Author's Life

Schooling

After quitting as a draper’s assistant, Wells went back to school to usher at Midhurst Grammar School. One of Wells’ teachers acknowledged his potential and secured him a scholarship to attend Normal School of Science. He studied a wide variety of scientific subjects: physics, astronomy, biology, etc. At Normal School of Science, H.G. Wells was taught by T.X. Hutley, a prominent figure within Darwin’s theory of evolution  who earned the name “Darwin’s Bulldog”. At college, Wells devoted most of his time towards writing. He brought scientific ideas from schooling into fictional settings. During his college years, Wells wrote “The Chronic Argonauts”, a precursor to his most famous novel “The Time Machine.” In 1888 he graduated from London University and became a science teacher. His life of poverty continued along with his poor health. His health only got worse after marrying his cousin Isabel Mary Wells in 1891. He soon left her and married Amy Catherine Robins who he married in 1895. 

Early Writings
H.G. Wells’ first published book was a “Textbook of Biology” in 1893, while his first novel “The Time Machine” was published in 1895. “The Time Machine” was one of the first science fiction novels bringing the complexities of science into a fictional setting. It was instantly successful, intriguing Wells to continue his craft. Wells wrote many more science fiction novels: “The Wonderful Visit” (1895), “The Island of Doctor Moreau” (1896), “The Invisible Man” (1897), “The War of the Worlds” (1898), “The First Men in the Moon” (1901), and “The Food of the Gods” (1904). These weren’t only chaotic stories, but a mix of grand topics like imperialism, scientific theory, and human instinct. Wells also wrote a few science fiction shorts: “The Stolen Bacillus” (1895), “The Plattner Story” (1897), and “Tales of Space and Time” (1899). Some believed Wells could predict the future due to the accuracy of select novels. In “The War of the Worlds”, Wells writes about advanced Martians invading the Earth. Wells predicted the use of spacecraft to explore beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.  In “The World Set Free” (1914), Wells talks about a bomb powered by atomic energy. Almost 30 years later, Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project created the Atomic Bomb. The list goes on with ideas like mass surveillance, the internet, modern weapons, etc. 

Transition in Writing

After almost a decade, H.G. Wells began to transition towards writing comic books focusing on lower-middle class life. He used his memories from his childhood to create fictional stories revealing ups and downs of lower-middle class life. Wells wrote “Love and Mr. Lewisham” (1900), “Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul” (1905), “The History of Mr. Polly” (1910), and “Tono-Bungay” (1909). These stories all demonstrate Wells’ poor view of Western Society. H.G. Wells continued his writings facing social inequality in books like ‘Anticipations” (1901), “Mankind in the Making” (1903), and “A Modern Utopia” (1905). Drawing on his understanding of biology, Wells thought human society would evolve into higher forms. 

Activity within Society

Following the transition of his writings, Wells became more socially active. He supported socialist ideals and joined the Fabian Society, a group believing in socialism and social reform. Coming from poor origins, Wells deeply believed in the idea of removing social inequality. Wells was a highly educated man, coming from multiple different schooling settings. He believed the solution to social inequality was to even the playing field of education. Wells wanted every person, regardless of wealth, to have an equal opportunity within education. In “Britling Sees It Through” (1918) Wells explores the depths of wartime. The book is set in World War One. Wells does not respect the idea of war, but is surprised by the human progress in the short period of the war. He finds his ideals of human evolution coming to life.