They shared many views in common and Churchill was said know his work extremely well. In his prolific career, Wells not only wrote the already mentioned masterpieces of science fiction but also works like The new world order, The shape of things to come, A modern utopia, The Open conspiracy, The way the world is going, The Holy Terror" (in which he "predicts" the holocaust), The New America, Anticipations (In a letter to Elizabeth Healy, Wells said that the purpose of Anticipations was "to undermine and destroy the monarch, monogamy, faith in God & respectability—& the British Empire, all under the guise of a speculation about motor cars & electric heating"). There's a common theme in all of them; the desire for a world regime of scientific socialism ruled by an elite of technocrats who carry out eugenics policies and social engineering.
Churchill took inspiration from A modern utopia to write one of his speeches. This book describes a "utopia" in an alternate Earth in which "the state is the sole landowner", there is a one world government, motherhood is subsidized by the state, only those who can support themselves can marry, women at 21 and men at 26 or 27, Marriages that remain childless "expire" after a term of three to five years, but the partners may marry again if so they choose, no meat, no cats or dogs, islands in which "criminals" are marooned, a single world economy, all of this ruled by the "samurai" class; something similar to Plato's philosopher kings, who lead ascetic lives without any private property and are "fit" to rule others because they are "enlightened".
Dr Richard Toye, a Lecturer in History at the University of Cambridge, has found that the phrase "The Gathering Storm" - used by Churchill to depict the rise of Hitler's Germany - had in fact been conjured up by Wells decades earlier in The War Of The Worlds, which depicts an attack on Britain by Martians.
And he has also spotted stark similarities between a speech Churchill made 100 years ago and Wells' book A Modern Utopia.
Tellingly, just two days before Churchill gave the speech in Glasgow on October 9 1906, he had also written to Wells to enthuse about the book, admitting "I owe you a great debt".
Wells wrote: "The State will stand at the back of the economic struggle as the reserve employer of Labour." Churchill said: "The State should increasingly assume the position of the reserve employer of labour."
Churchill told Wells he particularly admired "the skill and courage with which the questions of marriage & population were discussed" in his book. Not long after reading the book, Churchill was described by a friend as "a strong eugenist" - a supporter of selective breeding.
(This will tie in with a future post on Cecil Rhodes).'There might even be some form of common citizenship, under which citizens of the United States and the British Commonwealth might enjoy voting privileges after residential qualification'.
His publishers sent a copy to Churchill, and the future Prime Minister wrote a long letter back, in which he told Wells: "I read everything you write" - adding that he agreed with many of his ideas. They met in 1902 and several times thereafter, and kept in touch in person and by letter until Wells' death in 1946. In 1908, Wells supported Churchill when he stood in a by-election for the seat of Manchester North-West. In 1931, Churchill even admitted that he could "pass an exam" in H. G. Wells' work.
"We need to remember that there was a time when Churchill was a radical liberal who believed these things," Dr. Toye added. "Wells is often seen as a socialist, but he also saw himself as a liberal, and he saw Churchill as someone whose views were moving in the right direction."
Source: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/chu ... m-hg-wells