Final years

28/10/1940View on timeline

Wells's literary reputation declined as he spent his later years promoting causes that were rejected by most of his contemporaries as well as by younger authors whom he had previously influenced. In this connection, George Orwell described Wells as "too sane to understand the modern world". G. K. Chesterton quipped: "Mr Wells is a born storyteller who has sold his birthright for a pot of message".

Wells had diabetes, and was a co-founder in 1934 of The Diabetic Association (now Diabetes UK, the leading charity for people with diabetes in the UK).

On 28 October 1940, on the radio station KTSA in San Antonio, Texas, Wells took part in a radio interview with Orson Welles, who two years previously had performed a famous radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds. During the interview, by Charles C Shaw, a KTSA radio host, Wells admitted his surprise at the widespread panic that resulted from the broadcast but acknowledged his debt to Welles for increasing sales of one of his "more obscure" titles.

H. G. Wells in 1943.

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Published in 14/08/2020

Updated in 19/02/2021

All events in the topic Biography:


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21/09/1866BirthBirth
1874Early lifeEarly life
1891Personal lifePersonal life
28/10/1940Final yearsFinal years
13/08/1946DeathDeath
10/1879TeacherTeacher
23/07/1934Travels to RussiaTravels to Russia
1895WriterWriter