The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 21 July 1998
by H. G. Wells
This book is a classic of science-fiction. As an early example of the time-travel subgenre, it sets a standard for fantastic futures. A nondescript scientist in London is having a dinner party with some friends and announces he has built a machine for traveling in time. All incredulous with his sleight of hand, his listeners turn very skeptical ears to his tale of travelling to the year 802701. The world is a very different place, populated by two species of humans. Wells's reason for this division is rooted in the socio-political views that made him a founding member of the Fabian Society. This short book is part science-fiction, part social commentary. The voyage into the far distant future is fascinating, but also left this reader wondering about the potential for this sort of tale. Given the vast number of time-travel stories spawned since the publication of this book, one can see that others wondered also about that potential. Writing sci-fi wasn't specifically Wells's goal here, though, and it would have been a less interesting book if it was. A 1960 film of the same name stuck close to Wells' story, but lost much of the social scale Wells brilliantly applied in the novel. (A 2002 movie was more spectacular, but was even further from the book.)
Also by H. G. Wells: [The First Men in the Moon] [The War of the Worlds]
See also: [Return of the Time Machine by Egon Friedell] [The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter]
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