Famous writers
H.G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was born on the 21st of September 1866, at Bromley, Kent, England. His father owned a small shop, but later became a professional cricket player. His mother was a lady’s maid.
Well’s parents were too poor to help him to much of a formal education. However, between serving as an apprentice to a draper and a chemist, the boy managed to attend the Midhurst Grammar School. He was such a good student, the master wanted to make him his assistent. Wells refused the offer and instead went to London and worked in a dry goods house.
A scholarship to the Royal College of Science led him to resume his studies. Eventually, he received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of London.
Biology was Well’s major interest. He planned to teach this subject but a siege of tuberculosis led him to turn to writing. He did not however, leave his scientific knowledge completely behind. He carried over just enough to lend authenticity to his science fiction.
Wells wrote more than a 100 books. They fall into three categories: the fantastic, the realistic and the textbook. “The Time Machine”, “The War of the Worlds”, “ The First Men in the Moon” and “The Shape of Things to Come” are his most famous science fiction novels. Realistic treatments of his lower middle class background can be found in “Kipps”, “Tono-Bungay” and “History of Mr. Polly”.
His most important non-fiction works are “Outline of History” and “Science of Life”. He also wrote a number of books to illustrate his social and political beliefs.
Wells considered it an insult to have his science fiction thought of as no more than just that. He insisted that the fantasy novels, too, were written chiefly to illustrate his beliefs. He said they were never intended to be taken for reality, any more than is a “good, gripping dream”.
Wells political beliefs were varied and variable. But, basically, although he sometimes had his doubts about them, he believed in his “unlimited right to think, criticize, discuss and suggest” how man could be better.
He tried to get this into most of his works. But today, he is mostly widely read for his science fiction. If what Wells had to say about man is remembered, it is because of these pseudo-science thrillers.
Wells was married twice. His second wife, Amy Catherine Robbins, was also a writer. They had two sons. The elder, George, became a scientist and with his father and Julian Huxley, wrote “Science of Life”.
In 1936, Wells wrote a mock obituary, supposedly published after his death as a forgotten old man of ninety-seven. In it he said of himself “He was one of the most prolific of the literary hacks of his time… He was copious, repetitive essayist upon affairs and a still more copious writer of fiction.”
The obituary was wrong on several counts. Wells died on the 13th of August 1946, at the age of 80. He is considered far more than just a literary hack and a repetitive essayist. And he has certainly not been forgotten!
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