Wells, H. G.

Wells, H. G. (1866–1946),
British novelist and social critic, regarded as one of the pioneers of science fiction. His most famous works in this genre are The Time Machine (1895), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1897). He also published numerous stories of the supernatural such as ‘The Man who Could Work Miracles’ and fairy tales such as ‘The Magic Shop’ and ‘Mr Skelmersdale in Fairyland’ in Twelve Stories and a Dream (1903). One of his novels, The Sea Lady (1902), involves a mermaid who appears to a family on the English coast and influences their lives.

Jack Zipes