The Hampdenshire Wonder

The Hampdenshire Wonder is a science fiction novel by J. D. Beresford, first published 1911. It is one of the first novels to involve a wunderkind. The child, Victor Stott, is the son of a famous cricket player. This origin is perhaps a reference to H. G. Wells's father Joseph Wells, a cricketer. The novel concerns his progress from infant to almost preternaturally clever child. Victor Stott is deformed subtly to allow for his powerful brain. A prominent, and unpleasant, character is the local minister. As Beresford's father was a minister, and Beresford was himself partially disabled, some see autobiographical aspects to the story. However this is unproven.