H. G. Wells The first English Sci-Fi author

H.G. Wells Born in 1866 in Bromley, County of Kent, England. His family was lower middle class –Dad bought a small china shop that never made much money. He sold cricket bats, gloves, balls, and played professionally to make ends meet. –Mom went to work as a maid when Dad broke his leg and wasn’t able to work.

H. G. Wells Wells attended school until the financial hardship forced him to work to help support the family. His mother wanted him to be a merchant to the upper classes. Wells worked unsuccessfully at a number of jobs – draper’s assistant, teacher’s assistant he won a scholarship to the Normal School of Science in London – later known as the Imperial College London. While there he made good marks in biology and physics, and was a member of their Debating Society. Worked with TH Huxley, famous biologist. He failed at geology and lost his scholarship in the spring of 1887.

H.G. Wells Moved in with his Aunt and Uncle and began writing. –The Time Machine (1895) –The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896) –The Invisible Man (1897) –The War of the Worlds (1898) –The Men in the Moon (1901) Later works were more social commentary than science fiction. He became a widely respected and well known supporter of socialism, and met with political figures and world leaders a number of times. Invented the first recreational war game, “Little Wars” in 1913, and is considered the father of miniature war gaming. Eventually, he lost his faith in humanity, and his later works reflect his belief that human society was in decline. Died in 1946 of liver cancer.

Panorama of Horsell Common

The sand pits on Horsell Common