H.G. Wells (1866-1946) was an English writer whose works were published in dozens of novels and short story collections. Along with Jules Verne, he is considered one of the early architects of science fiction, laying the groundwork for such later authors as Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert A. Heinlein, and Ray Bradbury.
Some of his most notable works include The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The Island of Doctor Moreau, and The Time Machine. Wells' contributions to science fiction have led to frequent pop culture portrayals on screen, in film and TV projects like Time After Time, SyFy's Warehouse 13, Animaniacs, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Doctor Who, and Tenacious D: The Complete Masterworks.
References[]
- The Muppets have made several references to The Invisible Man.
- Footage from Things to Come was used in a Muppet Babies episode.
- A monster quiz in the Fall 1983 issue of Muppet Magazine includes a multiple choice question: "In The War of the Worlds, the Martians were destroyed by a) the atomic bomb. b) nuclear missiles. c) germs. d) Gene Barry."
- Baby Gonzo's time machine in the Muppet Babies episode "Romancing the Weirdo" is modeled after the device most visually associated with the 1960 film version of The Time Machine.
- The "Ace Hart, Private Eye Dog" cartoon featured in the Dog City episode "Rocketship K-9" parodies Wells' War of the Worlds as "The War of the Woofs" and features alien tripods shooting up the countryside.
- Statler and Waldorf reviewed the trailer for the 2005 Steven Spielberg movie War of the Worlds in the first episode of From the Balcony.