H. G. Wells

WELLS, H. G., 1866 to 1946

H. G. Wells books in order

H. G. Wells (1866-1946) was an English writer, author of The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds and The Invisible Man.

Also wrote as Reginald Bliss, Septimus Browne, Sosthenes Smith

Books
30
Editions tracked
45
First editions
18
Nationality
United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Born
Bromley, 1866
Died
London, 1946

WikidataOpen LibrarySearch within H. G. Wells

H. G. Wells wrote 30 books we track between 1895 and 2003; in publication order they begin with The Time Machine (1895).

Life

About H. G. Wells

Writer

Known as
writer, historian, journalist, Idist
Genres
science fiction, biography, essay
Citizenship
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom
Also wrote as
Reginald Bliss, Septimus Browne, Sosthenes Smith

Background

Educated at
Royal College of Science, University of London

Awards and honours

  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame (1997)

Notable works

From Wikidata (CC0); Wikipedia has articles on H. G. Wells in 116 languages.

About H. G. Wells

H. G. Wells (1866-1946) was an English writer whose scientific romances, beginning with The Time Machine (1895), helped to found modern science fiction; he also wrote social comedies, history and political works.

Herbert George Wells was born on 21 September 1866 in Bromley, Kent. He won a place at the Normal School of Science in London (later the Royal College of Science), where he studied biology under T. H. Huxley. After the success of The Time Machine he wrote a series of scientific romances: The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), The War of the Worlds (1898) and The First Men in the Moon (1901). He then turned to comic and social novels such as Kipps (1905), Tono-Bungay (1909) and The History of Mr Polly (1910), and later wrote the popular The Outline of History (1920). He was nominated four times for the Nobel Prize in Literature and is sometimes called a "father of science fiction", a title also given to Jules Verne and Hugo Gernsback. He died at his London home, 13 Hanover Terrace, on 13 August 1946.

For collectors. The Time Machine was serialised in The New Review from January to May 1895. The first book edition was published in New York by Henry Holt on 7 May 1895, followed by William Heinemann's London edition on 29 May 1895; the two texts differ, and almost all modern reprints follow Heinemann. The War of the Worlds ran in Pearson's Magazine in 1897, illustrated by Warwick Goble, before Heinemann published the first book edition in London on 19 January 1898, with Harper & Brothers as the American publisher. Open Library lists Henry Holt and Heinemann editions of The Time Machine from 1895.

For collectors

Collect H. G. Wells

Earliest first editionThe Island of Doctor MoreauHeinemann, 1896 Most editions trackedThe History of Mr. Polly3 editions
First published by
Reading guide

H. G. Wells books in order

In publication order

  1. 1The Time Machine1895
  2. 2The Wonderful Visit1895
  3. 3The Island of Dr. Moreau1896
  4. 4The Wheels of Chance1896
  5. 5The Invisible Man1897
  6. 6The War of the Worlds1898
  7. 7Love and Mr. Lewisham1899
  8. 8Tales of Space and Time1899
  9. 9When the Sleeper Wakes1899
  10. 10The First Men in the Moon1901
  11. 11The Sea Lady1902
  12. 12The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth1904
Show all 30 books in order
  1. 13A Modern Utopia1905
  2. 14Kipps1905
  3. 15In the Days of the Comet1906
  4. 16The War in the Air1908
  5. 17Ann Veronica1909
  6. 18Tono-Bungay1909
  7. 19The History of Mr. Polly1910
  8. 20The Country of the Blind1911
  9. 21The New Machiavelli1911
  10. 22The World Set Free1914
  11. 23The Journal of a Disappointed Man1919
  12. 24The Outline of History1919
  13. 25A Short History of the World1922
  14. 26Men Like Gods1923
  15. 27The Short Stories of H.G. Wells1927
  16. 28The Shape of Things to Come1933
  17. 29The Time Machine ; And, the Invisible Man1981
  18. 30Dream of Armageddon Illustrated2003
In order

First editions, year by year

  1. 1896The Island of Doctor MoreauHeinemann
  2. 1897The Invisible ManC. Arthur Pearson
  3. 1898The War of the WorldsHeinemann
  4. 1899When the Sleeper WakesHarper & Brothers
  5. 1901The First Men in the MoonGeorge Newnes Limited
  6. 1902The Sea LadyMethuen
  7. 1904The Food of the GodsMacmillan
  8. 1905KippsMacmillan
  9. 1905A Modern UtopiaChapman and Hall
  10. 1906In the Days of the CometMacmillan
  11. 1908The War in the AirG. Bell
  12. 1909Ann VeronicaT. Fisher Unwin
  13. 1911The Country of the BlindT. Nelson
  14. 1914The World Set FreeMacmillan
  15. 1919The Outline of HistoryNewnes
  16. 1922A Short History of the WorldCassell
  17. 1923Men Like GodsCassell
  18. 1933The Shape of Things to ComeHutchinson
Books and editions

Which edition do you have?

Questions collectors ask

Frequently asked questions

What order should I read H. G. Wells's books in?

In publication order they begin with The Time Machine (1895), then The Wonderful Visit (1895) and The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896). Books in a series are listed in series order on this page.

What was H. G. Wells's first book?

The earliest book we list is The Time Machine, first published in 1895.

When was H. G. Wells born?

H. G. Wells was born in 1866 and died in 1946.

How many H. G. Wells books does MyVolumes track?

We track 30 books by H. G. Wells across 45 editions, 18 of them first editions.

What awards has H. G. Wells won?

H. G. Wells has won Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame (1997), according to Wikidata.

Did H. G. Wells write under another name?

Yes: H. G. Wells also published as Reginald Bliss, Septimus Browne, Sosthenes Smith. Those books are listed here under the one author.

Sources

Where these facts come from

Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.

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