Revolutionary of his time, HG Wells influenced the centuries to come with his science fiction literature. Wells was born on September 21, 1866, in Bromley, England, during the third stage of the Victorian era. It was a time of doubt and lack of nationalism for the British, but also a time of discovery and advancement in the scientific world (Masterworks). The early 20th century was a critical period in London's history for political and scientific development. Many heated debates were sparked during this period and changed the natural order of things. An innovator of his time, HG Wells was influenced by his socialist political views, by the London of his heyday and by the controversy between creationism and evolution, as evidenced by his science fiction novel The War of the Worlds. In the 19th century, Great Britain was a great European power and London was transformed into the wealthy center of the Empire (“Martians and Marxism…”). Britain and its leaders viewed their overall power as proof of their "superiority" over the colonies they ruled. Wells criticizes their lavish spending and excess in material goods (“The Martians and Marxism…”). While the elite were partying and living in luxury, London's poor were living in the slums and starving. Wells' poor background provided the basis for his adoption of socialist ideals later in life. Wells believed that class barriers should be removed, creating equal opportunity for people of all social positions to pursue their interests and distinguished careers (H.G. Wells). Once a member of the radical Fabian Society, where he sought to change social structure, Wells conceptualized a world where one would have to work for status and have inherited alacrity...... middle of paper ... ... 2003. Internet. March 10, 2014. Guthke, Karl S. and Helen Atkins. The final frontier imagining other worlds, from the Copernican revolution to modern science fiction. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1990. Print. “H.G. Wells.” 2014. Biography Channel website. March 14, 2014. “Martians and Marxism: A Socialist Critique of HG Wells’ War of the Worlds.” Np, and Web. March 10, 2014. “Masterpieces of British Literature.” » Masterpieces of British literature. Np, and Web. March 16, 2014. “SFE: The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.” » Themes: Social Darwinism: SFE: Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Np, and Web. March 11, 2014. Wells, HG The War of the Worlds. New York : ; Distributed by Random House, 1960. Print. Wells, HG and Glenn Yeffecth. War of the Worlds: New Perspectives on the HG Wells Classic. Dallas, Texas: BenBella, 2005. Print.