H G Wells was a man of many contradictions. Trained as a scientist, he possessed the creative powers and vision of an artist. A novelist and storyteller of formidable imaginative power, he wished to be remembered as an educationalist and writer on social questions. A Preface to H G Wells provides a concise and accessible introduction to the life and works of Wells. Beginning with a survey of his life and times, the book also:? illustrates the influence of place on his fiction and auto-biographical novels? provides a detailed look at his novels and science fiction, placing his work in its literary context? discusses Wells in relation to modernism? gives a detailed examination of his works The Time Machine and Tono-Bungay? includes biographies of Wells's literary friends and contemporaries? summarises his literary contribution and relevance todayAlso containing a useful guide for further reading, A Preface to H G Wells is the only book available to bring together in a single volume both a biography of Wells and an introduction to his work. It will be of great interest to both the student and general reader.John Hammond is a Research Fellow at Nottingham Trent University. He has written and lectured extensively on literary topics and is the President of the H G Wells Society. He is the author of H G Wells and the Modern Novel and H G Wells and the Short Story and has also written critical studies of Defoe, Stevenson, Poe and Orwell.