H.G. Wells (1866–1946) was born in Bromley, Kent, and was apprenticed to a draper and a chemist before he made his way to the Royal College of Science where he studied biology. He was a prolific writer of contemporary novels, history, and social commentary. As an advocate of progress and peace, his writing changed in later years as he began to examine suffrage, the trials of life, particularly for the lower and middle classes, and the emergence of feminist ideals that pushed against the constraints of a largely patriarchal society.
