Science And Technology In H. G. Wells's Short Stories

1671 Words7 Pages
H.G. Wells, a renowned British writer, is widely known for his science fiction compositions, many of which are now popular movies. Often referred to as “The Father of Science Fiction,” Wells “possesses a unique talent for creating disturbances, and it is to this talent, rather than to his undoubted literary genius, that he owes his immense reputation” (Priestly 89). His most notable works include: The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, and The War of the Worlds. “The Red Room,” “The Door in the Wall,” and “The Empire of the Ants” are a few short stories written by Wells. Within these short stories, H.G. Wells illustrates similar themes and literary devices while exploiting his unique writing style to tie these works together. Several prevalent themes are shown throughout Wells’ short stories. According to Kathleen Wilson in Short Stories for Students, Science and Technology remain the most used of these themes as shown in the quote, “‘The Door in the Wall’ poses an issue which Wells returned to repeatedly in his writing: the conflict between aesthetics and science” (Wilson 84). Wells utilizes his scientific knowledge as a platform for his stories. Often called a visionary, Wells invents strange technology to portray another aspect of science (Rose 130). Elizabeth L. Throesch states in an article that “Wells turned to cutting-edge visual technologies in his attempt to represent four-dimensional space and subjectivity” (Throesch 133). Another theme often present in Wells’ short