Born in 1866, Herbert George Wells was an avid fan of the written word from a very early age. He studied science for a time under the famous biologist Thomas H. Huxley, and it was with a keen sense maintaining a genuine scientific basis that Wells began his celebrated career as an author, becoming known as The Father of Science Fiction. A worthy title for a man who created time travel, genetic experimentation, invisibility and interstellar travel, all before the turn of the 20th century!

Some of his earliest works are among his most noted, and his themes have sparked the imaginations of hundreds of other authors and filmmakers. Whether you've read them or not, everyone has heard of these Wells masterpieces: The Time Machine (1895); The Island of Dr. Moreau (1895); The Invisible Man (1897). The War of the Worlds, published in 1898, was so mesmerizing to audiences, that even 40 years after hitting book stores, Orson Welles' famous theatrical radio drama about the alien invasion was enough to start a panic across the country.

By the time of his death, at age 79, Wells had authored 110 novels and nearly 500 articles.