Carl Sagan

Herbert George "H.G." Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games. Together with... Jules Verne and Hugo Gernsback, Wells has been referred to as "The Father of Science Fiction". Wells's earliest specialized training was in biology, and his thinking on ethical matters took place in a specifically and fundamentally Darwinian context. He was also from an early date an outspoken socialist, often sympathizing with pacifist views. His later works became increasingly political and didactic, and he sometimes indicated on official documents that his profession was that of "Journalist." Many of his novels, particularly those of his middle period , had nothing to do with science fiction. They described lower-middle class life , and this work sometimes led Wells to be touted as a worthy successor to Charles Dickens.
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Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres. Burroughs was born on September 1, 1875, in Chicago, Illinois , the fourth son of businessman and Civil War... veteran Major George Tyler Burroughs and his wife Mary Evaline Burroughs . His middle name is from his paternal grandmother, Mary Rice Burroughs . Burroughs was educated at a number of local schools, and during the Chicago influenza epidemic in 1891, he spent a half year at his brother's ranch on the Raft River in Idaho. He then attended the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and then the Michigan Military Academy. Graduating in 1895, and failing the entrance exam for the United States Military Academy , he ended up as an enlisted soldier with the 7th U.S. Cavalry in Fort Grant, Arizona Territory. After being diagnosed with a heart problem and thus found ineligible to serve, he was discharged in 1897.
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