Gallery: Sci-Fi Visionary H.G. Wells Travels Through Time
01war-worlds-c
Herbert George Wells arrived on our verdant Earth exactly 144 years ago. But the sci-fi visionary's creative and analytical treatises on an alien future are still unfurling. This Day in Tech[](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/thisdayintech/2010/09/0921hg-wells-birthday) [Sept. 21, 1866: Wells Springs Forth](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/thisdayintech/2010/09/0921hg-wells-birthday) For nearly a century and a half, the output of [H.G. Wells](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells)' incessantly probing mind has been reflected in modern technological wonders like mass transit, futuristic weapons, fringe science and nuclear chain reactions. To respectfully bow to that august accomplishment, Wired.com collated some of Wells' viral replications in the gallery above. They slipstream across well-known works like [The War of the Worlds](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds) and [The Time Machine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Machine), as well as some clever efforts you may have yet to experience. Now, fire up your time machines and watch out for those [Morlocks](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morlock)!
02time-after-time
H.G. Wells' first novel, [The Time Machine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Machine), touched down in 1895. It didn't take long for the ideas in the book to sequence the genes for most slipstreaming sci-fi that came after it in print, on screen and elsewhere. So tremendous was Wells' impact on the futuristic concept of time travel that he ultimately became its synonym: When film, television or comics want to riff on the subject, they often insert Wells himself as a character. It's a cultural pattern that paid cool dividends in Nicholas Meyer's 1979 film [Time After Time](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_After_Time_%281979_film%29) (pictured above), in which Wells (played by Malcolm McDowell) chases Jack the Ripper (David Warner) into the future. Meyer gets bonus points for showing Wells fumbling with his fast food.
03the-time-machine
Although the first feature film based on The Time Machine arrived in 1960, the 2002 remake was arguably more legitimate. Why? It was directed by the legendary author's great-grandson [Simon Wells](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Wells). Not that the director's lineage made for a better film; it didn't, even with the respectable Guy Pearce in the protagonist's time-traveling chair. It certainly didn't endow Simon Wells with a fail-safe director's chair: He hasn't helmed a feature film since. But his directorial comeback is destined for 2011, when Disney's adaptation of Berkeley Breathed's [Mars Needs Moms!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Needs_Moms!) blasts off, starring Robot Chicken's Seth Green.
04morlocks
Although it doesn't boast the lineage cred of the 2002 remake directed by H.G. Wells' great-grandson Simon, director George Pal's original 1960 [The Time Machine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Machine_%281960_film%29) movie is ironically more of a hoot, now that there's been some temporal separation from its era. The passage of time simply works wonders on late-night viewing. From its not-scary Morlocks (above) to its Cold War paranoia, Pal's The Time Machine pales in comparison to Wells' book. But it did score a Hugo nomination and an Oscar for special effects, while its time-machine prop traveled into future classic films and programs like Carl Sagan's Cosmos and Joe Dante's Gremlins.
05colin-baker-timelash
Next to Wells, perhaps the most iconic time traveler in media history is [the great Doctor Who](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who) himself. Launched in 1963 and still running to this day, the record-breaking sci-fi series has amassed a critical rap sheet almost as bulletproof as its authorial inspiration. But Wells himself didn't enter Doctor Who's literal picture until the 1985 two-part serial [Timelash](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timelash), when the TV spacefarer's own time machine, called the [Tardis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TARDIS) — Time and Relative Dimensions In Space, don't you know? — lands in Wells' milieu and ensnares him in galactic intrigue.
06tempus-fugitive
A virtual H.G. Wells teams up with a powerful alien in '90s TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Watching Wells fumble in the episode "[Tempus Fugitive](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempus_%28Lois_and_Clark%29)" — in which the time-traveling villain Tempus calls Lois Lane the "[most galactically stupid woman on Earth](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4Nov7vSkmU)" for being unable to recognize Clark Kent as the Man of Steel — is priceless.
07daniel-lost
Other time travelers may not have been directly inspired by Wells' The Time Machine, but that doesn't mean they don't owe the visionary writer back pay. Take [Lost's Daniel Faraday](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Faraday) (please). Although show honchos Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse admit he was conceived as "an obvious shout-out to Michael Faraday, scientist and physicist," and the character's mother is named for Stephen Hawking, his resemblance to the real and virtual Wells is more obvious than his resemblance to Faraday. Plus, the real Faraday was known more for his electromagnetic advances than for his clock-hopping. Perhaps it has something to do with Faraday being a deeply religious person, while Wells was a noted socialist. It's just another mystery to add to Lost's impenetrable allegory.
08warehouse-13
H.G. Wells' viral iterations are by no means limited by their gender. Just check out the sexy version making waves on Syfy's [Warehouse 13](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warehouse_13). Played by British actress Jaime Murray, Warehouse 13's H.G. Wells — Helena, for those who know and love or hate her — is an antiheroic foil for the show's X-Files–like sci-fi agents Myka Bering and Pete Lattimer. The verdict is still out on whether she's been using her time travel for good or evil, but check out her steampunk gun and draw your own conclusions. .
09startrek-deela
Not all temporal adventures were inspired by The Time Machine. The Star Trek episode "[Wink of an Eye](http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Wink_of_an_Eye_%28episode%29)," about time-accelerated aliens, was reportedly inspired by an episode of [The Wild Wild West](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_Wild_West) called "The Night of the Burning Demon." But that episode of the cult spy-fi Western was written by John Kneubuhl, who was openly riffing on Wells' short story "[The New Accelerator](http://www.classicreader.com/book/172/1/)." You can pretty much carve a notch, however slight, into Wells' belt for every Star Trek episode or film exploiting time travel as a plot solvent.
10war-worlds-d
Wells' sixth novel, 1898's [The War of the Worlds](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells_bibliography), detonated in a cultural and political milieu wracked by [invasion literature](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_literature) and paranoia fueled by the impending 20th century. It has since spawned a host of iterations across all media. The novel even indirectly helped launch the space age it envisioned, after inspiring a young [Robert Goddard](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_H._Goddard), who invented the first fuel rocket. More important, the book's vision of total war against indefinite others without regard for morality or sentiment was disturbingly prescient. Criticized as suspicious in its time, that lethal thesis would quickly find proof in everything from World War I to the so-called war on terror.
11orson-wells-1938
Perhaps no greater evidence of The War of the Worlds' hysterical prescience exists than in [Orson Welles' 1938 radio broadcast](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_%28radio%29). It's even weirder to see a picture of [Welles and Wells together](http://www.answers.com/topic/war-of-the-worlds-large-image), holding a copy of the radio script. Welles' broadcast found its own legs in later sci-fi classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Buckaroo Banzai, which analyzed its infamously instant hysteria. But Welles' radio show also gave an indispensable boost to the maddening strain of shock jocks and other sensationalist mediators whitening up today's noise. That prankster paranoia is taken seriously in Eric Hobbs and Noel Tuazon's lit-comic [The Broadcast](http://nbmpub.com/blog/author/eric-hobbs), released this month from [NBM](http://www.nbmpub.com). 
12cruise-war-of-the-worlds
Wells' invasion epic The War of the Worlds has gone suitably viral from Orson Welles' radio broadcast to comics like Alan Moore's [The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_League_of_Extraordinary_Gentlemen) to film, television and videogames. Aside from George Pal's 1953 feature film, it never really had a chance to properly explode on the big screen until 2005, when [Steven Spielberg's The War of the Worlds](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Worlds_%282005_film%29) landed as a post-9/11 fable about the survival of the human family and race. Still, even startling special effects and star Tom Cruise couldn't keep the film from remaining an uneven version of Wells' merciless classic.
13things-to-come
Eventually and inevitably, Wells himself took a chance on evolving his work for the silver screen. The result was William Cameron Menzies' sprawling 1936 sci-fi movie, [Things to Come](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Things_To_Come), which Wells adapted for the screen based on his 1933 novel [The Shape of Things to Come](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shape_of_Things_to_Come). From its predictions of World War II to the benevolent dictatorships in a future overlorded by polymaths, Things to Come was a landmark cinematic success. Whether that's because literary titan Wells had little control over its production or execution is probably for the film geeks to decide. 
14woody-allen-sleeper
Among his other multiple innovations, Wells helped popularize [dystopian sci-fi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopia) with his hastily assembled 1899 novel, When The Sleeper Awakes, which he hammered into form in the 1910 reboot The Sleeper Awakes. Its disturbing vision of the future's shallow ruling class was somewhat similar to Aldous Huxley's 1932 novel [Brave New World](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World), and probably for good reason. Wells studied under Huxley's grandfather [Thomas Henry Huxley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Henry_Huxley), who was known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his evolutionary evangelism. Wells and Huxley's synergy caught satirical fire in Woody Allen's 1973 sci-fi spoof [Sleeper](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeper_%28film%29) (above), which was loosely inspired by the previous works. [Orgasmatron](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orgasmatron), anyone?
15invisible-man
Wells excelled at creating riveting social and technological futurism — and at dreaming up instantly immortal characters whose cultural impact can still be felt well over a century later. Perhaps his most popular character comes from his 1897 novel, [The Invisible Man](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Invisible_Man), which inspired a seemingly endless roll call of mad scientists few could see without the aid of bandages and shades. The book has been adapted repeatedly for television, film and comics, giving everyone from Claude Rains to Chevy Chase a shot at unwrapping its tortured antihero.  
16invisible-man
Wells excelled at creating riveting social and technological futurism — and at dreaming up instantly immortal characters whose cultural impact can still be felt well over a century later. Perhaps his most popular character comes from his 1897 novel, [The Invisible Man](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Invisible_Man), which inspired a seemingly endless roll call of mad scientists few could see without the aid of bandages and shades. The book has been adapted repeatedly for television, film and comics, giving everyone from Claude Rains to Chevy Chase a shot at unwrapping its tortured antihero.  
17islandofdrmoreau
In his third novel, [The Island of Doctor Moreau](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Island_of_Doctor_Moreau), Wells invented an immortal mad scientist of another kind. The kind that splices humans together with animals, to be exact. A sensational exploration, Wells' 1896 story teased out humanity's baser instincts in its quest for perfection. But he was no saint, nor any stranger to suspicious social engineering. One of Wells' many love affairs was with [Margaret Sanger](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Sanger), the controversial eugenicist and birth-control pioneer who exerted a major influence over the 20th century's sexual revolution.
18islandofdrmoreau
In his third novel, [The Island of Doctor Moreau](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Island_of_Doctor_Moreau), Wells invented an immortal mad scientist of another kind. The kind that splices humans together with animals, to be exact. A sensational exploration, Wells' 1896 story teased out humanity's baser instincts in its quest for perfection. But he was no saint, nor any stranger to suspicious social engineering. One of Wells' many love affairs was with [Margaret Sanger](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Sanger), the controversial eugenicist and birth-control pioneer who exerted a major influence over the 20th century's sexual revolution.
19food-gods
Although Wells is better known for his influential technological and cultural predictions, he could also bang out exploitative pulp like the rest of us banging our heads against walls of writer's block. Exhibit A? His obscure 1904 novel, [The Food of the Gods, and How It Came to Earth](http://books.google.com/books?id=wRC2kM4zsOkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Food+of+the+Gods+and+How+It+Came+to+Earth&source=bl&ots=L9oH0_00kf&sig=AId0j5L6FUCf7mVNnAMdXDt3nTQ&hl=en&ei=YLOXTMuDGIWdlgfgyrnSBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBgQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false). A perverse yarn about giant chickens, rats, worms and, strangely enough, babies run amok, The Food of the Gods was inevitably transformed by B-movie kingpin [Bert I. Gordon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_I._Gordon) into a popcorn flick in 1976, scaring only lovers of flawless cinema.
20food-gods
Although Wells is better known for his influential technological and cultural predictions, he could also bang out exploitative pulp like the rest of us banging our heads against walls of writer's block. Exhibit A? His obscure 1904 novel, [The Food of the Gods, and How It Came to Earth](http://books.google.com/books?id=wRC2kM4zsOkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Food+of+the+Gods+and+How+It+Came+to+Earth&source=bl&ots=L9oH0_00kf&sig=AId0j5L6FUCf7mVNnAMdXDt3nTQ&hl=en&ei=YLOXTMuDGIWdlgfgyrnSBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBgQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false). A perverse yarn about giant chickens, rats, worms and, strangely enough, babies run amok, The Food of the Gods was inevitably transformed by B-movie kingpin [Bert I. Gordon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_I._Gordon) into a popcorn flick in 1976, scaring only lovers of flawless cinema.
21video-game-prototype
Predictably enough, Wells' expansive body of work has shown up in one way or another in the gamer universe. The Invisible Man is a recurring character in [Castlevania](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castlevania), and The War of the Worlds' popularization of alien invasions has been revisited in titles like Halo. This Day in Tech[](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/thisdayintech/2010/09/0921hg-wells-birthday) [Sept. 21, 1866: Wells Springs Forth](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/thisdayintech/2010/09/0921hg-wells-birthday) Most recently, the author's influence can be found in Radical Entertainment and Activision's immersive 2009 sandbox game, [Prototype](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prototype_%28video_game%29), which sends its shape-shifting protagonist Alex Mercer on a variety of missions named after Wells' works like [Men Like Gods](http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200221.txt), [The Wheels of Chance](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wheels_of_Chance) and [A Dream of Armageddon](http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Dream_of_Armageddon). Meanwhile, its apocalyptic action was indirectly inspired by [The World Set Free](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_Set_Free), which presaged the rise and existential dominance of nuclear weaponry. Game over.
