Verne couldn't write himself out of a paper sack" and Verne accused Wells of having "scientifically implausible ideas." The science may not be accurate, but the adventure and philosophy in those books makes Wells' early science fiction fun and fascinating to read. Herbert George Wells was born in 1866 in Bromly, a small town near London. He attended college and graduated with a degree in biology. His lower-middle-class background and his knowledge of science influenced his writings. He thought that science would make a better world. He also thought that that humans would destroy their own race by having a big atomic war and eventually kill each other off. Some of the books Wells wrote were The Time Machine, The Invisible Man The War of the Worlds and The Island of Doctor Moreau. He was very famous in his lifetime, and his books sold well. His book War of the Worlds was a radio drama, performed on Halloween night in 1938. Many people tuned in after they said "This is only a story", so they thought that Martian aliens were attacking Earth. So people grabbed their rifles and jumped in their cars and took off. H.G. Wells died in his sleep on