H.G. Wells. Portrait of Herbert George Wells (1866-1946), British science fiction author. Trained in biology at the Royal College of Science, Wells was much influenced by T.H. Huxley who was one of his teachers. Wells became a journalist before becoming a full-time author in 1895 after the success of his novel The Time Machine. Other major successes included The Invisible Man (1897) and The War of the Worlds (1898); the latter was about an invasion of Earth by Martians. Many of Wells' science fiction books proved to be prophetic; he also wrote social and political works. Wells's books brought him critical acclaim, wealth and international fame.