In the space of less than four years, H. G. Wells (1866-1946) published four of the most influential, original and hair-raising of all works of science-fiction. In a life of tireless experiment, travelling and intellectual engagement, Wells was both a leading public figure and one of the great imaginers of the modern world.

Wells's other science-fiction classics The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man and The War of the Worlds are also published in the Penguin English Library.