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The Father of Science Fiction: Herbert George Wells

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Biographical Summary Herbert George Wells was an English author from the 19th century who was born in London, England. H.G. Wells was born on September 21st, 1866 in the county of Kent. He was the youngest child of four in his family and was called Bertie from a young age. Wells wrote in many genres including politics, history, social commentary and contemporary novels. He is best known for his work in the Science Fiction genre, sometimes referred to as “The Father of Science Fiction”. His father, Joseph Wells was a shopkeeper and played cricket professionally at the time H.G. Wells was born. His mother, Sarah Neal worked as a domestic servant. The family received an inheritance which they used to purchase a shop that sold sporting goods and china. Although Joseph Wells worked as a shopkeeper and played professional cricket, the family was not wealthy. The family’s shop was in a bad location and the merchandise they sold was poor quality. Wells learned to read at the age of five and in 1874, when he was seven years old he was involved in an accident. He broke his leg, leaving him bedridden for many months. While Wells was recovering he had a chance to read many books which gave him the opportunity to explore new worlds. During this time, Wells also began to write. At the age of eight, Wells entered a private school called Thomas Morley's Commercial Academy. He then attended the Midhurst grammar school where he became proficient in science and Latin. Wells was granted a scholarship to the Normal School of Science in London in 1883 where he studied Biology and Darwinism under the professor Thomas Henry Huxley. After losing his scholarship for insufficient graduation requirements, Wells moved to Fitzroy road in London to live with h... ... middle of paper ... ...n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2013. Constantakis, Sara. “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” Novels for Students. Ed. Vol. 36. Detroit: Gale, 2011. 153-176. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 22 Oct. 2013. MacDonald, Alexander. “Passionate Intensity” in Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau and Yeats's ‘The Second Coming’: “Constructing an Echo,” in ANQ, Vol. 9, No. 4, Fall 1996, pp. 40–43. Merriman, C.D. "H.G. Wells." - Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online. Discuss. The Literature Network, 2007. Web. 03 Nov. 2013. Morrow, Ed. "He Dreamed the Future." World & I. Jan. 2004: 244-255. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 03 Nov 2013. Quade, Penelope. "Taming the Beast in the Name of the Father..." Extrapolation (Vol. 48, No. 2). Summer 2007: 292-301. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 03 Nov 2013. Skeen, Bradley. Critical Essay on The Island of Dr. Moreau, in Novels for Students, Gale, Cengage Learning, 2011.
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