Category:H.G. Wells
Born to a working class family in Kent, England, Herbert George Wells could not have possibly assumed that his name would become one of the most prolific in the world of science fiction. Such an assumption would have been ludicrous considering the circumstances handed him in life. Receiving a spotty education at Thomas Morley’s Commercial Academy, Wells found himself uninterested in the courses offered to become a simple tradesman. While recovering from a broken leg in 1874, Wells found a true passion in the otherworldly novels that were given to him by his father. After a successful recovery and a few years working menial jobs, Wells was offered a lucrative opportunity to work as a pupil-teacher at the Midhurst Grammar School, a perfect excuse for him to further his own education. This opportunity proved fruitful as it led him to win a scholarship to the Normal School of Science, where he majored in biology. The influence of the majority of his works can be attributed to the background in sciences that he attained at this particular university. Before his success as a writer emerged though, Wells was penniless, forced to live with his aunt Mary, where he would meet and marry his cousin Isabel. Shortly thereafter he began to publish works in journals, such as The Graphic, that became known as “scientific romances.” The reception was massive and Wells set a precedent for future science fiction writers, precedents that are still adhered to today.
After a long and prolific career, Wells passed away in Regent's Park [1] on August 13, 1946 of unspecified causes. [2]
Notes
- ↑ A park in central London, England, designed by John Nash for the Prince Regent and completed in 1828: OED.
- ↑ Vincent Brome. H.G. Wells: A Biography. London: Longmans, Green, 1951. Print.
Submitted by: Guerrero, Joshua: section 1, Fall 2014
