Herbert George Wells (born 21 September 1866 in Bromley, Kent, England; died 13 August 1946 in London**) was an English writer, social critic, historian, and one of the founding fathers of modern science fiction. His imaginative works, sharp social commentary, and futuristic ideas earned him the title “The Father of Science Fiction,” alongside Jules Verne.
Early Life
Wells was born into a lower-middle-class family. His father was a shopkeeper and professional cricket player, and his mother worked as a lady’s maid. Money was scarce, and the family’s fortunes declined early in Wells’s life. A childhood accident in 1874 left him bedridden for months; during that time he immersed himself in books—an experience he later credited for awakening his love of storytelling.
Wells apprenticed unsuccessfully to various trades before earning a scholarship in 1884 to the Normal School of Science in London, where he studied biology under the famous evolutionary theorist T.H. Huxley. This scientific background strongly influenced his writing, especially his early science-fiction works.
Personal Life
Wells married his cousin Isabel Mary Wells in 1891, but the marriage soon failed. In 1895 he married Amy Catherine “Jane” Robbins, a former student of his, with whom he had two sons. Wells also had several extramarital relationships, some long-term, and fathered additional children.
He was outspoken in political and social matters, deeply involved in Fabian socialism, and wrote numerous essays and treatises advocating social reform, education, and global cooperation. Wells also traveled widely, meeting influential figures such as Lenin, Stalin, and Franklin Roosevelt.
Later in life, he shifted from fiction to history and social commentary, writing extensively on world politics, education, and the future of humanity.
Major Works
Science Fiction (“Scientific Romances”)
These works cemented his reputation and are still widely read today:
- The Time Machine (1895)
- The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896)
- The Invisible Man (1897)
- The War of the Worlds (1898)
- The First Men in the Moon (1901)
- The War in the Air (1908)
- The Sleeper Awakes (1910)
Social Novels
Wells also wrote fiction focused on class, society, and personal relationships:
- Kipps (1905)
- Ann Veronica (1909)
- Tono-Bungay (1909)
- The History of Mr Polly (1910)
Nonfiction
Wells produced influential works of history, politics, and social theory:
- Anticipations (1901)
- Mankind in the Making (1903)
- A Modern Utopia (1905)
- The Outline of History (1920) — an ambitious, bestselling world history
- The Science of Life (1930), co-written with Julian Huxley
- The Work, Wealth, and Happiness of Mankind (1932)
Legacy
H.G. Wells reshaped modern science fiction by introducing ideas like time travel through a machine, alien invasions, genetic engineering, and invisibility grounded in speculative science. His social novels and political writings also left a significant mark on early 20th-century thought.
Wells’s works continue to inspire films, radio adaptations, television series, and generations of writers. His combination of storytelling and scientific curiosity helped define what science fiction could be—and what the future might hold.