HG Wells: The man who invented tomorrow

Shivangi Singh Three decades before the atomic bomb was actually made, it came into existence in the mind of one the sci-fi geniuses of all times – HG Wells. Not only this, the novelist was the first to think of travelling across time (The Time Machine), star wars (The War of the Worlds), genetic manipulation (The Island of Dr Moreau) and nuke battle (The World Set Free). Nicknamed as ‘The Man Who Invented Tomorrow’, Wells brought alive on paper the invasion of earth by aliens from Mars, aerial bombings, robotics, tripods attacking with laser light and man going invisible. Part prophet, part pessimist, he not only excelled in science fiction but also in non-fiction, utopian and dystopian short stories, travel sketches, histories, and socio-political commentary. Mini Bio Born on 21 September 1866 in England, Herbert George Wells was the son of Sarah Neal, maid to the upper classes, and Joseph Wells, shopkeeper and professional cricket player. His poverty stricken childhood made him a rebel of sorts. Wells had to leave school and work at a very early age but he managed to obtain a scholarship to the Normal School of Science in London and studied biology and Darwinism under Thomas Henry Huxley. This education proved to be the basis of his sci-fi theories. However, his interest soon faltered and in 1887 he quit without a degree. He became a teacher in private schools for four years, not taking his degree until 1890. And, in 1893 Wells became a full-time writer. He was a prominent figure in disseminating the progressive ideas which marked the first part of the 20th century. A member of the Fabian Society, Wells often got involved in unsavoury controversies, and wrote several socio-political works dealing with the role of science and the need for world peace. On August 13, 1946, the amazing writer bid goodbye to the world. Inventions in ink The writer was a mystic, a seer but with a scientific bent of mind. His sci-fi theories were not fantastical stuff but had logic behind them. Small wonder then, that his innovative ideas, mentioned in his century old novels are now a reality. Read the amazing excerpts from his books that talk about the modern day automatic doors, DVD, TV or answering machine. Automatic Doors from ‘When the sleeper wakes’ (1899): The first description of an automatic sliding door - a wall strip that moves to let you through. “The two men addressed turned obediently, after one reluctant glance at Graham, and instead of going through the archway as he expected, walked straight to the dead wall of the apartment opposite the archway. And then came a strange thing; a long strip of this apparently solid wall rolled up with a snap, hung over the two retreating men and fell again, and immediately Graham was alone with the new comer and the purple-robed man with the flaxen beard.” TV or Babble Machine from ‘When the Sleeper Wakes’ (1899) This excerpt talks about, one of the most glorious inventions of the modern day world – TV, years before, it was actually invented “Asano touched his arm and gave him a warning look, and forthwith another of these mechanisms I screamed deafeningly and gave tongue in a shrill voice. ‘Yahaha, Yahah, Yap! Hear a live paper yelp! Live paper. Yaha! Shocking outrage in Paris. Yahahah! The Parisians exasperated by the black police to the pitch of assassination. Dreadful reprisals. Savage times come again. Blood! Blood! Yaha!’ The nearer Babble Machine hooted stupendously, ‘Galloop, Galloop,’ drowned the end of the sentence, and proceeded in a rather flatter note than before with novel comments on the horrors of disorder. ‘Law and order must be maintained,’ said the nearer Babble Machine...” Biological warfare from ‘The War of the Worlds’ (1898) This is the first direct reference in science fiction to the idea of fighting an enemy or defeating an enemy using microorganisms. “And scattered about it, some in their overturned war-machines, some in the now rigid handling-machines, and a dozen of them stark and silent and laid in a row, were the Martians--dead!--slain by the putrefactive and disease bacteria against which their systems were unprepared; slain as the red weed was being slain; slain, after all man`s devices had failed, by the humblest things that God, in his wisdom, has put upon this earth.” Time machine from ‘The Time Machine’ (1895) Wells’ concept was that a device allowed the rider to move freely in the temporal dimension, just as we ordinarily do in the two physical dimensions normal to gravity. “The thing the Time Traveller held in his hand was a glittering metallic framework, scarcely larger than a small clock, and very delicately made. There was ivory in it, and some transparent crystalline substance. And now I must be explicit, for this that follows--unless his explanation is to be accepted--is an absolutely unaccountable thing. He took one of the small octagonal tables that were scattered about the room, and set it in front of the fire, with two legs on the hearthrug. On this table he placed the mechanism. Then he drew up a chair, and sat down. The only other object on the table was a small shaded lamp, the bright light of which fell upon the model. There were also perhaps a dozen candles about, two in brass candlesticks upon the mantel and several in sconces, so that the room was brilliantly illuminated...” Spacecraft from “The First Men in the Moon” (1901) In the book, Wells talked about an antigravity metal, which when cools, becomes impervious to gravitational forces. “Consequently Gibbs ceased to replenish the furnace, and no one else did so, and Cavor was too much immersed in certain interesting problems concerning a Cavorite flying machine (neglecting the resistance of the air and one or two other points) to perceive that anything was wrong. And the premature birth of his invention took place just as he was coming across the field to my bungalow for our afternoon talk and tea.” DVD/VCR from the ‘When the Sleeper Wakes’(1899) Wells thought of storing moving picture entertainment and making it available for viewing ages before it was invented. “He opened a sort of lid and found one of the double cylinders within, and on the upper edge a little stud like the stud of an electric bell. He pressed this and a rapid clicking began and ceased. He became aware of voices and music, and noticed a play of colour on the smooth front face. He suddenly realised what this might be, and stepped back to regard it. On the flat surface was now a little picture, very vividly coloured, and in this picture were figures that moved. Not only did they move, but they were conversing in clear small voices. It was exactly like reality viewed through an inverted opera glass and heard through a long tube.” Laser from ‘The War of the Worlds’ (1898) HG Wells even thought of luminous green laser light as a weapon – this was brilliant! “Suddenly there was a flash of light, and a quantity of luminous greenish smoke came out of the pit in three distinct puffs, which drove up, one after the other, straight into the still air. This smoke (or flame, perhaps, would be the better word for it) was so bright that the deta blue sky overhead and the hazy stretches of brown common towards Chertsey, set with black pine trees, seemed to darken abruptly as these puffs arose, and to remain the darker after their dispersal.” Invisibility from ‘The Invisible Man’ (1897) Research states that invisibility tends to concentrate on active camouflage systems, as described in Wired and demonstrated at Tokyo University, rather than on altering the basic constituents of the human body. Have a look at what Wells had to say, centuries back. “You make the glass invisible by putting it into a liquid of nearly the same refractive index; a transparent thing becomes invisible if it is put in any medium of almost the same refractive index. And if you will consider only a second, you will see also that the powder of glass might be made to vanish in air, if its refractive index could be made the same as that of air; for then there would be no refraction or reflection as the light passed from glass to air." Telephone Answering Machine from ‘Men Like Gods’ (1923) HG Wells may not be the first to think of a telephone answering machine; however, he was the first one to really get it right. “Crystal carried a little bundle of wires and light rods; and presently coming to a place where a pillar stood in the midst of a lawn he spread this affair out like a long cat’s cradle and tapped a little stud in the pillar with a key that he carried on a light gold chain about his neck. Then he took up a receiver attached to his apparatus, and spoke aloud and listened and presently heard a voice. It was a very pleasant woman’s voice; it talked to Crystal for a time without interruption, and then Crystal talked back, and afterwards there were other voices, some of which Crystal answered and some which he heard without replying. Then he gathered up his apparatus again. Well, you can try out some of the ‘inventions in ink’ by HG Wells, who knows, you may actually come up with real inventions! Snippets from Wells’ life

HG Wells was driving through San Antonio, Texas and stopped to ask the way. The person he happened to ask was none other than Orson Welles who had recently broadcast "The War of the Worlds" on the radio. They got on well and spent the day together. (A recording also exists, of the two discussing the broadcast and the public`s reaction.)

Appears on sleeve of The Beatles` "Sgt Pepper`s Lonely Hearts Club Band" album.

His great grandson Simon Wells directed the 2002 remake of ‘The Time Machine’, which was based on his novel.

Cheated on his wives repeatedly. He even demanded of his second wife the "right" to take lovers. His son with journalist Rebecca West, Anthony West, wrote about their relationship in "Aspects of a Life" (1984). He also had a child with Amber Reeves, the daughter of one of London`s most prominent families. His other lovers included Odette Keun, Moura Budberg and Margaret Sanger. Wells may have fathered up to five children out of wedlock.

His first wife, Isabel, was the daughter of his father`s cousin.

Gave up his teaching career when he came down with tuberculosis, and turned to writing for a living as he recovered.

Enjoyed playing with toy soldiers throughout his life.

Although Wells does not have a grave (he was cremated and his ashes scattered), he was quoted later in life (after witnessing the development of the atomic bomb and it being used for warfare) as making the bitter suggestion that his epitaph should say "God damn you all, I told you so." This suggestion has often led to mistaken claims that this was indeed his actual epitaph. Nevertheless, he has no grave, no headstone, and thus no epitaph.

Famous works Fiction Ann Veronica In the Days of the Comet Love and Mr. Lewisham Mr. Britling Sees It Through The First Men in the Moon The Food of the Gods The History of Mr. Polly The Invisible Man The Island of Doctor Moreau The New Machiavelli The Research Magnificent The Secret Places of the Heart The Soul of a Bishop The Time Machine The War in the Air The War of the Worlds The Wheels of Chance The World Set Free Tono Bungay When the Sleeper Wakes Non-Fiction A Modern Utopia An Englishman Looks at the World Certain Personal Matters God The Invisible King Short Stories Aepyornis Island The Cone The Country of the Blind The Diamond Maker The Door in the Wall A Dream of Armageddon Filmer Jimmy Goggles the God The Lord of the Dynamos The Magic Shop Miss Winchelsea`s Heart A Moonlight Fable Mr. Brisher`s Treasure Mr. Ledbetter`s Vacation Mr. Skelmersdale in Fairyland The New Accelerato The Star The Stolen Body The Story of the Inexperienced Ghost The Truth about Pyecraft The Valley of Spiders The Jilting of Jane The Stolen Bacillus The Flowering of the Strange Orchid In the Avu Observatory The Remarkable Case of Davidson`s Eyes The Moth The Treasure in the Forest The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham Under the Knife The Sea Raiders The Obliterated Man The Plattner Story The Red Room The Purple Pileus A Slip Under the Microscope The Crystal Egg The Man Who Could Work Miracles A Vision of Judgment The Empire of the Ants The Beautiful Suit The Triumphs of a Taxidermist A Deal in Ostriches