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H. G. Wells

Born Herbert George Wells
21 September 1866(1866-09-21)
Bromley, Kent, England
Died 13 August 1946 (aged 79)
London, England
Occupation Novelist, Teacher, Historian,
Journalist
Nationality English
Genres Science Fiction
Notable work(s) The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The Island of Doctor Moreau
Influences
Influenced

Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946)[1], better known as H. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common About the town The town has a large shopping and retail area including a pedestrianised High Street and The Glades shopping centre KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story In Education, a teacher is one who helps Students or pupils often in a School, as well as in a Family, religious or See also History An historian is an individual who studies and writes about History, and is regarded as an Authority on it A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices Journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events trends Nationality is a relationship between a Person and their State of Origin, Culture, association Affiliation and/or Loyalty A literary genre is a category of literary composition Genres may be determined by Literary technique, tone, Content, or even (as in the case of fiction The Time Machine is a novella by H G Wells, first published in 1895 and later directly adapted into at least two Feature films of the same name as The War of the Worlds (1898 by H G Wells, is an early Science fiction Novel which describes an invasion of England by Not to be confused with Invisible Man, a novel written by Ralph Waldo Ellison The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 Science fiction Novel written by H Jules Gabriel Verne ( February 8 1828 &ndash March 24 1905) was a French Author who pioneered the science-fiction Darwinism is a term used for various different movements or concepts related to a greater or lesser extent to Charles Darwin 's work on Evolution. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30 1835 – April 21 1910 better known by the Pen name Mark Twain, was an American Humorist, satirist Mary Shelley ( Née Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin; 30 August Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 William Olaf Stapledon ( May 10, 1886 &ndash September 6, 1950) was a British philosopher and author of several influential works Stanley Grauman Weinbaum ( April 4, 1902 - December 14, 1935) was a Jewish American Science fiction author Edgar Rice Burroughs ( September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author best known for his creation of the jungle hero Howard Phillips Lovecraft ( August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of horror, fantasy Frank Rudolph Paul ( April 18 1884 - June 29 1963) was an illustrator of US Pulp magazines in the Science fiction field Robert Hutchings Goddard, PhD ( October 5, 1882 &ndash August 10 1945 U Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7 1907 – May 8 1988 was an American Novelist and Science fiction Writer. Isaac Asimov (c January 2 1920 &ndash April 6 1992 ˈaɪzək ˈæzɪmʌv originally Исаак Озимов but now transcribed into Russian as, was a Russian Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE (16 December 1917–19 March 2008 was a British Science fiction Author, Inventor, and Carl Edward Sagan ( November 9 1934 &ndash December 20 1996) was an American Astronomer, astrochemist, author John Stewart Williamson ( April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006) who wrote as Jack Williamson (and occasionally under the Pseudonym Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber; December 28, 1922) is an American Writer, editor, creator of comic book characters Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950 who used the Pseudonym George Orwell, was an English writer Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963 Ray Douglas Bradbury (born August 22 1920 is an American mainstream, Fantasy, horror, Science fiction and mystery Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. G. Wells, was an English writer most famous today for his science fiction novels The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The First Men in the Moon and The Island of Doctor Moreau. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story The Time Machine is a novella by H G Wells, first published in 1895 and later directly adapted into at least two Feature films of the same name as The War of the Worlds (1898 by H G Wells, is an early Science fiction Novel which describes an invasion of England by Not to be confused with Invisible Man, a novel written by Ralph Waldo Ellison See also A Trip to the Moon, The First Men in the Moon (1919 film, First Men in the Moon (1964 film The First Men in the Moon The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 Science fiction Novel written by H He was a prolific writer of both fiction and non-fiction, and produced works in many genres, including contemporary novels, history, and social commentary. He was an outspoken socialist, his later works becoming increasingly political and didactic. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Only his early science fiction novels are widely read today. Wells and Jules Verne are each sometimes referred to as "The Father of Science Fiction". Jules Gabriel Verne ( February 8 1828 &ndash March 24 1905) was a French Author who pioneered the science-fiction [2]

Contents

Biography

Early life

Herbert George Wells, fourth and last child of Joseph Wells (a former domestic gardener, and at the time shopkeeper and amateur cricketer) and his wife Sarah Neal (a former domestic servant), was born at Atlas House, 47 High Street, Bromley, in the county of Kent. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries A domestic worker, domestic, servingman, servingwoman, or servant is one who works and often also lives within the employer's household About the town The town has a large shopping and retail area including a pedestrianised High Street and The Glades shopping centre The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format [1] The family was of the impoverished lower-middle-class. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions (or stratification) between individuals or groups in Societies or Cultures. An inheritance had allowed them to purchase a china shop, though they quickly realised it would never be a prosperous concern: the stock was old and worn out, and the location was poor. They managed to earn a meagre income, but little of it came from the shop. Joseph sold cricket bats and balls and other equipment at the matches he played at, and received an unsteady amount of money from the matches, since at that time there were no professional cricketers, and payment for skilled bowlers and batters came from voluntary donations afterwards, or from small payments from the clubs where matches were played.

A defining incident of young Wells's life was an accident he had in 1874, when he was seven years old, which left him bedridden with a broken leg. [1] To pass the time he started reading books from the local library, brought to him by his father. He soon became devoted to the other worlds and lives to which books gave him access; they also stimulated his desire to write. Later that year he entered Thomas Morley's Commercial Academy, a private school founded in 1849 following the bankruptcy of Morley's earlier school. For the film of this title see Private School (film. Private schools, or Independent schools are Schools not administered The teaching was erratic, the curriculum mostly focused, Wells later said, on producing copperplate handwriting and doing the sort of sums useful to tradesmen. Copperplate refers to the use of inscribed sheets of copper in printing Wells continued at Morley's Academy until 1880. In 1877, his father, Joseph Wells, fractured his thigh. The accident effectively put an end to Joseph's career as a cricketer, and his earnings as a shopkeeper were not enough to compensate for the loss.

No longer able to support themselves financially, the family instead sought to place their boys as apprentices to various occupations. Apprenticeship is a system of Training a new generation of practitioners of a skill From 1881 to 1883 Wells had an unhappy apprenticeship as a draper at the Southsea Drapery Emporium. Draper is the now largely obsolete term for a merchant in cloth or dry goods though often used specifically for one who owns or works in a draper's shop or store Southsea is a Seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern tip of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England His experiences were later used as inspiration for his novels The Wheels of Chance and Kipps, which describe the life of a draper's apprentice as well as being critiques of the world's distribution of wealth. The Wheels of Chance is a Comic novel by H G Wells. Plot introduction This novel was written at the peak of what has been called Kipps The Story of a Simple Soul is a Novel by HG Wells, first published in 1905

Wells's mother and father had never got along with one another particularly well (she was a Protestant, he a freethinker), and when she went back to work as a lady's maid (at Uppark, a country house in Sussex) one of the conditions of work was that she would not have space for husband or children. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that Beliefs should be formed on the basis of Science and Logic and should not be influenced A lady's maid is a female personal attendant who waits on the Lady of the house. Uppark is a 17th-century house in South Harting, Petersfield, West Sussex, England and a National Trust property The English country house is generally accepted as a large House or Mansion, once in the ownership of an individual who also usually owned another Great Sussex is a historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. Thereafter, she and Joseph lived separate lives, though they never divorced and neither ever developed any other liaison. As for Wells, he not only failed at being a draper, he also failed as a chemist's assistant, and after each failure, he would arrive at Uppark -- "the bad shilling back again!" as he said -- and stay there until a fresh start could be arranged for him. Fortunately for Wells, Uppark had a magnificent library in which he immersed himself, reading many classic works, including Plato's Republic, and More's Utopia.

Teacher

H. G. Wells in 1908 at the door of his house at Sandgate
H. G. Wells in 1908 at the door of his house at Sandgate

In 1883, Wells's employer dismissed him, claiming to be dissatisfied with his work (a verdict with which Wells later came to agree) and the young man was far from displeased with this ending to his apprenticeship. Sandgate is a village in the Folkestone & Hythe Urban Area in the Shepway district of Kent County, England. [1] Later that year, he became an assistant teacher at Midhurst Grammar School, in West Sussex (teaching students such as A.A. Milne[3]), until he won a scholarship to the Normal School of Science (later the Royal College of Science, now part of Imperial College London) in London, studying biology under T. H. Huxley. Midhurst is a Market town and Civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England Settlements Most settlements in West Sussex are either along the south coast or are situated in the M23 corridor Alan Alexander Milne (ˈmɪln (18 January 1882 &ndash 31 January 1956 was an English Author, best known for his Books about the Teddy bear For the Irish college of the same name see Royal College of Science (Ireland. For the Irish college of the same name see Royal College of Science (Ireland. Imperial College London (officially The Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine as given in its Royal Charter It is one of only three universities to have reached Foundations of modern biology There are five unifying principles Thomas Henry Huxley PC FRS (4 May 1825 – 29 June 1895 was an English Biologist, known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy As an alumnus, he later helped to set up the Royal College of Science Association, of which he became the first president in 1909. Wells studied in his new school until 1887 with a weekly allowance of twenty-one shillings (a guinea) thanks to his scholarship. The shilling is a unit of Currency used in current and former Commonwealth countries and was continued to be used in countries that left the commonwealth The guinea coin of 1663 was the first English machine-struck Gold coin. This ought to have been a comfortable sum of money (at the time many working class families had "round about a pound a week" as their entire household income)[4]yet in his Autobiography, Wells speaks of constantly being hungry, and indeed, photographs of him at the time show a youth so thin as to be virtually starving. Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types

He soon entered the Debating Society of the school. These years mark the beginning of his interest in a possible reformation of society. At first approaching the subject through The Republic by Plato, he soon turned to contemporary ideas of socialism as expressed by the recently formed Fabian Society and free lectures delivered at Kelmscott House, the home of William Morris. The Republic ( Greek: / Politeía, meaning "political system" Latin: Res Publica, meaning "public business" or Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution The Fabian Society is a British Intellectual Socialist movement whose purpose is to advance the principles of Social democracy via Gradualist Kelmscott House is a historic building in Hammersmith, the London home of William Morris from April 1879 to his death in October 1896 William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896 was an English Architect, Furniture and Textile designer artist writer and socialist associated He was also among the founders of The Science School Journal, a school magazine which allowed him to express his views on literature and society, as well as trying his hand at fiction: the first version of his novel The Time Machine was published in the journal under the title, The Chronic Argonauts. The school year 1886-1887 was the last year of his studies. In spite of having previously successfully passed his exams in both biology and physics, his lack of interest in geology resulted in his failure to pass and the loss of his scholarship. Foundations of modern biology There are five unifying principles Physics (Greek Physis - φύσις in everyday terms is the Science of Matter and its motion. Geology (from Greek γη gê, "earth" and λόγος Logos, "speech" lit It was not until 1890 that Wells earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from the University of London External Programme. The University of London External System (until recently the University of London External Programme) is the External degree granting division of the University

Upon leaving the Normal School of Science, Wells was left without a source of income. His aunt Mary, a cousin of his father, invited him to stay with her for a while, so at least he did not face the problem of housing. During his stay with his aunt, he grew interested in her daughter, Isabel.

Private life

In 1891 Wells married his cousin Isabel Mary Wells, but left her in 1894 for one of his students, Amy Catherine Robbins, whom he married in 1895. A cousin couple is a pair of Cousins who are involved in a romantic or Sexual relationship He had two sons by Amy: George Philip (known as 'Gip') in 1901 and Frank Richard in 1903. George Philip Wells FRS ( 17 July 1901 – 27 September 1985) son of the British Science fiction Author [5]

During his marriage to Amy, Wells had liaisons with a number of women, including the American birth-control activist and eugenicist Margaret Sanger[6] and novelist Elizabeth von Arnim. For other uses see Love Affair or Scandal An affair may refer to a form of nonmonogamy, to Infidelity or to Adultery. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Birth control, sometimes synonymous with contraception, is a regimen of one or more actions devices or Medications followed in order to deliberately prevent Eugenics is a social Philosophy which advocates the improvement of Human Hereditary traits through various forms of intervention Margaret Higgins Sanger ( September 14, 1879 &ndash September 6, 1966) was an American Birth control activist an advocate Elizabeth von Arnim ( August 31, 1866 &ndash February 9, 1941) born Mary Annette Beauchamp, was a British novelist In 1909 he had a daughter, Anna-Jane, with the writer Amber Reeves,[5] whose parents, William and Maud Pember Reeves, he had met through the Fabian Society; and in 1914, a son, Anthony West, by the novelist and feminist Rebecca West, twenty-six years his junior. Amber Reeves ( 1 July 1887 - 26 December 1981) was a British feminist writer and scholar daughter of New Zealand The Hon William Pember Reeves ( 10 February 1857 - was a New Zealand Statesman, Historian and Poet, who promoted social Maud Pember Reeves ( 24 December 1865 - 13 September 1953) (born Magdalene Stuart Robison) was a feminist writer and member of the The Fabian Society is a British Intellectual Socialist movement whose purpose is to advance the principles of Social democracy via Gradualist Anthony West ( August 4, 1914 - December 27, 1987) was a British Author, the son of British authors Rebecca West and Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate Cicely Isabel Fairfield ( December 21, 1892 - March 15, 1983) known by her pen name Rebecca West, or Dame Rebecca West [7] In spite of Amy Catherine's knowledge of some of these affairs, she remained married to Wells until her death in 1927. [5] Wells also had liaisons with Odette Keun and Moura Budberg. Countess later Baroness Moura (Maria Ignatievna Zakrevskaya Benckendorff Budberg (c

"I was never a great amorist," Wells wrote in Experiment in Autobiography (1934), "though I have loved several people very deeply. "

Artist

As one method of self-expression, Wells tended to sketch a lot. One common location for these sketches was the endpapers and title pages of his own diaries, and they covered a wide variety of topics, from political commentary to his feelings toward his literary contemporaries and his current romantic interests. During his marriage to Amy Catherine, whom he nicknamed Jane, he sketched a considerable number of pictures, many of them being overt comments on their marriage. It was during this period, and this period only, that he called his sketches "picshuas. " These picshuas have been the topic of study by Wells scholars for many years, and recently a book was published on the subject. [8]

Games

Seeking a more structured way to play war games, Wells wrote Floor Games (1911) followed by Little Wars (1913). Floor Games was written by science fiction author H G Wells in 1911 and is a lighthearted sometimes humorous discussion about the theory purpose and methodology Little Wars was written by the famous author H G Wells in 1913 and is a set of rules for playing with Toy soldiers Its full title is Little Little Wars is recognised today as the first recreational wargame and Wells is regarded by gamers and hobbyists as "the Father of Miniature War gaming. Miniature wargaming is a form of Wargaming that incorporates Miniature figures and modeled terrain as the main components of play " [9]

Writer

Wells's first non-fiction bestseller was Anticipations (1901). A bestseller is a Book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade [10] When originally serialised in a magazine it was subtitled, "An Experiment in Prophecy", and is considered his most explicitly futuristic work. The future is commonly understood to contain all events that have yet to occur Anticipating what the world would be like in the year 2000, the book is interesting both for its hits (trains and cars resulting in the dispersion of population from cities to suburbs; moral restrictions declining as men and women seek greater sexual freedom; the defeat of German militarism, and the existence of a European Union) and its misses (he did not expect successful aircraft before 1950, and averred that "my imagination refuses to see any sort of submarine doing anything but suffocate its crew and founder at sea"). Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Militarism is the belief or desire of a government or people that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

Statue of a The War of the Worlds tripod, erected as a tribute to H. G. Wells in Woking town centre, UK.
Statue of a The War of the Worlds tripod, erected as a tribute to H. The War of the Worlds (1898 by H G Wells, is an early Science fiction Novel which describes an invasion of England by Tripods or fighting-machines are a type of fictional three-legged walker from the H G. Wells in Woking town centre, UK. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

His early novels, called "scientific romances", invented a number of themes now classic in science fiction in such works as The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds and The First Men in the Moon (which have all been made into films). See also History of science fiction Scientific romance is a bygone name for what is now commonly known as Science fiction. The Time Machine is a novella by H G Wells, first published in 1895 and later directly adapted into at least two Feature films of the same name as The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 Science fiction Novel written by H Not to be confused with Invisible Man, a novel written by Ralph Waldo Ellison The War of the Worlds (1898 by H G Wells, is an early Science fiction Novel which describes an invasion of England by See also A Trip to the Moon, The First Men in the Moon (1919 film, First Men in the Moon (1964 film The First Men in the Moon He also wrote other, non-fantastic novels which have received critical acclaim, including Kipps and the satire on Edwardian advertising, Tono-Bungay. Kipps The Story of a Simple Soul is a Novel by HG Wells, first published in 1905 Tono-Bungay (1909 by H G Wells, is a realist semi-autobiographical novel

Wells also wrote several dozen short stories and novellas, the best known of which is "The Country of the Blind" (1904). "The Country of the Blind" is a Short story written by English Writer H Besides being an important occurrence of blindness in literature, this is Wells's commentary on humanity's ability to overcome any inconvenience after a few generations and think that it is normal.

His short story "The New Accelerator" was the inspiration for the Star Trek episode Wink of an Eye. See also Blink of an Eye (Voyager episode " Wink of an Eye " is a third season episode of Star Trek The Original Series, and [11]

Though Tono-Bungay was not a science-fiction novel, radioactive decay plays a small but consequential role in it. Tono-Bungay (1909 by H G Wells, is a realist semi-autobiographical novel Radioactive decay is the process in which an unstable Atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting ionizing particles and Radiation. Radioactive decay plays a much larger role in The World Set Free (1914). The World Set Free is a novel published in 1914 by H G Wells. This book contains what is surely his biggest prophetic "hit. " Scientists of the day were well aware that the natural decay of radium releases energy at a slow rate over thousands of years. Radium (ˈreɪdiəm is a radioactive Chemical element which has the symbol Ra and Atomic number 88 The rate of release is too slow to have practical utility, but the total amount released is huge. Wells's novel revolves around an (unspecified) invention that accelerates the process of radioactive decay, producing bombs that explode with no more than the force of ordinary high explosive— but which "continue to explode" for days on end. "Nothing could have been more obvious to the people of the earlier twentieth century," he wrote, "than the rapidity with which war was becoming impossible. . . [but] they did not see it until the atomic bombs burst in their fumbling hands. " Leó Szilárd acknowledged that the book inspired him to theorise the nuclear chain reaction. Leó Szilárd (Szilárd Leó February 11, 1898 – May 30, 1964) was an Hungarian - American Physicist who A nuclear chain reaction occurs when one Nuclear reaction causes an average of one or more nuclear reactions thus leading to a self-propagating number of these reactions [12]

Wells also wrote nonfiction. His bestselling two-volume work, The Outline of History (1920), began a new era of popularised world history. The Outline of History, subtitled either " The Whole Story of Man " or " Being A Plain History of Life and Mankind It received a mixed critical response from professional historians, but was praised by Arnold J. Toynbee as the best introductory history available. This page is about the universal historian Arnold Joseph Toynbee for the economic historian Arnold Toynbee see this article. [1] Many other authors followed with 'Outlines' of their own in other subjects. Wells reprised his Outline in 1922 with a much shorter popular work, A Short History of the World[2], and two long efforts, The Science of Life (1930) and The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1931). The Science of Life is nine books in three volumes written by Julian Huxley and G The 'Outlines' became sufficiently common for James Thurber to parody the trend in his humorous essay, "An Outline of Scientists" — indeed, Wells's Outline of History remains in print with a new 2005 edition, while A Short History of the World has been recently reedited (2006). James Grover Thurber ( December 8, 1894 &ndash November 2, 1961) was an American Humorist and Cartoonist.

From quite early in his career, he sought a better way to organise society, and wrote a number of Utopian novels. Utopia is a name for an ideal community taken from the title of a book written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More describing a fictional Island in the Usually starting with the world rushing to catastrophe, until people realise a better way of living: whether by mysterious gases from a comet causing people to behave rationally (In the Days of the Comet), or a world council of scientists taking over, as in The Shape of Things to Come (1933, which he later adapted for the 1936 Alexander Korda film, Things to Come). A comet is a small Solar System body that orbits the Sun and when close enough to the Sun exhibits a visible coma (atmosphere or a tail — The Shape of Things to Come is a work of Science fiction by H Sir Alexander Korda (September 16 1893 - January 23 1956 was a Hungarian-born Film director and producer. Things to Come ( 1936) is a British Science fiction film, produced by Alexander Korda and directed by William Cameron Menzies This depicted, all too accurately, the impending World War, with cities being destroyed by aerial bombs. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including He also portrayed social reconstruction through the rise of fascist dictators in The Autocracy of Mr Parham (1930) and The Holy Terror (1939). Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology

H. G. Wells in 1943
H. G. Wells in 1943

Wells contemplates the ideas of nature vs. nurture and questions humanity in books like The Island of Doctor Moreau. The nature versus nurture debates concern the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities ("nature" i The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 Science fiction Novel written by H Not all his scientific romances ended in a happy Utopia, as the dystopian When the Sleeper Wakes (1899, rewritten as The Sleeper Awakes, 1910) shows. A dystopia (from the Greek δυσ- and τόπος alternatively cacotopia, kakotopia, cackotopia, or anti-utopia) is the vision of a society The Sleeper Awakes (1910 is a Dystopian Novel by H G Wells about a man who sleeps for two hundred and three years waking up in a completely The Sleeper Awakes (1910 is a Dystopian Novel by H G Wells about a man who sleeps for two hundred and three years waking up in a completely The Island of Doctor Moreau is even darker. The narrator, having been trapped on an island of animals vivisected (unsuccessfully) into human beings, eventually returns to England; like Gulliver on his return from the Houyhnhnms, he finds himself unable to shake off the perceptions of his fellow humans as barely civilised beasts, slowly reverting back to their animal natures. Gulliver's Travels (1726 amended 1735 officially Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World in Four Parts Houyhnhnms are a race of intelligent horses described in the last part of Jonathan Swift 's satiric Gulliver's Travels.

Wells also wrote the preface for the first edition of W. N. P. Barbellion's diaries, The Journal of a Disappointed Man, published in 1919. W(ilhelm N(ero P(ilate Barbellion was the Nom-de-plume of Bruce Frederick Cummings ( September 7, 1889 - October 22, 1919 Since "Barbellion" was the real author's pen-name, many reviewers believed Wells to have been the true author of the Journal; Wells always denied this, despite being full of praise for the diaries, but the rumours persisted until Barbellion's death later that year. A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a Pseudonym adopted by an Author or their publishers to conceal their identity

In 1927, Florence Deeks sued Wells for plagiarism, claiming that he had stolen much of the content of The Outline of History from a work, The Web, she had submitted to the Canadian Macmillan Company, but who held onto the manuscript for eight months before rejecting it. Plagiarism is the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work The Outline of History, subtitled either " The Whole Story of Man " or " Being A Plain History of Life and Mankind Despite numerous similarities in phrasing and factual errors, the court found Wells not guilty.

In 1934 Wells predicted that another world war would begin in 1940, a prediction which ultimately came true. [3]

In 1936, before the Royal Institution of Great Britain, Wells called for the compilation of a constantly growing and changing World Encyclopaedia, to be reviewed by outstanding authorities and made accessible to every human being. The Royal Institution of Great Britain is an organization devoted to scientific education and research based in London. An encyclopedia (or '''encyclopædia''') is a comprehensive written Compendium that contains Information on either all branches of Knowledge In 1938, he published a collection of essays on the future organisation of knowledge and education, World Brain, including the essay, "The Idea of a Permanent World Encyclopaedia. World Brain is the title of a book of essays by English author H "

Near the end of the Second World War, Allied forces discovered that the SS had compiled lists of intellectuals and politicians slated for immediate liquidation upon the invasion of England in the abandoned Operation Sea Lion. The ( German for "Protective Squadron" abbreviated SS - or ( Runic)- was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the Operation Sealion (Unternehmen Seelöwe was Germany's plan to invade the United Kingdom during World War II, beginning in 1940 The name "H. G. Wells" appeared high on the list for the "crime" of being a socialist. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Wells, as president of the International PEN (Poets, Essayists, Novelists), had already angered the Nazis by overseeing the expulsion of the German PEN club from the international body in 1934 following the German PEN's refusal to admit non-Aryan writers to its membership. For the "Postsecondary Education Network International" see PEN-International International PEN, the worldwide association of Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Aryan is an English word derived from the Sanskrit " Ārya " meaning "noble" or "honorable"

Politics

Wells called his political views socialist. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution He was for a time a member of the socialist Fabian Society, but broke with them as he intended them to be an organisation far more radical than they wanted. The Fabian Society is a British Intellectual Socialist movement whose purpose is to advance the principles of Social democracy via Gradualist He later grew staunchly critical of them as having a poor understanding of economics and educational reform. He ran as a Labour Party candidate for London University in the 1922 and 1923 general elections after the death of his friend W.H.R Rivers, but at that point his faith in the party was weak or uncertain. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the London University was a University constituency electing one member to the British House of Commons, from 1868 to 1950 The UK general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922 It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish The UK general election of 1923 was held on 6 December 1923 The Conservatives, led by Stanley Baldwin, won the most seats but Labour, led by William Halse Rivers Rivers, FRCP, FRS, ( -) was an English Anthropologist, Neurologist,

His most consistent political ideal was the World State. World government is the concept of a political body that would make interpret and enforce International law. He stated in his autobiography that from 1900 onward he considered a world-state inevitable. He envisioned the state to be a planned society that will advance science, end nationalism, and allow people to advance by merit rather than birth. During his work on the United Nations Charter, he opposed any mention of democracy. The United Nations Charter is the Treaty that forms and establishes the International organization called the United Nations. He feared the average citizen could never be educated or aware enough to decide major world issues. Therefore he favoured suffrage to be limited to scientists, organisers, engineers, and others of merit. On the other hand, he strongly believed citizens should have as much freedom as possible without restricting the freedom of others. These values came under increasing criticism from the 1920s and afterwards. [13]

Lenin's attempts at reconstructing the shattered Russian economy, as his account of a visit (Russia in the Shadows; 1920) shows, also related towards that. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Russia in the Shadows is the title of the book published in 1920 which includes a series of articles written by H This is because at first he believed Lenin might lead to the kind of planned world he envisioned. This was in spite of the fact that he was a strongly anti-Marxist socialist who would later state that it would've been better if Karl Marx was never born.

The leadership of Joseph Stalin led to a change in his view of the Soviet Union even though his initial impression of Stalin himself was mixed. Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party He disliked what he saw as a narrow orthodoxy and obdurance to the facts in Stalin. However he did give him some praise saying in an article in the left-leaning New Statesman magazine, "I have never met a man more fair, candid, and honest" and making it clear that he felt the "sinister" image of Stalin was unfair or simply false. The New Statesman is a British Left-wing political Magazine published weekly in London. Nevertheless he judged Stalin's rule to be far too rigid, restrictive of independent thought, and blinkered to lead toward the Cosmopolis he hoped for. [14]

In the end his contemporary political impact was limited. His efforts to help form the League of Nations became a disappointment as the organisation turned out to be a weak one unable to prevent World War II. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The war itself increased the pessimistic side of his nature. In his last book Mind at the End of its Tether (1945) he considered the idea that humanity being replaced by another species might not be a bad idea. He also came to call the era "The age of frustration. " He spent his final years venting this frustration at various targets which included a neighbour who erected a large sign to a servicemen's club. As he devoted his final decades toward causes which were largely rejected by contemporaries, this caused his literary reputation to decline. One critic said, "Mr. Wells is a born storyteller who has sold his birthright for a pot of message. "[15]

Wells, like many in his time, believed in the theory of eugenics. Eugenics is a social Philosophy which advocates the improvement of Human Hereditary traits through various forms of intervention In 1904 he discussed a survey paper by Francis Galton, co-founder of eugenics, saying "I believe . Sir Francis Galton FRS ( 16 February 1822 &ndash 17 January 1911) half-cousin of Charles Darwin, was an . It is in the sterilisation of failure, and not in the selection of successes for breeding, that the possibility of an improvement of the human stock lies. " Some contemporary supporters even suggested connections between the "degenerate" man-creatures portrayed in The Time Machine and Wells's eugenic beliefs. For example, this is what Irving Fisher, the economist, said in his 1912 presidential address to the Eugenics Research Association: "The Nordic race will. Irving Fisher ( February 27 1867 Saugerties, New York &ndash April 29 1947, New York was an American economist . . vanish or lose its dominance if, in fact, the whole human race does not sink so low as to become the prey, as H. G. Wells images, of some less degenerate animal!"[16]

Legacy

Wells, a diabetic,[17] died of unspecified causes[18] on 13 August 1946 at his home at 13 Hanover Terrace, Regent's Park, London, although some reports indicate the cause of death was diabetes or liver cancer. Diabetes mellitus (ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz or /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtəs/ /məˈlaɪtəs/ or /ˈmɛlətəs/ often referred to simply as diabetes ( Ancient Greek: grc Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For other meanings see Regent's Park (disambiguation Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks [19] In his preface to the 1941 edition of The War in the Air, Wells had stated that his epitaph should be: "I told you so. The War in the Air is a novel by H G Wells, written in 1907 serialized and published in 1908 You damned fools. "[20] but his wish was not granted as he was cremated on 16 August 1946 and his ashes later scattered at sea. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [21] A commemorative blue plaque in his honour was installed at his home in Regent's Park. In the United Kingdom, a blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event

In his lifetime and after his death, Wells was considered a prominent socialist thinker. In later years, however, Wells's image has shifted and he is now regarded as one of the pioneers of science fiction. Wells was a co-founder in 1934 of what is now Diabetes UK, the leading charity for people living with diabetes in the UK. Diabetes UK is a patient healthcare professional and Research charity dedicated to improving the lives of people with diabetes and to working towards a future without

In popular fiction

H. G. Wells has been portrayed in a number of novels and films, including:

Works

Main article: H. G. Wells bibliography

Honours

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Parrinder, Patrick (2004). Cousin coupleThis is a list of prominent individuals who have been romantically or maritally coupled with a Cousin, Niece, Nephew, Aunt Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press.  
  2. ^ Adam Charles Roberts(2000), "The History of Science Fiction": Page 48 in Science Fiction, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-19204-8. Others who are popularly called the "Fathers of Science Fiction" include Hugo Gernsback and Jules Verne. Hugo Gernsback ( August 16 1884 – August 19 1967) born Hugo Gernsbacher, was a Luxembourg American Inventor Jules Gabriel Verne ( February 8 1828 &ndash March 24 1905) was a French Author who pioneered the science-fiction
  3. ^ A(lan) A(lexander) Milne (1882-1956). Authors' Calendar. Retrieved on 2007-04-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople
  4. ^ Reeves, M. S. Round About a Pound a Week. New York: Garland Pub. , 1980. ISBN 0824001192 Some of the text is available online.
  5. ^ a b c ThinkQuest Library. H. G. Wells Biography.
  6. ^ University of Illinois News Bureau, December 2001. New biography on H. G. Wells focuses on late-life loves.
  7. ^ Pegasos - A Literature Related Resource Site. H(erbert) G(eorge) Wells (1866-1946).
  8. ^ Rinkel, Gene and Margaret. The Picshuas of H. G. Wells : A burlesque diary. Urbana : University of Illinois Press, 2006. ISBN 0-252-03045-1 (cloth : acid-free paper).
  9. ^ The Miniatures Page. The World of Miniatures - An Overview.
  10. ^ World Transhumanist Association. Herbert George Wells.
  11. ^ Leeper, Evelyn C. . Philcon 2003. fanac. org. Retrieved on 2008-02-22. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne
  12. ^ Williams, Donald. The Birth of the Bomb: Leo Szilard. The Jung Page. Retrieved on 2008-02-22. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne
  13. ^ An Experiment in Autobiography 556. Also chapter four of Future as Nightmare: H. G. Wells and the Anti-Utopians by Mark Robert Hillegas.
  14. ^ An Experiment in Autobiography p. 215, 687-689
  15. ^ Encyclopedia Americana vol. The Encyclopædia Americana is one of the largest general Encyclopedias in the English language. 28 p. 616 and The Scientific Romance in Britain: 1890-1950 by Brian Stableford. Brian Michael Stableford (born July 25, 1948) is a British Science fiction writer who has published more than 50 novels Also The "pot of message" remark comes from a 1948 Theodore Sturgeon short story entitled Unite and Conquer, a character in the story was quoting a "Dr. Theodore Sturgeon (born Edward Hamilton Waldo on February 26, 1918; died May 8, 1985) was an American Science fiction Pierce".
  16. ^ David M. Levy and Sandra J. Peart. "Eugenics Rides a Time Machine: H. G. Wells's outline of genocide". Reason Magazine. 26 March, 2002
  17. ^ H. G. Wells. For Your Diabetes Life. Retrieved on 2008-02-12. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the
  18. ^ H. G. Wells. NNDB. Retrieved on 2008-02-12. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the
  19. ^ Calendar. Classics & Cheese. Retrieved on 2008-02-12. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the
  20. ^ Preface to the 1941 edition of The War in the Air. Retrieved on 2008-02-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
  21. ^ West, Anthony. "H. G. Wells: Aspects of a Life", p. 153. London: Hutchinson & Co, 1984. ISBN 0 09 134540 5).
  22. ^ Gingrich, Newt. To Renew America. New York: HarperCollins, 1995. HarperCollins is a Publishing company owned by News Corporation. p. 189.

Further reading

External links

Sources - collections

Sources - letters, essays and interviews

Biography

Critical essays

Other


Persondata
NAME Wells, Herbert George
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wells, H. G.
SHORT DESCRIPTION English novelist, teacher, historian and journalist
DATE OF BIRTH September 21, 1866(1866-09-21)
PLACE OF BIRTH Bromley, Kent, England
DATE OF DEATH August 13, 1946
PLACE OF DEATH London, England
Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common About the town The town has a large shopping and retail area including a pedestrianised High Street and The Glades shopping centre KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland
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