Born in Bromley in Kent, England, Herbert George " H. G." Wells (1866-1946) has been called the father of science fiction. His most notable works include The War of the Worlds (1897), The Time Machine (1895), The Invisible Man (1897), and The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896). Wells also wrote on topics related to history and social commentary and was involved in politics for much of his life. Novels like Kipps and The History of Mr. Polly, which describe lower-middle class life, led to the suggestion that he was a worthy successor to Charles Dickens.
Wells died in London in August, 1946, after living through two World Wars. The War of the Worlds has been both popular (having never gone out of print) and influential, spawning half a dozen feature films, radio dramas, a record album, various comic book adaptations, a television series, and sequels or parallel stories by other authors.
