The Wheels of Chance : 9781438536729 : 04 Feb 2010 : Although H G Wells is best known for his science fiction stories he was also a serious commentator on the political scene surrounding World War I. H G Wells (1686 - 1846) wrote both fiction and non-fiction. He worked in many genres including novels, history, and social commentaries. The Wheels of Chance a Bicycling Idyll was written when the bicycle was beginning to become very popular. The years 1890 -1905 saw bicycles becoming a part of social changes in England. People could move quickly and rigid class structure was beginning to crumble.