Washington and the riddle of peace

After the horrors of World War One, the world was ready for peace. So, in 1921, nine countries came together for a summit in Washington DC to talk disarmament. One visitor to the conference was world famous sci-fi writer H.G. Wells. "Washington and the Riddle of Peace" collects together twenty nine articles he wrote about the event, which were originally published in various magazines and newspapers. He writes with both optimism and pessimism about the talks, wanting to believe in humankind's better nature but wary of countries' insatiable appetite for power and money. Less than two decades later of course, Wells' worst fears would be proved correct. H.G. Wells (1866-1946) was an English author often called the "father of science fiction". His work popularised some of the genre's most abiding concepts, such as time travel and parallel universes, while also exploring social issues of the day. Among his most famous books are "The Time Machine", "The Island of Doctor Moreau", "The Invisible Man" and "The First Men in the Moon".Wells was also one of the first writers to imagine an alien invasion. In "The War of the Worlds" he depicts a devastating attack by Martians, who stalk the earth in huge metal tripods. Orson Welles famously created an American radio version in the 1930s, panicking some listeners who thought it was a real news bulletin. The book has been adapted for the screen many times, including a movie starring Tom Cruise and a BBC television series.