H.G.Wells

H.G.Wells 1866-1946

   This month our classic novel is "The Time Machine" by H.G.Wells.
   His writing is so magnificent that he was nominated four times for the Nobel Prize for Literature.
   Wells is credited with popularizing the concept of time travel by using a vehicle that can travel forwards or backwards in time.   There have been three feature films, as well as two television versions and many comic book adaptions.  His work has also inspired other novels and media productions.

   I have compared H.G.Wells with Jules Verne.  They are both called the "Father of Science Fiction".  

Jules Verne 1828-1905

   Our book club previously read "Around the World in Eighty Days". You can check it out here.  
   Verne only focused on technology and principles that were scientifically possible, or assumed to be possible.  This sub-genre is called "mundane science fiction".




   When thinking of these two men- one French, the other British, I began thinking about two science fiction authors of our day - one American, one Canadian.  I have already written about my favourite, Rob Sawyer. You can read about him here.

  I connect Rob with Michael Crichton because I heard Rob talk about spending 3 months of every year reading non-fiction science material.  He remembers being interested in an article about the possibility that amber may hold dead mosquitoes that have blood in

their bellies, and it just might be the blood of dinosaurs.  Hence, the possibility of cloning dinosaurs.  You know the rest of the story.  Michael Crichton was also reading that article and wrote "Jurassic Park".  Two interesting men and great science fiction authors.

Michael Crichton

Rob Sawyer