Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was an Irish author and satirist. After receiving a doctor of divinity degree from Trinity College, Dublin, Swift went on to publish numerous books, essays, pamphlets, and poems, many of which express his political allegiance to the Tories. In addition to being a literary and political writer, Swift was dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was a Scottish novelist, travel writer, poet, and children's author. Plagued by poor health his entire life, he was nevertheless an amazingly prolific writer, and created some of the most influential and entertaining fiction of the nineteenth century, including Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

The son of a professional cricketer and a lady's maid, H. G. Wells (1866-1946) served apprenticeships as a draper and a chemist's assistant before winning a scholarship to the prestigious Normal School of Science in London. While he is best remembered for his groundbreaking science fiction novels, including The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, and The Island of Doctor Moreau, Wells also wrote extensively on politics and social matters and was one of the foremost public intellectuals of his day.