H. G. Wells Fact Sheet: Who was H. G. Wells? The following short biography and fact sheet provides interesting facts about the life, times and history of H. G. Wells, the famous English writer.

H. G. Wells Fact File Biography: Lifespan: 1866 – 1946 *** Full Name: H. G. Wells was also known as Herbert George Wells, the Father of Science Fiction *** Date of Birth (Birthday): He was born on September 21, 1866 *** Place of Birth: H. G. Wells was born in Bromley, Kent, England *** Family background: His father was an English cricketer named Joseph Wells *** Early life and childhood: H. G. Wells grew up and spent the majority of his life in Kent and London *** Education: H. G. Wells began his education at Thomas Morley’s Commercial Academy *** H. G. Wells died on August 13, 1946 in London, England ***

H. G. Wells Fact 1: H. G. Wells was born on September 21, 1866 at Atlas House, 46 High Street, Bromley, Kent, England.

H. G. Wells Fact 2: He was an English writer whose prominent science fiction novels earned him the nickname 'Father of Science Fiction'. Some of his most famous novels include The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds.

H. G. Wells Fact 3: His parents were called Joseph Wells and Sarah Neal, and they had four children of which H. G. Wells was the youngest. Despite his father's profession as a cricketer for Kent county team, his family were not financially well off. They ran a shop that sold china and sporting goods but it wasn't well established and profits were low due to its poor location.

H. G. Wells Fact 4: An accident that occurred in 1874 left H. G. Wells bedridden for several months with a broken leg. During this time, he discovered his love of books and became inspired to write.

H. G. Wells Fact 5: He was educated at a private school from the end of 1874 to 1880 called Thomas Morley's Commercial Academy. After leaving school, he began working 13 hour days as an apprentice as a draper (cloth merchant) at the Southsea Drapery Emporium, Hyde's. Although he didn't enjoy his apprenticeship, it influenced him to later write stories including The Wheels of Chance (1896) and Kipps (1905) which were based on his life as a draper.

H. G. Wells Fact 6: His passion for literature continued to grow, particularly after his mother became a lady's maid a country house in Sussex which had an extensive library that offered H. G. Wells a wealth of books to read. He spent hours reading the works of Jonathan Swift, Plato, Thomas More and other influential writers.

H. G. Wells Fact 7: After failing in several positions as a draper, chemist and as a teacher at the National School at Wookey in Somerset, he eventually secured a teaching position at Midhurst Grammar School that would earn him enough money to continue his education.

H. G. Wells Fact 8: He won a scholarship to the Normal School of Science in South Kensington, London where he was taught various subjects including physics, chemistry, astronomy and biology by a notable English biologist called Thomas Henry Huxley.

H. G. Wells Fact 9: During his college years, he dedicated most of his spare time to writing. He wrote a short story called 'The Chronic Argonauts'. The story was based on time travel and it was published in 1888 by the Royal College of Science.

H. G. Wells Fact 10: Seven years later, he wrote another science fiction story based on the concept of time travel which was published in 1895. The novel was called 'The Time Machine' and features a vehicle designed by an English scientist that allows the operator to travel forwards or backwards in time. The Time Machine is one of H. G. Wells's most notable pieces of literature. It gained worldwide fame and has since been adapted for movies and television programs.

H. G. Wells Fact 11: He married his cousin in 1891, her name was Isabel Mary Wells. They separated three years later as H. G. Wells had fallen in love with Amy Catherine Robbins (Jane) who was one of his students. He married Amy Catherine Robbins in 1895 and they went on to have two sons called George Philip and Frank Richard. H. G. Wells had affairs with numerous women during his marriage. He had a daughter called Anna-Jane with Amber Reeves and a son called Anthony West with Rebecca West.

H. G. Wells Fact 12: He continued to write some of his most famous science fiction novels in quick succession. He wrote The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897) and The War of the Worlds (1898).

H. G. Wells Fact 13: The Island of Doctor Moreau was published in 1896, it was a science fiction based novel about a shipwrecked man called Edward Prendick. The novel has since become a topic for debate as it is centred on cruelty, hardship, moral responsibility and the identity of man.

H. G. Wells Fact 14: The Invisible Man is another best selling science fiction novel by H. G. Wells. The book was published in 1897 and is based on a scientist called Griffin who represents the invisible man from the title of the novel. Griffin dedicated his time to researching optics and developing ways to change a body's refractive index.

H. G. Wells Fact 15: The War of the Worlds is a superb science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells. Since its first publication in 1898, The War of the Worlds has accomplished worldwide success. Based on the idea that the streets of London are invaded by Martians, the novel has since been adapted to hit films and theatre shows.

H. G. Wells Fact 16: He also wrote non-fiction novels, one of his most notable non-fiction books was called Anticipations (Anticipations of the Reaction of Mechanical and Scientific Progress upon Human Life and Thought) and was based on a collection of predictions, some of which proved spookily accurate! It was his first non-fiction piece and it became a best seller. As a social thinker, H. G. Wells wanted to express his view to his readers.

H. G. Wells Fact 17: One of his best selling literary works during his lifetime was 'The Outline of History' which was published in 1920. The book was translated into various different languages and sold over two million copies.

H. G. Wells Fact 18: One of the last literary pieces produced by H. G. Wells was a pessimistic book called 'Mind at the End of its Tether'. The essay was published in 1945 and considered the affects of humanity if it were to be replaced by another species.

H. G. Wells Fact 19: H. G. Wells suffered from diabetes and he co-founded the British research charity known as The Diabetic Association (Diabetes Uk) in 1934 with Dr R. D. Lawrence.

H. G. Wells Fact 20: He died at the age of 79 at his home in Regent's Park, London on August 13, 1946. He died from unknown causes and was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium in London three days later. His ashes were scatted at sea.

Influence & Legacy of H. G. Wells: H. G. Wells was a famous English writer most notable for his science fiction novels which have gained worldwide fame and recognition. Some of his most famous novels include The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds.