H. G. Wells has been referred to as the father of science fiction, and many of his novels and short stories have served as the inspiration for adaptations in film which popularized the genre. Born in 1866, Herbert George Wells spent his early years in Kent, England with his parents in humble circumstances. When he injured his leg at a young age and found himself bedridden for some time, he discovered his love of books and the way that they could allow readers to explore worlds outside their own.
As Wells grew older, he developed a keen interest in science and chemistry, which afforded him the opportunity to teach and expand his own learning. In 1895, he moved to Woking, Surrey, where he had perhaps the most prolific years of his writing career and produced many of his most famous works, with several penned, others published, and another two started. By the time he passed away in 1946, several of his novels had already received adaptations and become popular.
10 Island Of Lost Souls
1932
The Island of Lost Souls was one of the first English language adaptations of H.G. Wells’ work, inspired by the novel, The Island of Doctor Moreau. The film is a sci-fi horror story which details the mysterious experiments of the reclusive Dr. Moreau who lives on a remote island surrounded by lush forests and unique creatures. Due to the horrifying nature of the film with humans being created from animals through unusual and cruel experiments, the film was heavily edited and restricted after it was released for many years. However, it went on to earn far more praise in later decades for the cinematography and creativity.
9 The Time Machine
1960
Based on the novella by the same name, The Time Machine is one of H.G. Wells’ most popular stories. Originally released in 1895, the story has been adapted to film four times and inspired many further movies about time travel. One of the best adaptations came in 1960, with Rod Taylor starring as a brilliant inventor who creates a machine capable of carrying him through time. Upon arriving in a distant future, he discovers that peoples have evolved to become two distinct species, the Eloi, and the Morlocks in a post-apocalyptic future. Wells is responsible for creating the term time machine, and this film did a great job faithfully adapting the story.
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8 First Men In The Moon
1964
Five years before the first ever moon landing, H.G. Wells’ 1901 story, First Men in the Moon was adapted into a film with the same title. The movie outlines a group of astronauts who visit the moon and discover various forms of previously undiscovered life forms. The film did an excellent job integrating stop-motion animation with live-action and, considering the time it was filmed in, managed to create a wonderful visual experience that earned it much praise.
7 War Of The Worlds
2005
Another of Wells’ most famous stories is The War of the Worlds, which was originally published as a serial in magazines before being compiled into a complete novel in 1898. The story has been adapted several times into radio shows, musicals and feature-length films. In 2005, Steven Spielberg’s attempt to adapt the story, starring Tom Cruise, was released and earned an incredible $603 million (via Box Office Mojo). The story details an alien invasion by a highly advanced species who appear to herald the end of the world, but as the story plays out, the aliens find their toughest challenge in the most obscure way.
6 The Man Who Could Work Miracles
1937
The Man Who Could Work Miracles may lean more into the realm of fantasy, but it again applies fictional elements to scientific precepts during a time when neither genre was well-defined. The inspiration for the 1937 adaptation was a short story written and published by Wells in 1898. The story revolves around a man who is granted miraculous powers by the gods to perform impossible feats and prove humanity’s worthiness. The adaptation added to the story in order to create a feature film, but the fantastical elements ring through to the theme of Wells’ original story and make for an engaging film.
5 The Invisible Man
2020
The Invisible Man is another serial story published weekly in a magazine by Wells before being published as a novel in 1897. Considering the story revolves around a character who can’t be seen, it has proven difficult to adapt satisfyingly to film on several occasions, but one of the best films to adapt the story came in 2020. There are several changes and the film leans more into the horror side of the story, but it manages to convey the sci-fi feeling and what the truth about gaining the power to turn invisible may look like in a comprehensive and complete way.
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4 Things To Come
1936
In 1936, Things to Come was released as a commentary on social and political developments in society and where these things could lead in the future. The book that inspired it came just a few years earlier, in 1933, The Shape of Things to Come, with elements of other stories thrown in. What is unique about this adaptation is that the book was not so much a fictional story, but a discussion written in the form of a novel. After it’s release, the film garnered critical acclaim, with many of the ideas highlighted in the film remaining relevant today.
3 The Island Of Dr. Moreau
1977
The second English language adaptation of The Island of Dr. Moreau was released almost 50 years after The Island of Lost Souls. The film made a valiant effort to adapt the original story, but perhaps because of how far special effects had come and other contemporary releases like Star Wars and Star Trek revealing how effectively special effects could be used, the film received negative reviews for the poor special effects. In the 1977 version, Burt Lancaster plays the titular Moreau, and the story continues to prove itself a faithful adaptation to the work that inspired it.
2 Time After Time
1979
While Time After Time was not a story written by H.G. Wells, it does feature him as the primary protagonist in an adventure which expands on The Time Machine. The novel, written by Karl Alexander, was published in 1979 and produced as a film the same year with Nicholas Meyer directing. In a reality where Wells managed to successfully build a time machine, he pursues Jack The Ripper through time to put a stop to his terrible misdeeds. Starring Malcolm McDowell as Wells and David Werner as the Ripper, the film has fun with its premise and received widespread praise upon its release.
1 The Invisible Man
1933
In 1933, another early adopter of H.G. Wells’ stories adapted The Invisible Man into a harrowing science fiction horror about a man who turns himself invisible with no way to undo it, and is driven mad. The quality of the effects and visuals for a film about an invisible character made in 1933 is remarkable and earned the film praise from numerous publications, not only for the originality of the story and quality of the acting, but also the effects employed throughout the film. Dr. Jack Griffin, played by Claude Rains, quickly moves from harmless pranks to senseless murder in this thrilling piece of cinematic history.
