N@N – Annie Murray: H.G. Wells – Living the ‘90s Dream

Event Details

Drawing upon ideas and materials featured in the exhibition H.G. Wells: A Scientific Romance, I’ll discuss author H.G. Wells (1866-1946) and his rapid rise from humble origins to establishing himself as a key figure in the formation of the science fiction genre. In a remarkably short time span, H.G. Wells published a series of now canonical early science fiction works, including The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man(1897) and The War of the Worlds (1898). I’ll look at his early literary production in the context of emerging scientific ideas of the time, the vibrant publishing environment where he flourished, and the mood and spirit of fin de siècle England.

Annie Murray is Rare Books and Special Collections Librarian in Libraries and Cultural Resources at the University of Calgary. She is curator of H.G. Wells: A Scientific Romance (Nickle Galleries, April 11 – July 19, 2024). Previously, she curated Devotion: Louis Riel Writes Home.

Free, everyone welcome

Held in person, in the Gallery Hall, ground floor Taylor Family Digital Library (adjacent to Nickle Galleries).