Portrait of H.G. Wells by George Charles Beresford, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

H.G. Wells: The Father of Science Fiction

H.G. Wells (Herbert George Wells, 1866–1946) was a trailblazing author, visionary thinker, and one of the founding figures of modern science fiction. Best known for his groundbreaking novels, The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, and The Invisible Man, Wells used storytelling to explore—and question—science, society, and the future, long before such ideas became mainstream.

Born in Bromley, England, and raised in modest circumstances, Wells defied expectations to become a best-selling novelist, a bold futurist, and an outspoken advocate for social reform. He predicted tanks, space travel, and even the internet—and he didn’t just dream up new worlds. He challenged readers to rethink their own.

Today, more than a century after his most famous works were published, Wells remains a towering figure whose ideas continue to shape science fiction, political thought, and pop culture.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

Early Life and Education

H.G. Wells was born Herbert George Wells on September 21, 1866, in Bromley, Kent, a small town southeast of London. His parents, Joseph and Sarah Wells, came from working-class backgrounds. Joseph ran a struggling shop and played professional cricket, while Sarah worked as a housekeeper for a wealthy family. H.G. was their fourth and youngest child. The family faced constant financial hardship, and their modest lifestyle shaped Wells’ views on class and opportunity.

A turning point came when Wells broke his leg at age eight. Stuck in bed for weeks, he devoured books, sparking a lifelong passion for reading and storytelling. He especially loved tales of war, adventure, and heroic struggle. This early exposure to literature planted the seeds for the scientific romances he would one day write.

Young H.G. Wells as a child, wearing a suit and seated in a formal studio portrait.
Photograph of H.G. Wells as a child, often referred to as “Bertie” by family. Public domain image via Wikimedia Commons.

Wells’ formal education began at Thomas Morley’s Commercial Academy in Bromley, but it was short-lived. After his father was injured in a fall, Wells was pulled from school and sent to work as a draper’s apprentice—a job he hated. Long hours, dull routines, and cramped dormitories made the experience miserable. He later used this as inspiration for his novel Kipps.

Eventually, Wells found his way back to school thanks to a scholarship. He studied at Midhurst Grammar School, where a teacher recognized his potential and helped him secure a scholarship to the Normal School of Science in London (now part of Imperial College). There, he studied biology under the famous evolutionary biologist T.H. Huxley, a prominent advocate for Darwin’s theory of evolution.

This scientific training deeply influenced Wells’ writing, blending real science with imaginative fiction in ways no one had done before.

From Teacher to Time Traveler

After earning his science degree, H.G. Wells spent several years teaching biology and writing in his spare time. But illness forced him to leave the classroom behind. During a long period of recovery from tuberculosis and recurring lung hemorrhages, he began to write more seriously—turning his scientific imagination into stories.

In 1895, Wells published The Time Machine, a short novel that introduced readers to a mind-bending new concept: traveling through time in a machine. The book was an instant hit and helped launch the genre we now know as science fiction. Just three years later, he followed it with The War of the Worlds, his groundbreaking tale of Martians invading Earth. Inspired in part by British imperialism, the novel flipped the script by showing what it would feel like to be on the receiving end of conquest.

Black-and-white portrait of a young H.G. Wells in a suit and tie, facing left.
Portrait of H.G. Wells from The Works of H.G. Wells, Volume 6. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Between 1895 and 1901, Wells published a remarkable string of genre-defining books:

  • The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896) – A dark look at science without ethics
  • The Invisible Man (1897) – A tale of power, isolation, and madness
  • The War of the Worlds (1898) – A survival story that also critiques colonialism
  • The First Men in the Moon (1901) – An early imagining of space travel

These stories weren’t just wild adventures—they wrestled with what it means to be human in a world of power, science, and survival. With these early successes, Wells quickly became a literary sensation and helped define the “scientific romance”, the forerunner to modern science fiction.

These novels, among others, helped cement Wells’ reputation as one of the founding fathers of science fiction—a title he shares with contemporaries like Jules Verne.

Did You Know?

Amid his rise to literary fame, Wells also made time for games. He wrote Floor Games (1911), a whimsical guide to imaginative indoor play with his sons, and Little Wars (1913), a manual for conducting tabletop war games using toy soldiers. The latter is often credited as the first formal set of miniature war game rules—blending fun with serious reflections on conflict.

H.G. Wells lying in the grass playing Little Wars with toy soldiers and miniature houses
H.G. Wells playing his tabletop wargame Little Wars in his garden, surrounded by toy soldiers, buildings, and miniature artillery. Public domain image via Wikimedia Commons.

Themes, Beliefs, and Bold Predictions

Wells wrote not just to entertain, but to warn, question, and imagine. Though best known as a novelist, he was also a historian, futurist, and social critic. He used science fiction as a lens to examine the human condition. His fiction tackled questions about science, society, and humanity’s uncertain future.

Click for a quick overview of recurring themes in H.G. Wells’ most influential works.
  • Humanity and Morality: What does it mean to be human in the face of technological advancement?
  • Social Inequality: Wells was deeply concerned with class struggles, as seen in The Time Machine and his political essays.
  • Science and Ethics: A fascination with science was tempered by a critical view of its potential misuse, evident in The Island of Doctor Moreau and The Invisible Man.

Drawing on his background in biology and evolution, Wells saw humans not as finished products, but as works in progress—flawed, adaptable, and at risk.

🚀 Science and the Human Condition

Wells was fascinated by science, but never blindly optimistic. In stories like The Island of Doctor Moreau and The Invisible Man, he explored how scientific power without ethics could go horribly wrong. He questioned whether progress always meant improvement—and whether humans were ready for the forces they were unleashing.

🏛️ Class Struggles and Social Justice

Coming from a working-class family, Wells never forgot the realities of poverty. Books like The Time Machine and Kipps shine a harsh light on social inequality, imagining futures where class divisions have grown even more extreme. He believed deeply in the power of education to level the playing field.

🌍 Imperialism Turned Upside Down

In The War of the Worlds, Wells flipped colonialism on its head. Instead of British forces invading distant lands, the Martians invade England. It was a shock to Victorian-era readers—and a clever way to show what it felt like to be conquered.

“Are we such apostles of mercy as to complain if the Martians warred in the same spirit?”
— H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds

🔮 Predictions That Came True

Wells imagined tanks (The Land Ironclads, 1903), aerial warfare (The War in the Air, 1908), nuclear weapons, surveillance states, and even something resembling the modern internet (World Brain, 1938). Some ideas seemed outlandish at the time—but today, they read like prophecy.

“Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature’s inexorable imperative.”
— H.G. Wells

Politics and Social Reform

H.G. Wells didn’t just envision the future—he tried to shape it. A lifelong socialist, Wells joined the Fabian Society in 1903, a group that advocated for gradual social change. But he quickly clashed with its leadership, pushing for bolder reforms.

He believed in science, education, and cooperation—not revolution—but still wanted to overturn class inequality and outdated institutions.

Editorial by H.G. Wells titled “God Save the King!”, published August 22, 1914, with portrait of the King in The War Illustrated.
Editorial by H.G. Wells titled “God Save the King!”, published August 22, 1914, in The War Illustrated, Vol. 1, No. 1. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

In the 1920s, he ran for Parliament twice as a Labour Party candidate, though he never won. Instead, he poured his energy into writing essays, manifestos, and appeals for worldwide peace. His 1920 book The Outline of History aimed to educate the masses with a sweeping view of human development. Later works like The Rights of Man (1940) helped lay the groundwork for the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Wells didn’t just write about change—he met with world leaders to push for it:

  • Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky in post-revolutionary Russia
  • Joseph Stalin in 1934, where he warned against dictatorship
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt during a 1940 U.S. tour

While many admired his vision, others saw him as naive or overly idealistic. Still, he was one of the first public intellectuals to imagine a unified global society based on science, equality, and reason.

Wells wrote extensively on social reform and envisioned a utopian world where science and reason could lead to equality and peace. While some of his ideas were controversial, they underscored his enduring belief in progress and human potential.

Romantic Life and Personal Relationships

H.G. Wells lived as boldly in real life as he did on the page. His personal life was full of complexity, passion, and controversy.

He married his cousin Isabel Mary Wells in 1891, but the marriage quickly fell apart. In 1895, he married Amy Catherine Robbins—nicknamed “Jane”—a former student who supported his work and raised their two sons. Jane stayed with him for over 30 years, though Wells didn’t believe in monogamy and carried on numerous affairs, some of them scandalous for the time.

Among his most famous relationships:

  • Amber Reeves, a feminist and writer, with whom he had a daughter, Anna-Jane
  • Rebecca West, a young literary critic, who bore his son, Anthony West
  • Margaret Sanger, birth control advocate and activist
  • Odette Keun, a Dutch socialist and travel writer
  • Elizabeth von Arnim, novelist and socialite

Wells didn’t hide these affairs. In fact, he often wove these experiences into his fictional characters and themes. His views on sex, marriage, and personal freedom were considered radical by many. Jane tolerated his behavior quietly until her death in 1927.

Despite his complicated love life, Wells remained committed to his family, helping support his parents and staying close with his sons. He also sketched cartoons, co-founded a medical charity, and stayed active in intellectual circles to the end.

Simple line drawing by H.G. Wells showing a Martian tripod towering over a tiny human figure.
Playful sketch by H.G. Wells depicting a Martian tripod from The War of the Worlds. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Later Years and Lasting Legacy

In his final decades, Wells remained prolific, writing novels, essays, political tracts, and scientific texts at a dizzying pace. But the optimism that marked his early career began to fade. The horrors of two world wars, rising totalitarianism, and mounting global crises darkened his outlook.

His later works, like The Shape of Things to Come (1933) and Mind at the End of Its Tether (1945), reflect a shift from hopeful futurism to bleak prophecy. He feared humanity might not survive its own inventions.

Wells was also facing serious health challenges. A diabetic, he co-founded what would become Diabetes UK in 1934 to help others manage the disease. He remained active in both writing and advocacy until the very end, even as his influence began to wane.

He died on August 13, 1946, at the age of 79, in his London home near Regent’s Park.

📚 A Legacy That Endures

Wells left behind more than books. He left ideas—bold, controversial, prophetic—that still resonate today. His impact includes:

  • Inspiring the modern science fiction genre
  • Predicting technological and societal changes with startling accuracy
  • Influencing thinkers, scientists, and activists
  • Helping shape global discussions around peace and human rights
  • Craters on Mars and the Moon bear his name.
Oblique view of H.G. Wells crater on the Moon's far side, showing rugged lunar terrain.
Oblique view of the H.G. Wells crater on the far side of the Moon, facing west. Named in honor of author H.G. Wells.

His face has appeared on UK stamps. His novels remain in print, adapted again and again for stage, screen, and beyond.

Of all his works, The War of the Worlds has taken on a life of its own, evolving with each generation—just as Wells hoped the human mind would.

“Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.”
— H.G. Wells

Over a century later, H.G. Wells’ warning still feels urgent. But so does his belief that knowledge, imagination, and bold thinking might save us yet—if we’re willing to rise to the challenge.

📚 Sources & Further Reading

The Book
Curious how Wells’ alien invasion reshaped sci-fi? Check out our deep dive into The War of the Worlds.
Chapter Summaries
Dive in to a detailed summary of each chapter. Navigate easily with our clickable Table of Contents!
Adaptations

Explore the extensive list of notable adaptations through the years!