Herbert George Wells (1866-1946), was an English writer best known for such science fiction novels as The Time Machine (1888), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The War of the Worlds (1897), The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance (1897) and The First Men in the Moon (1900-01). He was a prolific writer of both fiction and non-fiction, and produced works in many different genres, including contemporary novels, history, and social commentary. He was also an outspoken socialist. His later works become increasingly political and didactic, and only his early science fiction novels are widely read today. Wells is sometimes referred to as "The Father of Science Fiction."