Life paths geography and biography books

Comparing the biographies of H G Wells and Olaf Stapledon can help to elucidate the ways in which their respective life-paths instilled in each writer the capacity to make sense of the Universe in particular ways.

This approach draws on scholarship that has recognised ‘the intersection of the geographical and biographical’ in researching aspects of self, place and identity in a variety of historical contexts.¹⁵ Similarly, others have commented on how, in order to make sense of the different spaces people occupy throughout their professional and personal lives, an approach focussed on ‘geographical biography’ would yield insightful accounts of scientific knowledge creation, an approach that could just as effectively be applied to understanding literary narratives.¹⁶

Accordingly, while looking to make sense of Wells and Stapledon’s lifelong fascination with extra-terrestrial space, biographers of both writers have attributed significa