The early life of Herbert George Wells was filled with poverty, injuries, failed apprenticeships, brief periods of schooling, and the breakdown of his parents' marriage. Yet, somehow, he overcame it all to become one of the world's most famous authors. Today, he is best remembered for such works as The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, and The Invisible Man, novels that earned him the title of "father of science fiction." His astonishing literary output also included social novels, histories, political studies, and social commentary. In this all-new biography, discover how H.G. Wells, the son of a shopkeeper and a domestic servant, grew up to become the creator of imaginary worlds that still amaze readers more than a hundred years after their first publication.