The Wheels of Chance

Mr Hoopdriver is an expert in his field - a perfect gentleman with more than a little flair behind the drapers' counter. Yet Mr Hoopdriver is growing tired of measuring out yards of gingham and selling endless reels of threads. He yearns for new discoveries, new adventures and above all, a change of scenery. Determined to leave the humdrum behind him, he mounts his bicycle and embarks on a journey across England. Liberation, excitement and friendship with a pretty young girl await him - but what will happen when the real world catches up with him? First published in 1896, during the bicycle's golden age, The Wheels of Chance is a delightful comic novel, capturing a period of momentous social change.

Born Herbert George Wells in Kent in 1866, H. G. Wells was an outspoken socialist and pacifist, whose works caused some controversy. He is more widely known as a science fiction writer for the novels that he published between 1895 and 1901: The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, When the Sleeper Wakes and The First Men in the Moon. All, except for When the Sleeper Wakes, have been made into films. Along with Jules Verne, H. G. Wells is also known as 'the Father of Science Fiction'. His later novels were more realistic and he wrote many genres, including contemporary novels, history and social commentary. H. G. Wells died in 1946.