Founders of Science Fiction
Tracing the origins of the world’s most speculative genre
Long before rockets and robots, science fiction was born of imagination—dreamers and thinkers pushing the limits of the possible. Founders of Sci-Fi explores the lives and works of the authors who built the foundation of the genre—stories that shaped how we think about science, society, and the future.
The Founding Family
In science fiction’s family tree, Mary Shelley stands as the Grandmother who lit the first spark. Jules Verne and H.G. Wells—the Fathers—fanned it into a blaze, shaping forms that still illuminate the genre today.
The Grandmother
Mary Shelley (1797–1851) — Author of Frankenstein, the novel that gave birth to science fiction by blending speculative science with deep moral questions.
The Visionary
Jules Verne (1828–1905) — Imagined submarines, rockets, and global travel long before they existed, turning scientific curiosity into grand adventure.
The Architect
H.G. Wells (1866–1946) — Built the framework of modern science fiction through time travel, alien invasions, and bold social critique.
Featured Articles
A small collection of reflections and deep dives into classic science fiction and its cultural echoes.
Mary Shelley didn’t invent Frankenstein out of thin air. When she began writing her novel in 1816, science was pushing the boundaries of life, death, and electricity — and she was paying close attention. Her tale of Victor Frankenstein, a science student obsessed with reanimating the dead, grew directly out of the discoveries and debates
🎤 Sci-Fi fight fans, welcome to tonight’s main event! In the red corner, hailing from Bromley, England… he brought us time travel, invisible men, and Martian war machines… the sharp-eyed pessimist who built frameworks of progress, catastrophe, and consequence… it’s H.G. “The Architect” Wells! And in the blue corner, from Nantes, France… he sent submarines
When people think of science fiction, they often picture rockets, Martians, or far-flung futures. Yet the genre’s roots stretch back more than 200 years to a young woman writing by candlelight. In 1818, Mary Shelley published Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus—a novel many consider the first modern work of science fiction. With that one book,
About This Project
Founders of Sci-Fi is an evolving family tree of the genre’s beginnings. The site currently focuses on the “Founding Family” — Shelley, Verne, and Wells — with room to expand when time and curiosity align.
[Read the full story on our About page →]
Join the Family
Begin your journey with the Founders. Explore Mary Shelley, Jules Verne, and H.G. Wells, and browse the articles and resources that connect their classic visions to today’s debates about science, technology, and the future.