What do you think?
Rate this book
The Time Machine
English novelist, historian and science writer Herbert George Wells (1866鈥�1946) abandoned teaching and launched his literary career with a series of highly successful science-fiction novels. The Time Machine was the first of a number of these imaginative literary inventions. First published in 1895, the novel follows the adventures of a hypothetical Time Traveller who journeys into the future to find that humanity has evolved into two the peaceful Eloi 鈥� vegetarians who tire easily 鈥� and the carnivorous, predatory Morlocks.
After narrowly escaping from the Morlocks, the Time Traveller undertakes another journey even further into the future where he finds the earth growing bitterly cold as the heat and energy of the sun wane. Horrified, he returns to the present, but soon departs again on his final journey.
While the novel is underpinned with both Darwinian and Marxist theory and offers fascinating food for thought about the world of the future, it also succeeds as an exciting blend of adventure and pseudo-scientific romance. Sure to delight lovers of the fantastic and bizarre, The Time Machine is a book that belongs on the shelf of every science-fiction fan.
After narrowly escaping from the Morlocks, the Time Traveller undertakes another journey even further into the future where he finds the earth growing bitterly cold as the heat and energy of the sun wane. Horrified, he returns to the present, but soon departs again on his final journey.
While the novel is underpinned with both Darwinian and Marxist theory and offers fascinating food for thought about the world of the future, it also succeeds as an exciting blend of adventure and pseudo-scientific romance. Sure to delight lovers of the fantastic and bizarre, The Time Machine is a book that belongs on the shelf of every science-fiction fan.
80 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1895
19k people are currently reading
376k people want to read
About the author
H.G. Wells
5,153听books10.7k听followersHerbert George Wells was born to a working class family in Kent, England. Young Wells received a spotty education, interrupted by several illnesses and family difficulties, and became a draper's apprentice as a teenager. The headmaster of Midhurst Grammar School, where he had spent a year, arranged for him to return as an "usher," or student teacher. Wells earned a government scholarship in 1884, to study biology under Thomas Henry Huxley at the Normal School of Science. Wells earned his bachelor of science and doctor of science degrees at the University of London. After marrying his cousin, Isabel, Wells began to supplement his teaching salary with short stories and freelance articles, then books, including The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898).
Wells created a mild scandal when he divorced his cousin to marry one of his best students, Amy Catherine Robbins. Although his second marriage was lasting and produced two sons, Wells was an unabashed advocate of free (as opposed to "indiscriminate") love. He continued to openly have extra-marital liaisons, most famously with Margaret Sanger, and a ten-year relationship with the author Rebecca West, who had one of his two out-of-wedlock children. A one-time member of the Fabian Society, Wells sought active change. His 100 books included many novels, as well as nonfiction, such as A Modern Utopia (1905), The Outline of History (1920), A Short History of the World (1922), The Shape of Things to Come (1933), and The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1932). One of his booklets was Crux Ansata, An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church. Although Wells toyed briefly with the idea of a "divine will" in his book, God the Invisible King (1917), it was a temporary aberration. Wells used his international fame to promote his favorite causes, including the prevention of war, and was received by government officials around the world. He is best-remembered as an early writer of science fiction and futurism.
He was also an outspoken socialist. Wells and Jules Verne are each sometimes referred to as "The Fathers of Science Fiction". D. 1946.
More:
Wells created a mild scandal when he divorced his cousin to marry one of his best students, Amy Catherine Robbins. Although his second marriage was lasting and produced two sons, Wells was an unabashed advocate of free (as opposed to "indiscriminate") love. He continued to openly have extra-marital liaisons, most famously with Margaret Sanger, and a ten-year relationship with the author Rebecca West, who had one of his two out-of-wedlock children. A one-time member of the Fabian Society, Wells sought active change. His 100 books included many novels, as well as nonfiction, such as A Modern Utopia (1905), The Outline of History (1920), A Short History of the World (1922), The Shape of Things to Come (1933), and The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1932). One of his booklets was Crux Ansata, An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church. Although Wells toyed briefly with the idea of a "divine will" in his book, God the Invisible King (1917), it was a temporary aberration. Wells used his international fame to promote his favorite causes, including the prevention of war, and was received by government officials around the world. He is best-remembered as an early writer of science fiction and futurism.
He was also an outspoken socialist. Wells and Jules Verne are each sometimes referred to as "The Fathers of Science Fiction". D. 1946.
More:
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 18,191 reviews
October 22, 2008
One of the most difficult courses I took in college was a class called Sociological Theory. The professor was either brilliant or a total nut, I鈥檓 still not sure, and one of the questions for our final exam was actually:
Why? (Use diagrams to support your response).
Ugh, ugh, ugh!!! I walked out of that class with a B and I kid you not, I have never worked so hard for a B in my life! I pity the one guy in my class who walked away with an A and don鈥檛 even want to think about what his social life was like during that semester because I know mine was down the tubes.
At one point, the kooky prof mentioned The Time Machine as some interesting (but not required) reading to pick up on the side. But since he already had us reading upwards of 1,000 pages a week and we were required to hand in a 7-10 page paper every Monday (just for the one class!!!!), I was like, 鈥渟crew you! H.G. Wells can kiss my ass!鈥�
And that鈥檚 the funny thing about regret. Because now I鈥檓 wishing I鈥檇 have made time in my busy schedule to read it. Maybe I should have blown off another class for a couple hours so I could have read The Time Machine. And then I could have thought about it in a state of mind that was open and receptive to what was being said and layering it with some weird, academic extrapolations and connections (the kind professors slurp up) and it would become something ultra-meaningful and profound. Or something.
But no, I read it now. At age 29. Because I was dragging my feet and didn鈥檛 feel like finishing the book I鈥檓 supposed to be reading about Al Qaeda. And so the entire time I was reading it, I was like, 鈥渉m, interesting. If I was a younger person and still remembered the specific details about theories I studied in my past life as a student, the ideas in this book would have given me a nerd brain orgasm. And hot diggity damn! This book would have made a fantastic paper for my Soc. Theory class! By referencing several schools of sociological thought and combining those with discussions of evolution, social deconstruction and combining all that with the social norms of Victorian peoples鈥攖hat would have knocked that prof鈥檚 socks off!"
So anyway. I liked this book okay. I鈥檓 really not a huge science fiction fan and that aspect probably kept me from getting into it as much as I could have given its potential for creating nerd brain o鈥檚. Plus, it was only 90 pages long. It鈥檚 hard to really get into something that鈥檚 that short. Parts of the story felt like they weren鈥檛 fleshed out enough and Wells seemed to have skimmed over several scenes that shouldn鈥檛 have been skimped on. But then I found out that his original intent for this story was to turn it into a full-fledged novel but that just never happened due to some financial burdens and it sort of made sense.
The basic plot revolves around a Victorian gentleman and his theories about time travel. To prove them, he builds a machine and travels 800,000 years into the future where he befriends a group of people, the Eloi, who are descended from modern human beings. They are much shorter, childlike people who only eat fruit and spend most of their day playing games. They have no concept of work, they have no critical thinking skills and are incapable of logical reaction to problems. They are also terrified of the dark.
After spending a few days with them, the Time Traveler discovers another distinct species, also descended from modern man but of a much more sinister nature. This second group lives underground, only comes out at night, is a bit more cunning than the gentle people who live aboveground and this group is also extremely predatory in that they cannibalize the Eloi. These are the Morlocks.
The Time Traveler has several adventures during his time spent amongst the Eloi and the Morlocks and towards the end of the story, Wells makes some fairly blatant comparisons between the Eloi and the ultra-rich of our own society. If they spend their entire days being attended to by others, they will lose the ability to care for themselves and if they鈥檙e not careful, over the course of time and evolution of the species, they could turn into the Eloi, a group of wimpy wimpsters upon whom a life of privilege has backfired.
Why? (Use diagrams to support your response).
Ugh, ugh, ugh!!! I walked out of that class with a B and I kid you not, I have never worked so hard for a B in my life! I pity the one guy in my class who walked away with an A and don鈥檛 even want to think about what his social life was like during that semester because I know mine was down the tubes.
At one point, the kooky prof mentioned The Time Machine as some interesting (but not required) reading to pick up on the side. But since he already had us reading upwards of 1,000 pages a week and we were required to hand in a 7-10 page paper every Monday (just for the one class!!!!), I was like, 鈥渟crew you! H.G. Wells can kiss my ass!鈥�
And that鈥檚 the funny thing about regret. Because now I鈥檓 wishing I鈥檇 have made time in my busy schedule to read it. Maybe I should have blown off another class for a couple hours so I could have read The Time Machine. And then I could have thought about it in a state of mind that was open and receptive to what was being said and layering it with some weird, academic extrapolations and connections (the kind professors slurp up) and it would become something ultra-meaningful and profound. Or something.
But no, I read it now. At age 29. Because I was dragging my feet and didn鈥檛 feel like finishing the book I鈥檓 supposed to be reading about Al Qaeda. And so the entire time I was reading it, I was like, 鈥渉m, interesting. If I was a younger person and still remembered the specific details about theories I studied in my past life as a student, the ideas in this book would have given me a nerd brain orgasm. And hot diggity damn! This book would have made a fantastic paper for my Soc. Theory class! By referencing several schools of sociological thought and combining those with discussions of evolution, social deconstruction and combining all that with the social norms of Victorian peoples鈥攖hat would have knocked that prof鈥檚 socks off!"
So anyway. I liked this book okay. I鈥檓 really not a huge science fiction fan and that aspect probably kept me from getting into it as much as I could have given its potential for creating nerd brain o鈥檚. Plus, it was only 90 pages long. It鈥檚 hard to really get into something that鈥檚 that short. Parts of the story felt like they weren鈥檛 fleshed out enough and Wells seemed to have skimmed over several scenes that shouldn鈥檛 have been skimped on. But then I found out that his original intent for this story was to turn it into a full-fledged novel but that just never happened due to some financial burdens and it sort of made sense.
The basic plot revolves around a Victorian gentleman and his theories about time travel. To prove them, he builds a machine and travels 800,000 years into the future where he befriends a group of people, the Eloi, who are descended from modern human beings. They are much shorter, childlike people who only eat fruit and spend most of their day playing games. They have no concept of work, they have no critical thinking skills and are incapable of logical reaction to problems. They are also terrified of the dark.
After spending a few days with them, the Time Traveler discovers another distinct species, also descended from modern man but of a much more sinister nature. This second group lives underground, only comes out at night, is a bit more cunning than the gentle people who live aboveground and this group is also extremely predatory in that they cannibalize the Eloi. These are the Morlocks.
The Time Traveler has several adventures during his time spent amongst the Eloi and the Morlocks and towards the end of the story, Wells makes some fairly blatant comparisons between the Eloi and the ultra-rich of our own society. If they spend their entire days being attended to by others, they will lose the ability to care for themselves and if they鈥檙e not careful, over the course of time and evolution of the species, they could turn into the Eloi, a group of wimpy wimpsters upon whom a life of privilege has backfired.
February 11, 2025
To the future and beyond.
A group of people is greatly preoccupied by the absence of one of their friends. And serious concerns arise over his pitiful state when he finally returns to his home, raddled and haggard. The Time Traveler has been in the year 802,701 AD, and he has quite a story to tell.
This was good! Great even, maybe. Tbh I鈥檓 not fan of HG Wells style of writing, but can鈥檛 understate the importance of this writing, being one of the first ever recorded works of time travel and all. I absolutely LOVE almost everything regarding time travel, but unfortunately I couldn鈥檛 love this one, possibly because of having watched the movies first. I did enjoy and appreciate finally getting to know in great detail the original work, the Time Traveler, Weena, the Eloi, the Morlocks, and the whole story around it. Did not enjoy the ideology/sociological explanations for the evolution/devolution of mankind, which I found theoretically and mind-numbingly boring, as much as the 鈥淏ook of Goldestein鈥� from 1984; personally I鈥檇 preferred to have left all that a mystery, but that鈥檚 me.
I鈥檓 positive if I hadn鈥檛 watched the movies ages ago I鈥檇 have enjoyed this so much more, but alas, even after all this time my memories still remain very much fresh. So the unavoidable predictability, plus the total absence of surprise (which means everything to me), greatly hampered my enjoyment of this book. The Time Machine (2002) is also one of my fav movies of all time, so it was very hard to compete against that too.
All in all, this felt mostly 3-stars, but if hadn鈥檛 watched it first I bet it would鈥檝e been 4, maybe even 5. So I鈥檓 settling with 4. And still very much looking forward to reading the 鈥淲ar of the Worlds鈥�, which I have also already watched. Dang.
*** The Time Machine (1960): By far the most accurate depiction I鈥檝e watched so far. Rod Taylor and Yvette Mimieux play a decent Time Traveler and Weena, respectively. The movie was interesting enough, yet sadly left much to be desired. I just can鈥檛 deny the feeling that the movie felt kinda clunky and effects felt wildly dated by today鈥檚 standards, but you gotta love the movie funny version of the Morlocks lol. (5/10)
*** The Time Machine (2002): The most unfaithful and inaccurate depiction I鈥檝e ever watched and by FAR the most entertaining and my most favorite one lol. Just LOVED everything about it! Guy Pearce, Samantha Mumba, Sienna Guillory and Jeremy Irons fantastic in their roles. LOVED the tragic backstory with Emma, the introduction of Mara instead of Weena, the utterly scary Morlocks and their Overlord. Completely LOVED the scenography, soundtrack and special effects, which totally blew my mind and is a perfect representation of how I picture and fantasize every day about time travel in my mind. Of course the movie has been widely panned and in all honesty deviates so much from the original work it hardly resembles it anymore. Don鈥檛 care. LOVED IT. (10/10)
It鈥檚 public domain. You can find it
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1895] [110p] [Sci-Fi] [3.5] [Recommendable] [Weena]
-----------------------------------------------
Hacia el futuro y m谩s all谩.
Un grupo de gente est谩 muy preocupado por la ausencia de uno de sus amigos. Y surgen serias preocupaciones por su lamentable estado cuando 茅ste finalmente regresa a su casa, gastado y demacrado. El Viajero del Tiempo ha estado en el a帽o 802.701 d.C. y tiene una gran historia que contar.
隆Esto estuvo bien! Incluso maravilloso, tal vez. Sinceramente, no soy fan谩tico del estilo de escritura de HG Wells, pero no puedo subestimar la importancia de este trabajo, que es uno de los primeros escritos registrados sobre viajes en el tiempo y todo eso. AMO casi absolutamente todo concerniente a viajar en el tiempo, pero desafortunadamente no pude amar esto, posiblemente por haber visto las pel铆culas primero. Disfrut茅 y apreci茅 poder conocer finalmente en gran detalle la obra original, el Viajero del Tiempo, Weena, los Eloi, los Morlocks y toda la historia que los rodea. No disfrut茅 todas las explicaciones ideol贸gicas/sociol贸gicas sobre la evoluci贸n/involuci贸n de la humanidad, que encontr茅 te贸rica y abrumadoramente aburridas, tanto como el 鈥淟ibro de Goldestein鈥� de 1984; personalmente hubiera preferido que todo eso hubiera quedado como misterio, pero ese soy yo.
Estoy seguro de que si no hubiera visto las pel铆culas mucho tiempo antes, habr铆a disfrutado esto mucho m谩s, pero, por desgracia, incluso despu茅s de todo este tiempo mis recuerdos todav铆a siguen muy frescos. As铆 que la inevitable previsibilidad, m谩s la total ausencia de sorpresa (que lo significa todo para m铆), perjudicaron enormemente mi disfrute del libro. La M谩quina del Tiempo (2002) tambi茅n es una de mis pel铆culas favoritas de todos los tiempos, por lo que fue muy dif铆cil competir contra ella.
En general, esto se sinti贸 principalmente como 3 estrellas, pero si no lo hubiera visto primero, apuesto a que habr铆an sido 4, tal vez incluso 5. As铆 que lo promedio en un 4. Y todav铆a tengo muchas ganas de leer "La guerra de los mundos", cuyas pel铆culas tambi茅n ya vi. Maldita sea.
*** La M谩quina del Tiempo (1960): Por lejos la representaci贸n m谩s fiel que he visto hasta el momento. Rod Taylor e Yvette Mimieux interpretan a un decente Viajero del tiempo y Weena, respectivamente. La pel铆cula me result贸 suficientemente interesante, aunque lamentablemente dej贸 bastante que desear. No puedo negar la sensaci贸n de que la pel铆cula y los efectos se sintieron asquerosamente anticuados para los est谩ndares actuales, pero no puedo negar que me encanta la versi贸n retro de los Morlocks de la pel铆cula jaja. (5/10)
*** La M谩quina del Tiempo (2002): Sin dudas la representaci贸n m谩s infiel e inexacta que he visto en mi vida y por lejos la m谩s entretenida y mi m谩s favorita jaja. 隆Simplemente AME todo de ella! Guy Pearce, Samantha Mumba, Sienna Guillory y Jeremy Irons fant谩sticos en sus roles. AME la tr谩gica historia de fondo con Emma, la presentaci贸n de Mara en lugar de Weena, los absolutamente aterradores Morlocks y su Mente Maestra. AME completamente la escenograf铆a, la banda sonora y los efectos especiales, que me dejaron alucinado y son una representaci贸n perfecta de c贸mo imagino y fantaseo todos los d铆as sobre viajar en el tiempo en mi mente. Por supuesto la pel铆cula ha sido ampliamente criticada y, sinceramente, se desv铆a tanto de la obra original que al final apenas si se le parece. No me importa. AME TODO. (10/10)
Es dominio p煤blico, lo pueden encontrar
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1895] [110p] [Ciencia Ficci贸n] [3.5] [Recomendable] [Weena]
-----------------------------------------------
A group of people is greatly preoccupied by the absence of one of their friends. And serious concerns arise over his pitiful state when he finally returns to his home, raddled and haggard. The Time Traveler has been in the year 802,701 AD, and he has quite a story to tell.
This was good! Great even, maybe. Tbh I鈥檓 not fan of HG Wells style of writing, but can鈥檛 understate the importance of this writing, being one of the first ever recorded works of time travel and all. I absolutely LOVE almost everything regarding time travel, but unfortunately I couldn鈥檛 love this one, possibly because of having watched the movies first. I did enjoy and appreciate finally getting to know in great detail the original work, the Time Traveler, Weena, the Eloi, the Morlocks, and the whole story around it. Did not enjoy the ideology/sociological explanations for the evolution/devolution of mankind, which I found theoretically and mind-numbingly boring, as much as the 鈥淏ook of Goldestein鈥� from 1984; personally I鈥檇 preferred to have left all that a mystery, but that鈥檚 me.
I鈥檓 positive if I hadn鈥檛 watched the movies ages ago I鈥檇 have enjoyed this so much more, but alas, even after all this time my memories still remain very much fresh. So the unavoidable predictability, plus the total absence of surprise (which means everything to me), greatly hampered my enjoyment of this book. The Time Machine (2002) is also one of my fav movies of all time, so it was very hard to compete against that too.
All in all, this felt mostly 3-stars, but if hadn鈥檛 watched it first I bet it would鈥檝e been 4, maybe even 5. So I鈥檓 settling with 4. And still very much looking forward to reading the 鈥淲ar of the Worlds鈥�, which I have also already watched. Dang.
*** The Time Machine (1960): By far the most accurate depiction I鈥檝e watched so far. Rod Taylor and Yvette Mimieux play a decent Time Traveler and Weena, respectively. The movie was interesting enough, yet sadly left much to be desired. I just can鈥檛 deny the feeling that the movie felt kinda clunky and effects felt wildly dated by today鈥檚 standards, but you gotta love the movie funny version of the Morlocks lol. (5/10)
*** The Time Machine (2002): The most unfaithful and inaccurate depiction I鈥檝e ever watched and by FAR the most entertaining and my most favorite one lol. Just LOVED everything about it! Guy Pearce, Samantha Mumba, Sienna Guillory and Jeremy Irons fantastic in their roles. LOVED the tragic backstory with Emma, the introduction of Mara instead of Weena, the utterly scary Morlocks and their Overlord. Completely LOVED the scenography, soundtrack and special effects, which totally blew my mind and is a perfect representation of how I picture and fantasize every day about time travel in my mind. Of course the movie has been widely panned and in all honesty deviates so much from the original work it hardly resembles it anymore. Don鈥檛 care. LOVED IT. (10/10)
It鈥檚 public domain. You can find it
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1895] [110p] [Sci-Fi] [3.5] [Recommendable] [Weena]
-----------------------------------------------
Hacia el futuro y m谩s all谩.
Un grupo de gente est谩 muy preocupado por la ausencia de uno de sus amigos. Y surgen serias preocupaciones por su lamentable estado cuando 茅ste finalmente regresa a su casa, gastado y demacrado. El Viajero del Tiempo ha estado en el a帽o 802.701 d.C. y tiene una gran historia que contar.
隆Esto estuvo bien! Incluso maravilloso, tal vez. Sinceramente, no soy fan谩tico del estilo de escritura de HG Wells, pero no puedo subestimar la importancia de este trabajo, que es uno de los primeros escritos registrados sobre viajes en el tiempo y todo eso. AMO casi absolutamente todo concerniente a viajar en el tiempo, pero desafortunadamente no pude amar esto, posiblemente por haber visto las pel铆culas primero. Disfrut茅 y apreci茅 poder conocer finalmente en gran detalle la obra original, el Viajero del Tiempo, Weena, los Eloi, los Morlocks y toda la historia que los rodea. No disfrut茅 todas las explicaciones ideol贸gicas/sociol贸gicas sobre la evoluci贸n/involuci贸n de la humanidad, que encontr茅 te贸rica y abrumadoramente aburridas, tanto como el 鈥淟ibro de Goldestein鈥� de 1984; personalmente hubiera preferido que todo eso hubiera quedado como misterio, pero ese soy yo.
Estoy seguro de que si no hubiera visto las pel铆culas mucho tiempo antes, habr铆a disfrutado esto mucho m谩s, pero, por desgracia, incluso despu茅s de todo este tiempo mis recuerdos todav铆a siguen muy frescos. As铆 que la inevitable previsibilidad, m谩s la total ausencia de sorpresa (que lo significa todo para m铆), perjudicaron enormemente mi disfrute del libro. La M谩quina del Tiempo (2002) tambi茅n es una de mis pel铆culas favoritas de todos los tiempos, por lo que fue muy dif铆cil competir contra ella.
En general, esto se sinti贸 principalmente como 3 estrellas, pero si no lo hubiera visto primero, apuesto a que habr铆an sido 4, tal vez incluso 5. As铆 que lo promedio en un 4. Y todav铆a tengo muchas ganas de leer "La guerra de los mundos", cuyas pel铆culas tambi茅n ya vi. Maldita sea.
*** La M谩quina del Tiempo (1960): Por lejos la representaci贸n m谩s fiel que he visto hasta el momento. Rod Taylor e Yvette Mimieux interpretan a un decente Viajero del tiempo y Weena, respectivamente. La pel铆cula me result贸 suficientemente interesante, aunque lamentablemente dej贸 bastante que desear. No puedo negar la sensaci贸n de que la pel铆cula y los efectos se sintieron asquerosamente anticuados para los est谩ndares actuales, pero no puedo negar que me encanta la versi贸n retro de los Morlocks de la pel铆cula jaja. (5/10)
*** La M谩quina del Tiempo (2002): Sin dudas la representaci贸n m谩s infiel e inexacta que he visto en mi vida y por lejos la m谩s entretenida y mi m谩s favorita jaja. 隆Simplemente AME todo de ella! Guy Pearce, Samantha Mumba, Sienna Guillory y Jeremy Irons fant谩sticos en sus roles. AME la tr谩gica historia de fondo con Emma, la presentaci贸n de Mara en lugar de Weena, los absolutamente aterradores Morlocks y su Mente Maestra. AME completamente la escenograf铆a, la banda sonora y los efectos especiales, que me dejaron alucinado y son una representaci贸n perfecta de c贸mo imagino y fantaseo todos los d铆as sobre viajar en el tiempo en mi mente. Por supuesto la pel铆cula ha sido ampliamente criticada y, sinceramente, se desv铆a tanto de la obra original que al final apenas si se le parece. No me importa. AME TODO. (10/10)
Es dominio p煤blico, lo pueden encontrar
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1895] [110p] [Ciencia Ficci贸n] [3.5] [Recomendable] [Weena]
-----------------------------------------------
March 17, 2020
Returning to a novel you liked years ago is often a risky business, particularly so when the genre of that novel is science fiction. Nothing can age so rapidly as the past鈥檚 conception of the future, and what once seemed cutting edge may, after fifty years or more, appear simply ludicrous.
Because of this, I was delighted to find H.G. Wells' brief novel at least as charming and exciting as I remembered it, the Time Traveler鈥檚 scientific lecture still intriguing, the journey he describes still convincing, and the sociological history he reveals to us鈥攐f the evolution of the two races, the Eloi and the Morlocks, still as persuasive as it it was in 1895. (Okay, I admit, not quite as persuasive as evolutionary biology, but鈥攇iven the rising gap between the rich and the poor鈥攕till compelling as a parable and cautionary tale.)
Although I remembered vividly both the origin and appearance of the Eloi and the Morlochs, I had forgotten much of the rest, and what I forgot made the book even better: 1) the delightful clarity of the Time Traveler's exposition to his audience of dinner guests about the nature of time as a dimension and the possibility of traveling through it, 2) the vivid description of the time-trip itself, a flickering cinematic-style vision, 3) the brutal destruction of the future of the English countryside, brought about by the Traveler鈥檚 reintroduction of fire, and 4) the end of his journey in a dying world of the far future, and the almost religious tone of his musings.
What was most clear to me, however, is how artfully H.G. Wells here combines scientific speculation, sociological parable, compelling adventure, and philosophical meditation. He both informs and delights, while never wearying his reader, in this book that is less than half the length of most of the first volumes of our current speculative fiction trilogies.
Still a classic, and one that our contemporary writers would do well to emulate.
February 28, 2021
The Time Machine is not primarily a novel about time travel, time travel paradoxes and so forth. It is chiefly a speculation on the far future of humanity and, closer to home, about class conflict and the evolution of the industrial civilisation.
It starts as an almost casual chat by the fireside about the possibility of travelling through the fourth dimension and the invention of the machine 鈥� oddly described as an ordinary bicycle that can go through time. The 鈥淭ime Traveller鈥� (he is never named) then pays a visit to the human race of the year 802,701 and discovers what, at first, looks like a utopia: the descendants of the human race seem to live, in perfect harmony, comfortable lives in a garden full of flowers. But as the night comes, a disturbing reality soon replaces this vision... The end of the story is an unsettling flight to Earth鈥檚 most remote and crepuscular future. Finally, the Time Traveller disappears, leaving but a few flowers on his desk.
This novella (some 60 pages) is a seminal work of the science-fiction genre. It remains to this day a landmark that has influenced almost all the utopian or dystopian writers, from Olaf Stapledon鈥檚 , to Huxley鈥檚 , to David Mitchell鈥檚 , to Michel Faber鈥檚 , to Thomas Pynchon鈥檚 .
Edit: Watched the 2002 film remake, directed by Simon Wells (one of the author's descendants, apparently). This is a somewhat faithful adaptation of the book, yet a quite average movie overall. Most scenes are imitations of Indiana Jones鈥檚 tropes: an awkward academic / action hero, an ancient library, some exotic places, a couple of attractive ladies, a gloomy cavern, a heap of skeletons, a melting face. The Morlock are quite ridiculous 鈥� around the same time, Peter Jackson included Orcs into his Fellowship of the Ring that were way more convincing. The machine itself, designed like a lighthouse lamp, and the time-lapse sequences are the only unexpected and exciting elements of this film.
It starts as an almost casual chat by the fireside about the possibility of travelling through the fourth dimension and the invention of the machine 鈥� oddly described as an ordinary bicycle that can go through time. The 鈥淭ime Traveller鈥� (he is never named) then pays a visit to the human race of the year 802,701 and discovers what, at first, looks like a utopia: the descendants of the human race seem to live, in perfect harmony, comfortable lives in a garden full of flowers. But as the night comes, a disturbing reality soon replaces this vision... The end of the story is an unsettling flight to Earth鈥檚 most remote and crepuscular future. Finally, the Time Traveller disappears, leaving but a few flowers on his desk.
This novella (some 60 pages) is a seminal work of the science-fiction genre. It remains to this day a landmark that has influenced almost all the utopian or dystopian writers, from Olaf Stapledon鈥檚 , to Huxley鈥檚 , to David Mitchell鈥檚 , to Michel Faber鈥檚 , to Thomas Pynchon鈥檚 .
Edit: Watched the 2002 film remake, directed by Simon Wells (one of the author's descendants, apparently). This is a somewhat faithful adaptation of the book, yet a quite average movie overall. Most scenes are imitations of Indiana Jones鈥檚 tropes: an awkward academic / action hero, an ancient library, some exotic places, a couple of attractive ladies, a gloomy cavern, a heap of skeletons, a melting face. The Morlock are quite ridiculous 鈥� around the same time, Peter Jackson included Orcs into his Fellowship of the Ring that were way more convincing. The machine itself, designed like a lighthouse lamp, and the time-lapse sequences are the only unexpected and exciting elements of this film.
September 12, 2019
Surely an oversight that I hadn't read H.G. Wells' The Time Machine before now. By all accounts, this is the original time travel story. Still, social class and how technical innovations change humanity are more central to the story than whether the narrator was actually able to travel to 802,701 AD. Ever since, time travel stories have been about exploring the possibilities of the present rather than some far-flung future (or past). This novella was sometimes clunky (but it was written in 1895), but I found it a quick and fun read which continues to be thought provoking. And it has a solid ending!
December 20, 2022
毓賳 睾乇賵亘 丕賱亘卮乇賷丞 賳鬲丨丿孬
毓賳 丕賱亘卮乇 毓賳丿賲丕 氐丕乇 胤賵賱賴賲 140爻賲
賵噩賵賴賴賲 賳丕毓賲丞..賱丕賮乇賯 亘賷賳 丕賱賳爻丕亍賵丕賱乇噩丕賱
兀氐亘丨 丕賱噩賲賷毓 兀賯乇亘 丕賱兀胤賮丕賱 卮賰賱丕 賵 賲賵囟賵毓丕
賰爻丕賱賷 睾丕乇賯賵賳 賮賷 丕賱乇丕丨丞賵 賱丕 賷禺丕賮賵賳 爻賵賶 丕賱馗賱丕賲
丕賳丿孬乇鬲 丕賱亘賷賵鬲 賵 丕賳鬲賴賶 賳馗丕賲 丕賱丕爻乇丞
丕賱噩賲賷毓 賷毓賷卮賵賳 賮賷 賲亘丕賳賷 囟禺賲丞
賱丕 賷賵噩丿 鬲毓賱賷賲
丕賵 鬲噩丕乇丞
丕賵 賲賳丕賮爻丞
丕賵 丨乇賵亘
丕匕賳 賮賴賷 丕賱噩賳丞
..賱丕 亘賱 賴賷 兀賯乇亘 賱丨馗賷乇丞 丕賱兀亘賯丕乇 賵 兀睾賳丕賲..丕賵 毓卮丞 丿賵丕噩賳
賮賴賳丕賰 丕賱賲賵乇賱賵賵賰.. 丕賱卮丕丨亘賷賳 賷毓賷卮賵賳 鬲丨鬲 丕賱丕乇囟..賷毓賲賱賵賳 亘賱丕 賰賱賱 賱賷毓賷卮 賴丐賱丕亍 丕賱賲丿賱賱賷賳..賵 賷賯鬲賳氐賵賳 賲賳賴賲 賱賷賱丕..賱賷丕賰賱賵賴賲 賰丕賱丕睾賳丕賲
賵 賮賷 廿卮丕乇丞 賵丕囟丨丞 亘賱丕 鬲乇賲賷夭..賷卮賷乇 賵賷賱夭 賱鬲賮賵賯 噩賳爻 丕賱毓賲丕賱 賮賷 丕賵丕禺乇 丕賱賯乇賳 19
丌賱賴 丕賱夭賲賳 賴賷 匕乇賵丞 毓亘賯乇賷丞 賴乇亘乇鬲 賵賷賱夭..賵囟毓 賮賷賴丕 賰賱 丌乇丕亍賴 丕賱廿氐賱丕丨賷丞 賵 丕賱賮賱爻賮賷丞 賮賷 廿胤丕乇 賲賳 丕賱禺賷丕賱 丕賱賮丕卅賯
賵 賱丕 賳賳爻賶 兀賳賴 賯丿 兀卮丕乇 賱賱亘毓丿 丕賱乇丕亘毓 賯亘賱 賳馗乇賷丞 丕賱賳爻亘賷丞 賱丕賷賳卮鬲丕賷賳 亘毓卮乇 爻賳賵丕鬲
丕毓鬲亘乇賴丕 丕賳丕 乇賵丕賷鬲賷賷賳: 丕賱兀賵賱賶 毓賳 丕賱毓丕賱賲 乇丨丕賱丞 丕賱夭賲賳 丕賱匕賷 賷禺鬲乇毓 丕賱丌賱丞 賱丕賳賴 賷乇賷丿 廿毓丕丿丞 丕賱夭賲賳 賵 賷卮乇丨 賱賴賲 丕賳 賴賳丕賰 亘毓丿 乇丕亘毓 賱賰賱 卮賷亍..賵 賷丨丕賵賱 廿賯賳丕毓 賲噩鬲賲毓賴 亘賴丕 賵 賷禺亘乇賴賲 亘乇丨賷賱賴 賱賲丿丞 丕爻亘賵毓..賵 賷胤賵賱 丕賳鬲馗丕乇賴賲 賱賴 賱爻賳賵丕鬲
賵 丕賱孬丕賳賷丞 毓賳 丕賱毓丕賱賲 丕賱賲爻鬲賯亘賱賷 賱毓丕賲 80丕賱賮 丕賱匕賷 丕賳鬲賯賱 廿賱賷賴 亘丕賱賮毓賱
乇睾賲 兀爻賱賵亘 賵賷賱夭 丕賱鬲賯乇賷乇賷
丕賱丕 丕賳賴丕 賲賳 丕賱賰賱丕爻賷賰賷丕鬲 丕賱賮丕乇賯丞..
鬲丐賰丿 丕賳 丕賱卮賯丕亍 賵丕賱禺胤乇 賵 丕賱賲毓丕賳丕丞..賯丿 鬲亘丿賵 賱賳丕 卮乇丕
賵 賱賰賳賴丕 鬲丨丕賮馗 毓賱賶 匕賰丕亍 丕賱亘卮乇 賵 丕爻鬲賲乇丕乇賴賲 ..丨賯丕
乇丐賷丞 丕噩鬲賲丕毓賷丞 鬲氐丿賲賰..賵 賱賰賳 賱丕 賷亘胤賱賴丕 丕賱夭賲賳
賮丕賱賮賵丕乇賯 丕亘丿丕 賱賳 鬲夭賵賱
毓賳 丕賱亘卮乇 毓賳丿賲丕 氐丕乇 胤賵賱賴賲 140爻賲
賵噩賵賴賴賲 賳丕毓賲丞..賱丕賮乇賯 亘賷賳 丕賱賳爻丕亍賵丕賱乇噩丕賱
兀氐亘丨 丕賱噩賲賷毓 兀賯乇亘 丕賱兀胤賮丕賱 卮賰賱丕 賵 賲賵囟賵毓丕
賰爻丕賱賷 睾丕乇賯賵賳 賮賷 丕賱乇丕丨丞賵 賱丕 賷禺丕賮賵賳 爻賵賶 丕賱馗賱丕賲
丕賳丿孬乇鬲 丕賱亘賷賵鬲 賵 丕賳鬲賴賶 賳馗丕賲 丕賱丕爻乇丞
丕賱噩賲賷毓 賷毓賷卮賵賳 賮賷 賲亘丕賳賷 囟禺賲丞
賱丕 賷賵噩丿 鬲毓賱賷賲
丕賵 鬲噩丕乇丞
丕賵 賲賳丕賮爻丞
丕賵 丨乇賵亘
丕匕賳 賮賴賷 丕賱噩賳丞
..賱丕 亘賱 賴賷 兀賯乇亘 賱丨馗賷乇丞 丕賱兀亘賯丕乇 賵 兀睾賳丕賲..丕賵 毓卮丞 丿賵丕噩賳
賮賴賳丕賰 丕賱賲賵乇賱賵賵賰.. 丕賱卮丕丨亘賷賳 賷毓賷卮賵賳 鬲丨鬲 丕賱丕乇囟..賷毓賲賱賵賳 亘賱丕 賰賱賱 賱賷毓賷卮 賴丐賱丕亍 丕賱賲丿賱賱賷賳..賵 賷賯鬲賳氐賵賳 賲賳賴賲 賱賷賱丕..賱賷丕賰賱賵賴賲 賰丕賱丕睾賳丕賲
賵 賮賷 廿卮丕乇丞 賵丕囟丨丞 亘賱丕 鬲乇賲賷夭..賷卮賷乇 賵賷賱夭 賱鬲賮賵賯 噩賳爻 丕賱毓賲丕賱 賮賷 丕賵丕禺乇 丕賱賯乇賳 19
丌賱賴 丕賱夭賲賳 賴賷 匕乇賵丞 毓亘賯乇賷丞 賴乇亘乇鬲 賵賷賱夭..賵囟毓 賮賷賴丕 賰賱 丌乇丕亍賴 丕賱廿氐賱丕丨賷丞 賵 丕賱賮賱爻賮賷丞 賮賷 廿胤丕乇 賲賳 丕賱禺賷丕賱 丕賱賮丕卅賯
賵 賱丕 賳賳爻賶 兀賳賴 賯丿 兀卮丕乇 賱賱亘毓丿 丕賱乇丕亘毓 賯亘賱 賳馗乇賷丞 丕賱賳爻亘賷丞 賱丕賷賳卮鬲丕賷賳 亘毓卮乇 爻賳賵丕鬲
丕毓鬲亘乇賴丕 丕賳丕 乇賵丕賷鬲賷賷賳: 丕賱兀賵賱賶 毓賳 丕賱毓丕賱賲 乇丨丕賱丞 丕賱夭賲賳 丕賱匕賷 賷禺鬲乇毓 丕賱丌賱丞 賱丕賳賴 賷乇賷丿 廿毓丕丿丞 丕賱夭賲賳 賵 賷卮乇丨 賱賴賲 丕賳 賴賳丕賰 亘毓丿 乇丕亘毓 賱賰賱 卮賷亍..賵 賷丨丕賵賱 廿賯賳丕毓 賲噩鬲賲毓賴 亘賴丕 賵 賷禺亘乇賴賲 亘乇丨賷賱賴 賱賲丿丞 丕爻亘賵毓..賵 賷胤賵賱 丕賳鬲馗丕乇賴賲 賱賴 賱爻賳賵丕鬲
賵 丕賱孬丕賳賷丞 毓賳 丕賱毓丕賱賲 丕賱賲爻鬲賯亘賱賷 賱毓丕賲 80丕賱賮 丕賱匕賷 丕賳鬲賯賱 廿賱賷賴 亘丕賱賮毓賱
乇睾賲 兀爻賱賵亘 賵賷賱夭 丕賱鬲賯乇賷乇賷
丕賱丕 丕賳賴丕 賲賳 丕賱賰賱丕爻賷賰賷丕鬲 丕賱賮丕乇賯丞..
鬲丐賰丿 丕賳 丕賱卮賯丕亍 賵丕賱禺胤乇 賵 丕賱賲毓丕賳丕丞..賯丿 鬲亘丿賵 賱賳丕 卮乇丕
賵 賱賰賳賴丕 鬲丨丕賮馗 毓賱賶 匕賰丕亍 丕賱亘卮乇 賵 丕爻鬲賲乇丕乇賴賲 ..丨賯丕
乇丐賷丞 丕噩鬲賲丕毓賷丞 鬲氐丿賲賰..賵 賱賰賳 賱丕 賷亘胤賱賴丕 丕賱夭賲賳
賮丕賱賮賵丕乇賯 丕亘丿丕 賱賳 鬲夭賵賱
March 16, 2018
I like science fiction that makes me imagine. Ray Bradbury鈥檚 writing is a fantastic example. His fiction is imaginative; yet, it remains speculative. Nothing feels forced or impossible. The Time Machine, on the other hand, feels synthetic and false.
I just could not buy into the story here. It is so very underwhelming. It鈥檚 one of those pieces of writing in which the idea behind it causes the work to be celebrated but the actual thing itself, the language, the plot and the characters, are as dull as dishwater. It is mechanical, clunky and overly descriptive. There are long drawn out sections on scientific theory and mathematical formula. All in all, it鈥檚 just not very engaging.
As such I found it near impossible to invest in the story. I did not care about the characters and, for me, this is one of the most important things I look for in fiction. I need to be able to sympathise and relate to what the characters are going through otherwise the work feels cold and passionless. I may as well read a plot summary in such cases because the work creates nothing for me: it feels cold. In the case of the The Time Machine I simply did not care how it ended or even how it began: I just wanted it to be finished.
For me, this is a classic case of a great idea done badly.
I just could not buy into the story here. It is so very underwhelming. It鈥檚 one of those pieces of writing in which the idea behind it causes the work to be celebrated but the actual thing itself, the language, the plot and the characters, are as dull as dishwater. It is mechanical, clunky and overly descriptive. There are long drawn out sections on scientific theory and mathematical formula. All in all, it鈥檚 just not very engaging.
As such I found it near impossible to invest in the story. I did not care about the characters and, for me, this is one of the most important things I look for in fiction. I need to be able to sympathise and relate to what the characters are going through otherwise the work feels cold and passionless. I may as well read a plot summary in such cases because the work creates nothing for me: it feels cold. In the case of the The Time Machine I simply did not care how it ended or even how it began: I just wanted it to be finished.
For me, this is a classic case of a great idea done badly.
October 7, 2021
(Book 797 from 1001 books) - The Time Machine, H.G. Wells
The Time Machine is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895 and written as a frame narrative.
The work is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel by using a vehicle that allows an operator to travel purposely and selectively forwards or backwards in time.
The term "time machine", coined by Wells, is now almost universally used to refer to such a vehicle.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 乇賵夭 卮丕賳夭丿賴賲 賲丕賴 爻倬鬲丕賲亘乇 爻丕賱 2009賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕卮蹖賳 夭賲丕賳貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 賴乇亘乇鬲 噩賵乇噩 賵賱夭貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賮乇蹖丿 噩賵丕賴乇 讴賱丕賲貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 爻丕夭賲丕賳 讴鬲丕亘賴丕蹖 噩蹖亘蹖貨 1346貨 丿乇 176氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 毓賱賲蹖 賮乇賴賳诏蹖貙 1384貨 丿乇 176氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9644456149貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 1394貙 丿乇 爻蹖夭丿賴 賵 203氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9786001215919貨 賲賵囟賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 毓賱賲蹖 賵 禺蹖丕賱 丕賳诏蹖夭 丕夭 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕 - 爻丿賴 19賲
賲鬲乇噩賲: 毓賱蹖 丕賲蹖丿貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 爻倬蹖丿賴貙 1371貨 丿乇 130氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9645773237貨
賲鬲乇噩賲: 卮賴賱丕 胤賴賲丕爻亘蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賳卮乇 賲乇讴夭貙 讴鬲亘賴丕蹖 賲乇蹖賲貙 1377貨 丿乇 98氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9643053652貨 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 1379貨
賲鬲乇噩賲: 賲丨賲丿 丿丕賳卮貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 卮賴乇 讴鬲丕亘貙 賴乇賲爻貙 1383貨 丿乇 124氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9643632520貨
賲鬲乇噩賲: 毓賱蹖 賮丕胤賲蹖丕賳貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 趩卮賲 丕賳丿丕夭貙 1379貨 丿乇 236氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9644222318貨
賲鬲乇噩賲: 毓賱蹖 丕賱爻鬲蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 亘賴噩鬲貙 1383貨 丿乇 174氐貨 卮丕亘讴 97896466771577
賲鬲乇噩賲: 毓亘丿丕賱丨爻蹖賳 卮乇蹖賮蹖丕賳貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 趩卮賲賴貙 趩丕倬 丕賵賱 1387貙 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 1388貨 丿乇 133氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9789643623722貨
賲鬲乇噩賲: 丕賲蹖賳 丿丕丿賵乇貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丌乇蹖丕 賳诏丕乇貙 1391貨 丿乇 64氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9786006251110貨
賲鬲乇噩賲: 爻賵丿賴 讴乇蹖賲蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 匕讴乇貙 賯丕氐丿讴貙 1395貨 丿乇 32氐貨 賲氐賵乇貙 卮丕亘讴 9789643077754貨
賯賴乇賲丕賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳貙 亘丕 蹖讴 賵爻蹖賱賴 蹖 賲讴丕賳蹖讴蹖貙 亘賴 丌蹖賳丿賴 蹖 賳丕賲毓賱賵賲蹖貙 爻賮乇 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 賵 丿乇 丌賳噩丕 賲蹖賮賴賲丿貙 讴賴 亘卮乇蹖鬲貙 亘賴 丿賵 丿爻鬲賴 鬲賯爻蹖賲 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲
丿爻鬲賴 蹖 丕賵賱 芦丕賱賵卅蹖賴丕禄貙 讴賴 丕卮乇丕賮 亘蹖賲丕蹖賴 賵 鬲乇爻賵蹖蹖 賴爻鬲賳丿貙 讴賴 丿乇 亘丕睾鈥屬囏й� 禺賵丿 夭賳丿诏蹖 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 賵 丕夭 賲蹖賵賴鈥� 賴丕蹖 丿乇禺鬲丕賳 鬲睾匕蹖賴 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀�
丿爻鬲賴 蹖 丿賵賲 芦賲賵乇賱丕讴賴丕禄貙 讴賴 讴丕乇诏乇丕賳蹖 賴爻鬲賳丿 讴賴 丿乇 夭蹖乇夭賲蹖賳 夭賳丿诏蹖 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 夭丨賲鬲讴卮丕賳蹖 讴賴貙 诏乇趩賴 讴賵乇 卮丿賴鈥� 丕賳丿貙 丕賲丕 亘賴 賲丿丿 賳蹖乇賵蹖 诏匕卮鬲賴貙 亘賴 讴丕乇 禺賵丿貙 亘乇 乇賵蹖 賵爻蹖賱賴 蹖 賲讴丕賳蹖讴蹖 倬蹖趩蹖丿賴貙 賵 夭賳诏夭丿賴鈥� 丕蹖貙 讴賴 賴蹖趩 趩蹖夭 鬲賵賱蹖丿 賳賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 丕丿丕賲賴 賲蹖丿賴賳丿貨
丕爻鬲賵丕賳賴鈥� 賴丕蹖蹖 亘丕 倬賱讴丕賳 倬蹖趩丕倬蹖趩貙 丕蹖賳 丿賵 丿賳蹖丕 乇丕 亘賴 賴賲 賵氐賱 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 丿乇 卮亘賴丕蹖 亘蹖 賲賴鬲丕亘貙 芦賲賵乇賱丕讴禄鈥屬囏� 讴賴 丕夭 賲睾丕讴鈥屬囏й� 禺賵丿貙 亘蹖乇賵賳 賲蹖丌蹖賳丿貙 賵 丕夭 芦丕賱賵卅蹖禄鈥屬囏ж� 鬲睾匕蹖賴 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 賯賴乇賲丕賳 亘蹖賳丕賲貙 亘賴 鬲卮賵蹖賯 芦賲賵乇賱丕讴禄鈥屬囏ж� 丕夭 丌蹖賳丿賴 賲蹖诏乇蹖夭丿貙 賵 亘賴 夭賲丕賳 丨丕賱 亘丕夭賲蹖诏乇丿丿貨 丕賵 丕夭 丕蹖賳 爻賮乇貙 鬲賳賴丕 蹖讴 蹖丕丿诏丕乇蹖 亘賴 丕乇賲睾丕賳 賲蹖鈥屫①堌必� 讴賴 丌賳賴賲 诏賱蹖 賳丕卮賳丕禺鬲賴 丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 趩賵賳 丌賳 乇丕 丿乇 夭賲蹖賳 亘讴丕乇賳丿貙 鬲丕 賴夭丕乇丕賳 爻丕賱 賳诏匕乇丿貙 卮讴賵賮賴 賳禺賵丕賴丿 丿丕丿
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 15/09/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 14/07/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
The Time Machine is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895 and written as a frame narrative.
The work is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel by using a vehicle that allows an operator to travel purposely and selectively forwards or backwards in time.
The term "time machine", coined by Wells, is now almost universally used to refer to such a vehicle.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 乇賵夭 卮丕賳夭丿賴賲 賲丕賴 爻倬鬲丕賲亘乇 爻丕賱 2009賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 賲丕卮蹖賳 夭賲丕賳貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 賴乇亘乇鬲 噩賵乇噩 賵賱夭貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賮乇蹖丿 噩賵丕賴乇 讴賱丕賲貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 爻丕夭賲丕賳 讴鬲丕亘賴丕蹖 噩蹖亘蹖貨 1346貨 丿乇 176氐貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 毓賱賲蹖 賮乇賴賳诏蹖貙 1384貨 丿乇 176氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9644456149貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 1394貙 丿乇 爻蹖夭丿賴 賵 203氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9786001215919貨 賲賵囟賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 毓賱賲蹖 賵 禺蹖丕賱 丕賳诏蹖夭 丕夭 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕 - 爻丿賴 19賲
賲鬲乇噩賲: 毓賱蹖 丕賲蹖丿貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 爻倬蹖丿賴貙 1371貨 丿乇 130氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9645773237貨
賲鬲乇噩賲: 卮賴賱丕 胤賴賲丕爻亘蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賳卮乇 賲乇讴夭貙 讴鬲亘賴丕蹖 賲乇蹖賲貙 1377貨 丿乇 98氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9643053652貨 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 1379貨
賲鬲乇噩賲: 賲丨賲丿 丿丕賳卮貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 卮賴乇 讴鬲丕亘貙 賴乇賲爻貙 1383貨 丿乇 124氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9643632520貨
賲鬲乇噩賲: 毓賱蹖 賮丕胤賲蹖丕賳貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 趩卮賲 丕賳丿丕夭貙 1379貨 丿乇 236氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9644222318貨
賲鬲乇噩賲: 毓賱蹖 丕賱爻鬲蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 亘賴噩鬲貙 1383貨 丿乇 174氐貨 卮丕亘讴 97896466771577
賲鬲乇噩賲: 毓亘丿丕賱丨爻蹖賳 卮乇蹖賮蹖丕賳貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 趩卮賲賴貙 趩丕倬 丕賵賱 1387貙 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 1388貨 丿乇 133氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9789643623722貨
賲鬲乇噩賲: 丕賲蹖賳 丿丕丿賵乇貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丌乇蹖丕 賳诏丕乇貙 1391貨 丿乇 64氐貨 卮丕亘讴 9786006251110貨
賲鬲乇噩賲: 爻賵丿賴 讴乇蹖賲蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 匕讴乇貙 賯丕氐丿讴貙 1395貨 丿乇 32氐貨 賲氐賵乇貙 卮丕亘讴 9789643077754貨
賯賴乇賲丕賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳貙 亘丕 蹖讴 賵爻蹖賱賴 蹖 賲讴丕賳蹖讴蹖貙 亘賴 丌蹖賳丿賴 蹖 賳丕賲毓賱賵賲蹖貙 爻賮乇 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 賵 丿乇 丌賳噩丕 賲蹖賮賴賲丿貙 讴賴 亘卮乇蹖鬲貙 亘賴 丿賵 丿爻鬲賴 鬲賯爻蹖賲 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲
丿爻鬲賴 蹖 丕賵賱 芦丕賱賵卅蹖賴丕禄貙 讴賴 丕卮乇丕賮 亘蹖賲丕蹖賴 賵 鬲乇爻賵蹖蹖 賴爻鬲賳丿貙 讴賴 丿乇 亘丕睾鈥屬囏й� 禺賵丿 夭賳丿诏蹖 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 賵 丕夭 賲蹖賵賴鈥� 賴丕蹖 丿乇禺鬲丕賳 鬲睾匕蹖賴 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀�
丿爻鬲賴 蹖 丿賵賲 芦賲賵乇賱丕讴賴丕禄貙 讴賴 讴丕乇诏乇丕賳蹖 賴爻鬲賳丿 讴賴 丿乇 夭蹖乇夭賲蹖賳 夭賳丿诏蹖 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 夭丨賲鬲讴卮丕賳蹖 讴賴貙 诏乇趩賴 讴賵乇 卮丿賴鈥� 丕賳丿貙 丕賲丕 亘賴 賲丿丿 賳蹖乇賵蹖 诏匕卮鬲賴貙 亘賴 讴丕乇 禺賵丿貙 亘乇 乇賵蹖 賵爻蹖賱賴 蹖 賲讴丕賳蹖讴蹖 倬蹖趩蹖丿賴貙 賵 夭賳诏夭丿賴鈥� 丕蹖貙 讴賴 賴蹖趩 趩蹖夭 鬲賵賱蹖丿 賳賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 丕丿丕賲賴 賲蹖丿賴賳丿貨
丕爻鬲賵丕賳賴鈥� 賴丕蹖蹖 亘丕 倬賱讴丕賳 倬蹖趩丕倬蹖趩貙 丕蹖賳 丿賵 丿賳蹖丕 乇丕 亘賴 賴賲 賵氐賱 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 丿乇 卮亘賴丕蹖 亘蹖 賲賴鬲丕亘貙 芦賲賵乇賱丕讴禄鈥屬囏� 讴賴 丕夭 賲睾丕讴鈥屬囏й� 禺賵丿貙 亘蹖乇賵賳 賲蹖丌蹖賳丿貙 賵 丕夭 芦丕賱賵卅蹖禄鈥屬囏ж� 鬲睾匕蹖賴 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 賯賴乇賲丕賳 亘蹖賳丕賲貙 亘賴 鬲卮賵蹖賯 芦賲賵乇賱丕讴禄鈥屬囏ж� 丕夭 丌蹖賳丿賴 賲蹖诏乇蹖夭丿貙 賵 亘賴 夭賲丕賳 丨丕賱 亘丕夭賲蹖诏乇丿丿貨 丕賵 丕夭 丕蹖賳 爻賮乇貙 鬲賳賴丕 蹖讴 蹖丕丿诏丕乇蹖 亘賴 丕乇賲睾丕賳 賲蹖鈥屫①堌必� 讴賴 丌賳賴賲 诏賱蹖 賳丕卮賳丕禺鬲賴 丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 趩賵賳 丌賳 乇丕 丿乇 夭賲蹖賳 亘讴丕乇賳丿貙 鬲丕 賴夭丕乇丕賳 爻丕賱 賳诏匕乇丿貙 卮讴賵賮賴 賳禺賵丕賴丿 丿丕丿
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 15/09/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 14/07/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
April 5, 2025
I read this story in 1962, after Miss Stearns (of blessed memory) read some Wells to us kids in seventh grade. Wow.
I had suddenly had picked up the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Bug.
BIG time!
That was when my disease - reading - got terminal, with this one book which Mom brought to me at age eleven (invalidated for a week with a head cold) from our Police Village public library which she ran.
Can you imagine, my MOM (bless her, too, in the hereafter, Lord) purposefully gave me a terminal disease?
***
No joke - I'm now, at 74, slowly Dying from it!
Used to be music I constantly used to crave as the drug of choice to take upstairs for naptime - now it's my Kindle. I just can't stop reading!
But it's gotten even worse.
Because When you're reading time stops. That means I'm now in Wells' story as the main character. Time stops and light turns grey when you're hurtling thru time, Wells tells us.
That's where my soulmate of 47 years and I are now.
Grey power rules! Wells was right - time flies when you're having fun.
And reading is still the most fun I've had in years.
We're even morphing in tune with our years, as Wells says - we're turning into Elois, gosh darn it. We snack on healthy food, and less of it.
A banquet is way too much! And we avoid fleshly things, like the Good Book says. And the bad folk - Morlocks all - are meanwhile morphing into subterranean creepy crawlies.
Holy moley! Did I just say The Time Machine is a CHRISTIAN book, too?
***
Yes.
I did.
I had suddenly had picked up the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Bug.
BIG time!
That was when my disease - reading - got terminal, with this one book which Mom brought to me at age eleven (invalidated for a week with a head cold) from our Police Village public library which she ran.
Can you imagine, my MOM (bless her, too, in the hereafter, Lord) purposefully gave me a terminal disease?
***
No joke - I'm now, at 74, slowly Dying from it!
Used to be music I constantly used to crave as the drug of choice to take upstairs for naptime - now it's my Kindle. I just can't stop reading!
But it's gotten even worse.
Because When you're reading time stops. That means I'm now in Wells' story as the main character. Time stops and light turns grey when you're hurtling thru time, Wells tells us.
That's where my soulmate of 47 years and I are now.
Grey power rules! Wells was right - time flies when you're having fun.
And reading is still the most fun I've had in years.
We're even morphing in tune with our years, as Wells says - we're turning into Elois, gosh darn it. We snack on healthy food, and less of it.
A banquet is way too much! And we avoid fleshly things, like the Good Book says. And the bad folk - Morlocks all - are meanwhile morphing into subterranean creepy crawlies.
Holy moley! Did I just say The Time Machine is a CHRISTIAN book, too?
***
Yes.
I did.
February 27, 2018
賴乇亘乇鬲 噩賵乇噩 賵賷賱夭 賯丿賲 亘丨孬 毓賳 賵噩锟斤拷丿 亘毓丿 乇丕亘毓 賵賴賵 亘毓丿 丕賱夭賲丕賳 賲賳賮氐賱 毓賳 丕賱兀亘毓丕丿 丕賱夭賲丕賳賷丞 丕賱鬲丕賳賷丞 賵丕鬲乇賮囟 亘丨孬賴 賱兀賳賴賲 丕毓鬲亘乇賵賴 賲亘賴賲
賵亘毓丿賴丕 亘兀賰鬲乇 賲賳 毓卮乇 爻賳賷賳 賯丿賲 兀賷賳卮鬲賷賳 賳賮爻 丕賱賮賰乇丞 賵兀氐亘丨 兀毓馗賲 卮禺氐賷丞 賮賷 鬲丕乇賷禺 丕賱毓賱賲 亘毓丿 賳賷賵鬲賳-胤亘毓丕 亘睾囟 丕賱賳馗乇 毓賳 丕賱廿孬亘丕鬲 丕賱乇賷丕囟賷 丕賱賲丨賰賲 丕賱賱賷 兀夭丕賱 丕賱廿亘賴丕賲 毓賰爻 丕賱亘丨孬 丕賱兀賵賱, 賵丕賱鬲毓賳鬲 丕賱賱賷 賯丕亘賱 兀賷賳卮鬲丕賷賳 賮賷 丕賱亘丿丕賷丞-
賱丨丿 賴賳丕 丕賱賯氐丞 丿賷 鬲毓鬲亘乇 亘鬲鬲賰乇乇 賰鬲賷乇
賵丕丨丿 亘賷賯丿賲 丨丕噩丞 賵鬲鬲乇賮囟 賲賳賴
賵亘毓丿賴丕 亘賮鬲乇丞 賵丕丨丿 鬲丕賳賷 賷賯丿賲 賳賮爻 丕賱丨丕噩丞 鬲賯乇賷亘丕 賵亘賷毓鬲亘乇賵賴丕 丨丕噩丞 毓馗賷賲丞
亘爻 丕賱賲禺鬲賱賮 賮賷 丕賱賯氐丞 丿賷 廿賳 賵賷賱夭 賲賯毓丿卮 賷賱胤賲 賵賷爻賲毓 兀睾丕賳賷 丨夭賷賳丞 賵 "廿賳 丕賱丿賳賷丕 賲丕卮賷丞 亘囟賴乇賴丕 賵丨胤鬲 毓賱賷丕" , 丕賵 "亘爻 丕賱丿賳賷丕 賲卮 爻丕賷亘丕賳丕 賮賷 丨丕賱賳丕"
賵賷賱夭 賲囟賷毓卮 賵賯鬲
亘毓丿 丕賱乇賮囟 毓賱賶 胤賵賱
亘賳賶 乇賵丕賷丞 賰丕賲賱丞 毓賱賶 丕賱亘丨孬 丕賱賲乇賮賵囟
乇賵丕賷丞 "丌賱丞 丕賱夭賲锟斤拷" 賵丕賱賱賷 亘鬲鬲丨丿孬 毓賳 鬲胤亘賷賯丕鬲 丕賱賳爻亘賷丞 亘毓丿 賲丕 噩毓賱鬲 丕賱夭賲賳 亘毓丿 乇丕亘毓!
丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 亘賷賯丿賲 賮賷賴丕 賳馗乇鬲賴 賱賱噩賳爻 丕賱亘卮乇賷
鬲賵賯毓丕鬲 賵賷賱夭 丕賱丕卮鬲乇丕賰賷 兀氐亘丨鬲 禺胤兀 丨丕賱賷丕 賳鬲賷噩丞 賳馗乇鬲賴 丕賱賲鬲卮丕卅賲丞 賱丕爻鬲賲乇丕乇 賳馗丕賲 丕賱廿賯胤丕毓, 賵丕賱賱賷 毓 丕賱毓賰爻 廿鬲賱睾賶 -賮賷 賲毓馗賲 丕賱丿賵賱-
丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賲爻賱賷丞 廿賱賶 丨丿 賲丕, 賵賮賷賴 賮賷賱賲 廿賳鬲丕噩 2002 毓賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賲賲賰賳 鬲鬲賮乇噩賵丕 毓賱賷賴 亘毓丿賴丕
賵亘毓丿賴丕 亘兀賰鬲乇 賲賳 毓卮乇 爻賳賷賳 賯丿賲 兀賷賳卮鬲賷賳 賳賮爻 丕賱賮賰乇丞 賵兀氐亘丨 兀毓馗賲 卮禺氐賷丞 賮賷 鬲丕乇賷禺 丕賱毓賱賲 亘毓丿 賳賷賵鬲賳-胤亘毓丕 亘睾囟 丕賱賳馗乇 毓賳 丕賱廿孬亘丕鬲 丕賱乇賷丕囟賷 丕賱賲丨賰賲 丕賱賱賷 兀夭丕賱 丕賱廿亘賴丕賲 毓賰爻 丕賱亘丨孬 丕賱兀賵賱, 賵丕賱鬲毓賳鬲 丕賱賱賷 賯丕亘賱 兀賷賳卮鬲丕賷賳 賮賷 丕賱亘丿丕賷丞-
賱丨丿 賴賳丕 丕賱賯氐丞 丿賷 鬲毓鬲亘乇 亘鬲鬲賰乇乇 賰鬲賷乇
賵丕丨丿 亘賷賯丿賲 丨丕噩丞 賵鬲鬲乇賮囟 賲賳賴
賵亘毓丿賴丕 亘賮鬲乇丞 賵丕丨丿 鬲丕賳賷 賷賯丿賲 賳賮爻 丕賱丨丕噩丞 鬲賯乇賷亘丕 賵亘賷毓鬲亘乇賵賴丕 丨丕噩丞 毓馗賷賲丞
亘爻 丕賱賲禺鬲賱賮 賮賷 丕賱賯氐丞 丿賷 廿賳 賵賷賱夭 賲賯毓丿卮 賷賱胤賲 賵賷爻賲毓 兀睾丕賳賷 丨夭賷賳丞 賵 "廿賳 丕賱丿賳賷丕 賲丕卮賷丞 亘囟賴乇賴丕 賵丨胤鬲 毓賱賷丕" , 丕賵 "亘爻 丕賱丿賳賷丕 賲卮 爻丕賷亘丕賳丕 賮賷 丨丕賱賳丕"
亘毓丿賲丕 賱賲 賷噩丿 賱賴丕 賲賰丕賳丕賸 賮賷 丕賱毓賱賲
氐賳毓 賱賴丕 胤乇賷賯丕賸 兀禺乇 賮賷 兀丿亘 丕賱禺賷丕賱 丕賱毓賱賲賷
賵賷賱夭 賲囟賷毓卮 賵賯鬲
亘毓丿 丕賱乇賮囟 毓賱賶 胤賵賱
亘賳賶 乇賵丕賷丞 賰丕賲賱丞 毓賱賶 丕賱亘丨孬 丕賱賲乇賮賵囟
乇賵丕賷丞 "丌賱丞 丕賱夭賲锟斤拷" 賵丕賱賱賷 亘鬲鬲丨丿孬 毓賳 鬲胤亘賷賯丕鬲 丕賱賳爻亘賷丞 亘毓丿 賲丕 噩毓賱鬲 丕賱夭賲賳 亘毓丿 乇丕亘毓!
丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 亘賷賯丿賲 賮賷賴丕 賳馗乇鬲賴 賱賱噩賳爻 丕賱亘卮乇賷
鬲賵賯毓丕鬲 賵賷賱夭 丕賱丕卮鬲乇丕賰賷 兀氐亘丨鬲 禺胤兀 丨丕賱賷丕 賳鬲賷噩丞 賳馗乇鬲賴 丕賱賲鬲卮丕卅賲丞 賱丕爻鬲賲乇丕乇 賳馗丕賲 丕賱廿賯胤丕毓, 賵丕賱賱賷 毓 丕賱毓賰爻 廿鬲賱睾賶 -賮賷 賲毓馗賲 丕賱丿賵賱-
丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賲爻賱賷丞 廿賱賶 丨丿 賲丕, 賵賮賷賴 賮賷賱賲 廿賳鬲丕噩 2002 毓賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賲賲賰賳 鬲鬲賮乇噩賵丕 毓賱賷賴 亘毓丿賴丕
September 4, 2022
The Wellsian classic - a man recounts his adventures in his Time Machine. in which he travelled many years into different points in the future to a cynical audience. The reason I feel that Well's sci-fi ages so poorly is because he tied it into a Victorian perspective, although in his defence, he still showed immense foresight compared to his peers, but with the technological developments made since, now is very dated. 4 out of 12.
2009 read
2009 read
October 27, 2023
There you go. This minor SF classic read !!! I am learning more and more to tame this genre, and I tell myself that knowing the basics is quite good. Hence, I found my interest in this book in a flea market. What a journey! A book that reads well and on its own. And what I especially liked was Wells' clever writing. He doesn't take his readers down and makes concepts very accessible, which could put them off. I take as an example the introduction when it includes the idea of the 4th dimension. Even if I found the trip a bit long towards the end, I still appreciated this detour in time. It is a text to read, I think, for all amateurs. And those who want to dive into the world of SF.
April 13, 2017
The Time Traveler invites over his friends and tells them of his theories about time traveling. The next day when his friend returns he stumbles in late and then tells them a tale about his journey through time. I really admired the writing though it may be dry or dense for some, I think I've been reading long enough that it wasn't too much of an effort to read through this one. The premise was interesting and I was anxious for the Time Traveler when he was recounting his journey to get back to the present so the story did draw me in. Some of the social commentary felt quite questionable and pessimistic though. I enjoyed reading it though, it's not very long and it was interesting. Towards the end of the Time Traveler's journey I got a little bored but the ending was really good, I appreciate an open ended ending that lets you keep imagining what happened.
February 26, 2017
The Time Machine is like going to Jimmy John's to get a sandwich because the bread is just amazing. It's so much better than any other sandwich chain out there, and I'm convinced they are using some form of illegal addictive substance in the baking process that keeps me coming back for more. The Time Machine is like that, but you only get turkey on your sandwich. No cheese or mayo or lettuce or tomato. Just turkey.
The bread is still amazing though. Just like the beginning and the ending of The Time Machine. I loved how the books starts with the time traveler guy just hanging out with a bunch of dudes smoking away on cigars and drinking brandy. No one has a real name. They're just all hanging out, and the guy is telling them this crazy story about how he travelled in this machine way out into the future. It all seems so ridiculous and everyone is all skeptical.
But the guy keeps going. And his story isn't really all that exciting after all. It's like that one friend you have that tells you a story they think is the best story in the history of stories, and they give you every little detail of the story so you're all bored to death listening to this stupid thing until your friend finally gets to the end of the story which is actually really good, but, hot diggity, you didn't need to hear every mundane detail leading up to the good stuff.
That's how this book was for me which was kind of a bummer because it was about time travel. It started and ended strong, but I just felt kinda bored in the middle when the guy is just wandering around with the future creature things. I can appreciate all this did for the science fiction genre and time travel and whatnot, but I was a little underwhelmed. Three stars for the delicious bread, but I needed more condiments on my sandwich to give it a little more flavor.
Jimmy John's FTW.
I'm now gonna time travel into the future by sleeping. No machine needed. See you tomorrow.
The bread is still amazing though. Just like the beginning and the ending of The Time Machine. I loved how the books starts with the time traveler guy just hanging out with a bunch of dudes smoking away on cigars and drinking brandy. No one has a real name. They're just all hanging out, and the guy is telling them this crazy story about how he travelled in this machine way out into the future. It all seems so ridiculous and everyone is all skeptical.
But the guy keeps going. And his story isn't really all that exciting after all. It's like that one friend you have that tells you a story they think is the best story in the history of stories, and they give you every little detail of the story so you're all bored to death listening to this stupid thing until your friend finally gets to the end of the story which is actually really good, but, hot diggity, you didn't need to hear every mundane detail leading up to the good stuff.
That's how this book was for me which was kind of a bummer because it was about time travel. It started and ended strong, but I just felt kinda bored in the middle when the guy is just wandering around with the future creature things. I can appreciate all this did for the science fiction genre and time travel and whatnot, but I was a little underwhelmed. Three stars for the delicious bread, but I needed more condiments on my sandwich to give it a little more flavor.
Jimmy John's FTW.
I'm now gonna time travel into the future by sleeping. No machine needed. See you tomorrow.
May 29, 2022
Back to the Future!
Considering H.G. Well's The Time Machine has the honor of being the book that popularized the idea that humans could use a machine to travel through time, I think he did a good job with the title, no?
But.
Since it was one of the forerunners of this genre, the whole schtick is that time travel happens. The rest of the plot? Eh. There were a few holes.
BUT WHO CARES BECAUSE TIME TRAVEL IS HAPPENING!
It was funny to me that Well's thought one probable outcome of curing disease, poverty, hunger, etc., would be that you'd end up with a bunch of pussies who couldn't fend for themselves.
And, of course, the cannibals who ate them.
{insert your own inappropriate joke here}
Heh.
Ok. But as I'm listening to this, I'm thinking that perhaps there might be some sort of middle ground, you know? I mean, I do think that struggle shapes us as individuals and as a species. But maybe striving to make life better for everyone won't end in one race of willowy dingbats who nap and giggle all day and one race of gross mutants who live underground. <--and yet still make shit for everyone?
Which is just fucking weird in and of itself. What's the idea? This surly race of Dahmer-like factory workers spend all day sewing clothes & crafting beautiful things for the Eloi, and then every now and again they emerge to cull the herd? Why? Why are they still working? Are they getting paid in some way by the people they're chewing on? Their work ethic can't just be functioning on autopilot, because NOBODY would continue to work just to work. Well's must not have understood the working class if he thought it was just somehow bred into our DNA to chug along like idiots for the sake of serving our betters. We're lazy and need motivation - hence the paycheck.
And food!
Where is the Eloi's food source coming from? Because the Morlocks sure as fuck aren't farming anything in those caverns other than nightmares, and the Eloi didn't seem capable of wiping their own asses much less doing a bit of light gardening. And, from what I could tell, the Morlocks weren't eating enough Eloi for all of them to survive on.
Where were those big bastards getting the rest of their protein? Beans?
You know what? It doesn't matter.
And it's also quite possible that all of these questions were addressed and answered and I just didn't pay close enough attention. <--this has been known to happen a lot, especially if the book isn't action-packed and/or doesn't have pictures.
The point is that this professor guy got into his little machine, whooshed forward a bunch of centuries, crash-landed in the future, lost his ride, met an Eloi named Weena & had a rather creepy "friendship" with her, almost got himself eaten by the anti-vegan Morlocks, found his machine (I forgot how), hopped back in & cranked it up, went back to jolly old England, and arrived in time to have tea with a bunch of his sorta-friends.
Oh! Also, he finds out that our sun has a limited warranty.
I knew we should have gone ahead and bought the extra protection from the manufacturer.
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
In all honesty, this was a decent yarn that explored the idea that humans need something to strive towards. And that unless you treat your lower classes well, the end result of utopia will most definitely be the sweaty, unwashed masses in picnic mode - roasting your flimsy, yet delicious, ass over a fire.
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Edition: Unabridged
Bernard Mayes - Narrator
Considering H.G. Well's The Time Machine has the honor of being the book that popularized the idea that humans could use a machine to travel through time, I think he did a good job with the title, no?
But.
Since it was one of the forerunners of this genre, the whole schtick is that time travel happens. The rest of the plot? Eh. There were a few holes.
BUT WHO CARES BECAUSE TIME TRAVEL IS HAPPENING!
It was funny to me that Well's thought one probable outcome of curing disease, poverty, hunger, etc., would be that you'd end up with a bunch of pussies who couldn't fend for themselves.
And, of course, the cannibals who ate them.
{insert your own inappropriate joke here}
Heh.
Ok. But as I'm listening to this, I'm thinking that perhaps there might be some sort of middle ground, you know? I mean, I do think that struggle shapes us as individuals and as a species. But maybe striving to make life better for everyone won't end in one race of willowy dingbats who nap and giggle all day and one race of gross mutants who live underground. <--and yet still make shit for everyone?
Which is just fucking weird in and of itself. What's the idea? This surly race of Dahmer-like factory workers spend all day sewing clothes & crafting beautiful things for the Eloi, and then every now and again they emerge to cull the herd? Why? Why are they still working? Are they getting paid in some way by the people they're chewing on? Their work ethic can't just be functioning on autopilot, because NOBODY would continue to work just to work. Well's must not have understood the working class if he thought it was just somehow bred into our DNA to chug along like idiots for the sake of serving our betters. We're lazy and need motivation - hence the paycheck.
And food!
Where is the Eloi's food source coming from? Because the Morlocks sure as fuck aren't farming anything in those caverns other than nightmares, and the Eloi didn't seem capable of wiping their own asses much less doing a bit of light gardening. And, from what I could tell, the Morlocks weren't eating enough Eloi for all of them to survive on.
Where were those big bastards getting the rest of their protein? Beans?
You know what? It doesn't matter.
And it's also quite possible that all of these questions were addressed and answered and I just didn't pay close enough attention. <--this has been known to happen a lot, especially if the book isn't action-packed and/or doesn't have pictures.
The point is that this professor guy got into his little machine, whooshed forward a bunch of centuries, crash-landed in the future, lost his ride, met an Eloi named Weena & had a rather creepy "friendship" with her, almost got himself eaten by the anti-vegan Morlocks, found his machine (I forgot how), hopped back in & cranked it up, went back to jolly old England, and arrived in time to have tea with a bunch of his sorta-friends.
Oh! Also, he finds out that our sun has a limited warranty.
I knew we should have gone ahead and bought the extra protection from the manufacturer.
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
In all honesty, this was a decent yarn that explored the idea that humans need something to strive towards. And that unless you treat your lower classes well, the end result of utopia will most definitely be the sweaty, unwashed masses in picnic mode - roasting your flimsy, yet delicious, ass over a fire.
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Edition: Unabridged
Bernard Mayes - Narrator
May 19, 2018
An EXCELLENT adventure!
Ok, so I'm sort of ashamed of myself because I thought this was a graphic novel of The Time Machine, and I was planning on using it to cut corners. As in, I want to read the story, but...not really. And I didn't flip through this before snagging it at the library.
Well, this is the graphic version in the same way that Dr. Seuss is a graphic version of a story. Basically, this is a picture book for the 6 and up crowd who are just learning to read and need the story dumbed waaaaaay down for them.
So yeah. It was pretty much right on my level.
Regardless, this would be a good way to introduce kids (and/or lazy fuckers like myself) to classics.
Ok, so I'm sort of ashamed of myself because I thought this was a graphic novel of The Time Machine, and I was planning on using it to cut corners. As in, I want to read the story, but...not really. And I didn't flip through this before snagging it at the library.
Well, this is the graphic version in the same way that Dr. Seuss is a graphic version of a story. Basically, this is a picture book for the 6 and up crowd who are just learning to read and need the story dumbed waaaaaay down for them.
So yeah. It was pretty much right on my level.
Regardless, this would be a good way to introduce kids (and/or lazy fuckers like myself) to classics.
Read
March 4, 2019
The Time Machine is a true classic. Originally published in 1895, H. G. Wells鈥� short novel of time travel is one of the most beloved works in all of science fiction. Back when I was a twelve-year-old, I vividly recall watching the 1960 film with Mom and Dad at the local movie house. Traveling through time with the turn of the century scientist as he encounters first the Eloi and then the Morlocks proved to be among my most powerful childhood experiences.
As I鈥檓 sure was the case with thousands of viewers, after reading the short novel, I discovered the book was actually better than the movie. I just did do a reread and my judgement is confirmed 鈥� the book is truly outstanding, worth a read or reread by both those new to science fiction as well as avid fans of the genre. SF Masterworks wisely published the novel as a stand-alone and also combined with the author鈥檚 The War of the Worlds.
The tale is told as a frame story, that is, the narrator is one of five guests in the home of a British gentleman referred to as the Time Traveller. One evening the Time Traveller shares his ideas about time and space and then displays a model of a device the size of a small clock he claims can move through time. After the Time Traveller places the finely crafted model on his desk next to his lamp and flips a switch, all the guests are astonished when the little time machine vanishes.
At their next meeting, the guests are taken aback when the Time Traveller enters the room pale, scrapped and his clothes dusty and dirty. He then proceeds to recount his extraordinary experience in the last eight days, an experience mostly focusing on his encounters in the far distant future, in the year 802,701 A.D.
Firstly, next to a large white sphinx, he is surrounded by a band of small, frail, beautiful, graceful people all with curly hair and wearing tunics and sandals. He soon learns they live communally in one buildings and are strict vegetarians eating only a curious futuristic fruit.
Such a future race prompts the Time Traveller (and indirectly the author) to pose a number of philosophic questions: Is this close resemblance of men and women a consequence of there being no need for physical force or to protect themselves from beasts or enemies? Why the sameness in all these people he comes to know as the Eloi (children simply miniatures of adults)? Is individuality a thing of the past? What are the reasons for their lack of curiosity and absence of any written language? What accounts for the apparent dearth of struggle and suffering? Is all what he's seeing the inevitable result of the elimination of class and rank? However, as he acknowledges, his general assumptions about the circumstances of their lives proves to be inaccurate.
But then it happens: he discovers his Time Machine is gone. Who moved it? Where is it now? This is but the first in a series of additional shocks: the Time Traveller recognizes, although they spend their days eating and chatting together, dancing and playing and having casual sex, the Eloi lack any deep feelings for one another. This stark fact is brought home when he watches a helpless woman carried down the river and not one of the Eloi comes to her rescue. Undaunted, the Time Traveller pulls her out of the water. Her name is Weena, and she and the Time Traveller subsequently form an emotional bond.
The most shocking revelation: there is a second race inhabiting this future world, a larger, more ferocious race with white fur and blazing eyes, a race living with their machines under the earth: the Morlocks. Thus the plot quickly thickens. The more the Time Traveller grasps the dynamics of this future world, the more sinister and disturbing. Is all this, he muses, the inevitable outcome of the division of class, the idle aristocrats on one side and the laboring commoners on the other?
His philosophic assumptions about a future society have been shattered. After all, he didn鈥檛 bring any provisions with him on his time travel since he assumed future peoples would maintain and expand science and technology thereby furnishing him with any needs he might have for things like medicine or clothing. And to think, he also took it for granted there would be one and only one future race of humans. Who would have guessed the human race would split in two?
With the appearance of the Morlocks, Wells鈥� tale kicks into one of high adventure. Along the way, the Time Traveller battles the Morlocks with an iron club and that most decisive part of human development: fire. Weena places two white flowers in his trouser pocket, flowers he eventually shows his five guests upon his return to Victorian England, flowers that serve as material evidence his time travel is fact not fiction.
Also worth noting: the Time Traveller reports even more distant future times. One particular account of a race of kangaroo-like brutes that have evolved from future humans was deemed too disturbing and cut by the author鈥檚 editors. Yet even without this specific inclusion, what the Time Traveler sees is truly remarkable.
A classic work of science fiction not to be missed.
British author H. G. Wells, 1866 - 1946
鈥淪o, as I see it, the Upperworld man had drifted towards his feeble prettiness, and the Underworld to mere mechanical industry. But that perfect state had lacked one thing even for mechanical perfection鈥攁bsolute permanency. Apparently as time went on, the feeding of an Underworld, however it was effected, had become disjointed. Mother Necessity, who had been staved off for a few thousand years, came back again, and she began below. The Underworld being in contact with machinery, which, however perfect, still needs some little thought outside habit, had probably retained perforce rather more initiative, if less of every other human character, than the Upper. And when other meat failed them, they turned to what old habit had hitherto forbidden." - H. G. Wells, The Time Machine
December 14, 2023
"Decid铆 subir a la cumbre de una colina, a una milla y media de all铆, desde donde podr铆a tener una amplia vista de este, nuestro planeta, en el a帽o de gracia 802.701 d. C. Porque era, como deber铆a haberlo explicado, la fecha que los peque帽os cuadrantes de mi m谩quina se帽alaban".
Una reuni贸n entre varias personas de distintas ocupaciones. Un m茅dico, un psic贸logo, un se帽or llamado Filby, un hombre joven, un alcalde y... un Viajero a trav茅s del Tiempo. En la reuni贸n se comienza a disertar sobre la matem谩tica, la cuarta Dimensi贸n, diversas teor铆as del Espacio y del Tiempo hasta que el Viajero a trav茅s del Tiempo les anuncia a los dem谩s que ha construido una m谩quina para viajar al futuro.
A partir de ese punto, todo cambia, la conversaci贸n se concentra en lo que este enigm谩tico cient铆fico tiene para contar y culminar en una demostraci贸n de que la m谩quina en el tiempo ha sido construida por 茅l y como prueba de ello, los convoca a una nueva reuni贸n.
Sorprendentemente, descubren que tarda en llegar y lo ven aparecer con su ropa hecha jirones, sin calzado, lastimado y hambriento. Es momento de descubrir qu茅 tiene para contar. Lo que les confiesa, es que ha activado su m谩quina y ha viajado al a帽o... 隆802.701!
Con la vuelta del Viajero a trav茅s del Tiempo al presente, todos los comensales est谩n a punto de escuchar una historia asombrosa, imposible, sorprendente y... 驴real? Bueno, para saberlo, tendremos que leer esta peque帽a y genial novela de no m谩s de ciento cincuenta p谩ginas escrita por un escritor brillante y visionario llamado Herbert George Wells.
Qui茅n no ha so帽ado alguna vez con viajar en el tiempo... Cu谩ntas pel铆culas y series se han hecho al respecto y c贸mo sigue apasionando este tema a mucha gente.
Muchos lo ven como irrealizable. Otros, dentro del campo cient铆fico siguen pensando que es posible en un futuro muy lejano y una gran parte de los esc茅pticos lo ven como una fantas铆a que solo vive en la mente de los so帽adores.
Este libro supone un gran salto en el tiempo, pero cuando el Viajero a trav茅s del Tiempo arriba al a帽o 802.701 se encontrar谩 con un futuro aterrador. En donde antes hab铆a seres humanos, ahora existen dos especies: los Eloi, que son casi et茅reos, fr谩giles y sumamente d贸ciles y los Morlocks, extra帽os habitantes que viven en cavernas, con enormes ojos blancos como los peces de las profundidades del oc茅ano y de piel fr铆a y viscosa.
Cuando el Viajero a trav茅s del Tiempo comienza a narrar lo que le sucede, instant谩neamente me acord茅 de otro personaje perdido en un mundo completamente distinto. Me refiero a Gulliver, del libro de Jonathan Swift, ya que a Gulliver le sucede algo muy parecido con la experiencia del Viajero a trav茅s del Tiempo: desconcierto, azoramiento, desorientaci贸n y una inquietud acerca de c贸mo podr谩 salir de las situaciones en las que est谩 involucrado. Gulliver no sabe c贸mo proceder en el reino de Brobdingnag, pues al ser de tama帽o diminuto, siente que est谩 en riesgo.
Mientras que en su tercer viaje cuando conoce los dominios de Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdi y Luggnagg, se encuentra con esa raza de laputienses que son pr谩cticamente como las de verdaderos extraterrestres. Lo mismo experimenta el Viajero a trav茅s del Tiempo, porque continuamente se siente amenazado cada vez que se cruza con los Morlocks.
La diferencia entre la naturaleza de los Eloi y los Morlocks tambi茅n se condice con lo que sucede en el cuarto viaje de Gulliver a las tierras de los houyhnhnms, que son una raza de caballos con inteligencia que dominan a otros seres inferiores, en estado bruto llamados yahoos, que son muy inferiores aunque parecidos a los humanos, esclavizados por una raza de monos dotados de una inteligencia avanzada, con la salvedad de que ni Eloi ni Morlocks se dominan, pero son completamente distintos.
Puedo afirmar que encubierta en esa diferencia Eloi/Morlocks, Wells hace un alegato en contra de las grandes diferencias sociales que exist铆an en Inglaterra en el siglo XIX. Hasta lo establece a modo de reflexi贸n filos贸fica cuando los compara con capitalistas y clase obrera:
"Me parec铆a claro como la luz del d铆a que la extensi贸n gradual de las actuales diferencias meramente temporales y sociales entre el capitalista y el trabajador era la clave de la situaci贸n entera. Sin duda les parecer谩 a ustedes un tanto extra帽o... y, sin embargo, a煤n existen hoy circunstancias que se帽alan ese camino."
Wells disfraza esas similitudes y diferencias utilizando un recurso narrativo ambientado en futuro muy lejano, pero que no deja de ser una cr铆tica social muy fuerte y un claro mensaje de advertencia sobre los avances de la ciencia y el dilema de la 茅tica:
"Los Eloi, como los reyes carolingios, habi谩n llegado a ser tan solo unas lindas inutilidades. Pose铆an toda la Tierra por consentimiento t谩cito, desde que los Morlocks, subterr谩neos hac铆a innumerables generaciones, hab铆an llegado a encontrar intolerable la superficie iluminada por el sol."
Este autor ve de manera muy pesimista el futuro si realmente no se hacen bien las cosas. La ciencia puede avanzar a pasos exponenciales, pero el ser humano en su esencia no cambia y puede torcer su destino hacia el mal en vez del bien.
Considero que esta novela es en cierta forma una distop铆a. Tal vez, no al extremo de "1984" o "Fahrenheit 451", pero encierra la idea del futuro no deseado.
Seguramente encontraremos afinidades con la naturaleza de esta novela con el significado el t茅rmino "Distop铆a": "T茅rmino opuesto a utop铆a. Como tal, designa un tipo de mundo imaginario, recreado en la literatura o el cine, que se considera indeseable. La palabra distop铆a se forma con las ra铆ces griegas 未蠀蟽 (dys), que significa 鈥榤alo鈥�, y 蟿蠈蟺慰蟼 (t贸pos), que puede traducirse como 鈥榣ugar鈥�."
El debate acerca de lo dist贸pico en "La m谩quina del tiempo" queda abierto.
Una reuni贸n entre varias personas de distintas ocupaciones. Un m茅dico, un psic贸logo, un se帽or llamado Filby, un hombre joven, un alcalde y... un Viajero a trav茅s del Tiempo. En la reuni贸n se comienza a disertar sobre la matem谩tica, la cuarta Dimensi贸n, diversas teor铆as del Espacio y del Tiempo hasta que el Viajero a trav茅s del Tiempo les anuncia a los dem谩s que ha construido una m谩quina para viajar al futuro.
A partir de ese punto, todo cambia, la conversaci贸n se concentra en lo que este enigm谩tico cient铆fico tiene para contar y culminar en una demostraci贸n de que la m谩quina en el tiempo ha sido construida por 茅l y como prueba de ello, los convoca a una nueva reuni贸n.
Sorprendentemente, descubren que tarda en llegar y lo ven aparecer con su ropa hecha jirones, sin calzado, lastimado y hambriento. Es momento de descubrir qu茅 tiene para contar. Lo que les confiesa, es que ha activado su m谩quina y ha viajado al a帽o... 隆802.701!
Con la vuelta del Viajero a trav茅s del Tiempo al presente, todos los comensales est谩n a punto de escuchar una historia asombrosa, imposible, sorprendente y... 驴real? Bueno, para saberlo, tendremos que leer esta peque帽a y genial novela de no m谩s de ciento cincuenta p谩ginas escrita por un escritor brillante y visionario llamado Herbert George Wells.
Qui茅n no ha so帽ado alguna vez con viajar en el tiempo... Cu谩ntas pel铆culas y series se han hecho al respecto y c贸mo sigue apasionando este tema a mucha gente.
Muchos lo ven como irrealizable. Otros, dentro del campo cient铆fico siguen pensando que es posible en un futuro muy lejano y una gran parte de los esc茅pticos lo ven como una fantas铆a que solo vive en la mente de los so帽adores.
Este libro supone un gran salto en el tiempo, pero cuando el Viajero a trav茅s del Tiempo arriba al a帽o 802.701 se encontrar谩 con un futuro aterrador. En donde antes hab铆a seres humanos, ahora existen dos especies: los Eloi, que son casi et茅reos, fr谩giles y sumamente d贸ciles y los Morlocks, extra帽os habitantes que viven en cavernas, con enormes ojos blancos como los peces de las profundidades del oc茅ano y de piel fr铆a y viscosa.
Cuando el Viajero a trav茅s del Tiempo comienza a narrar lo que le sucede, instant谩neamente me acord茅 de otro personaje perdido en un mundo completamente distinto. Me refiero a Gulliver, del libro de Jonathan Swift, ya que a Gulliver le sucede algo muy parecido con la experiencia del Viajero a trav茅s del Tiempo: desconcierto, azoramiento, desorientaci贸n y una inquietud acerca de c贸mo podr谩 salir de las situaciones en las que est谩 involucrado. Gulliver no sabe c贸mo proceder en el reino de Brobdingnag, pues al ser de tama帽o diminuto, siente que est谩 en riesgo.
Mientras que en su tercer viaje cuando conoce los dominios de Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdi y Luggnagg, se encuentra con esa raza de laputienses que son pr谩cticamente como las de verdaderos extraterrestres. Lo mismo experimenta el Viajero a trav茅s del Tiempo, porque continuamente se siente amenazado cada vez que se cruza con los Morlocks.
La diferencia entre la naturaleza de los Eloi y los Morlocks tambi茅n se condice con lo que sucede en el cuarto viaje de Gulliver a las tierras de los houyhnhnms, que son una raza de caballos con inteligencia que dominan a otros seres inferiores, en estado bruto llamados yahoos, que son muy inferiores aunque parecidos a los humanos, esclavizados por una raza de monos dotados de una inteligencia avanzada, con la salvedad de que ni Eloi ni Morlocks se dominan, pero son completamente distintos.
Puedo afirmar que encubierta en esa diferencia Eloi/Morlocks, Wells hace un alegato en contra de las grandes diferencias sociales que exist铆an en Inglaterra en el siglo XIX. Hasta lo establece a modo de reflexi贸n filos贸fica cuando los compara con capitalistas y clase obrera:
"Me parec铆a claro como la luz del d铆a que la extensi贸n gradual de las actuales diferencias meramente temporales y sociales entre el capitalista y el trabajador era la clave de la situaci贸n entera. Sin duda les parecer谩 a ustedes un tanto extra帽o... y, sin embargo, a煤n existen hoy circunstancias que se帽alan ese camino."
Wells disfraza esas similitudes y diferencias utilizando un recurso narrativo ambientado en futuro muy lejano, pero que no deja de ser una cr铆tica social muy fuerte y un claro mensaje de advertencia sobre los avances de la ciencia y el dilema de la 茅tica:
"Los Eloi, como los reyes carolingios, habi谩n llegado a ser tan solo unas lindas inutilidades. Pose铆an toda la Tierra por consentimiento t谩cito, desde que los Morlocks, subterr谩neos hac铆a innumerables generaciones, hab铆an llegado a encontrar intolerable la superficie iluminada por el sol."
Este autor ve de manera muy pesimista el futuro si realmente no se hacen bien las cosas. La ciencia puede avanzar a pasos exponenciales, pero el ser humano en su esencia no cambia y puede torcer su destino hacia el mal en vez del bien.
Considero que esta novela es en cierta forma una distop铆a. Tal vez, no al extremo de "1984" o "Fahrenheit 451", pero encierra la idea del futuro no deseado.
Seguramente encontraremos afinidades con la naturaleza de esta novela con el significado el t茅rmino "Distop铆a": "T茅rmino opuesto a utop铆a. Como tal, designa un tipo de mundo imaginario, recreado en la literatura o el cine, que se considera indeseable. La palabra distop铆a se forma con las ra铆ces griegas 未蠀蟽 (dys), que significa 鈥榤alo鈥�, y 蟿蠈蟺慰蟼 (t贸pos), que puede traducirse como 鈥榣ugar鈥�."
El debate acerca de lo dist贸pico en "La m谩quina del tiempo" queda abierto.
July 15, 2016
A Victorian-era scientist calls together a group of men and tells them of his recent adventure, a trip through time...
I had intended to participate in a reading of this with the Distinguished Society of Pantless Readers but once I had a taste, I wolfed the whole tale down in one sitting.
The Time Machine is probably the first time travel story and definitely a spiritual ancestor of every time travel story since. The nameless time traveler whips up a time machine and travels through time. What could be simpler?
The Traveler goes to the year 802,000 and encounters the descendants of man, the Eloi and the Morlocks. Wells uses the Eloi and the Morlocks to illustrate the class differences in his own time but the Traveler's speculation on the haves and have-nots sounded very familiar, a nice bit of timeless social satire. After some misadventures, he returns home and no one believes him. To show those assholes, he goes on another jaunt and was never head from again. At least at the time of the Time Machine's publication.
The Time Machine broke a lot of new ground. It was probably the first time travel story and it could be argued that it was both the first dystopian sf story and the first Dying Earth tale. It's also not much of a stretch to call it an ancestor of the planetary romance genre as well. There's not a lot separating The Traveler from John Carter of Mars, if you think about it.
While there's a lot of fun timey-wimey stuff going on, Wells' prose isn't easy to digest. Part of it is the writing style of the time and another part is that science fiction was still in diapers at the time this was written.
Wells' depiction of future Earth was a very memorable one, one that influenced countless authors that came after. Adjusting for the time period, The Time Machine is a fun yet somewhat difficult read. Four out of five Sonic Screwdrivers.
I had intended to participate in a reading of this with the Distinguished Society of Pantless Readers but once I had a taste, I wolfed the whole tale down in one sitting.
The Time Machine is probably the first time travel story and definitely a spiritual ancestor of every time travel story since. The nameless time traveler whips up a time machine and travels through time. What could be simpler?
The Traveler goes to the year 802,000 and encounters the descendants of man, the Eloi and the Morlocks. Wells uses the Eloi and the Morlocks to illustrate the class differences in his own time but the Traveler's speculation on the haves and have-nots sounded very familiar, a nice bit of timeless social satire. After some misadventures, he returns home and no one believes him. To show those assholes, he goes on another jaunt and was never head from again. At least at the time of the Time Machine's publication.
The Time Machine broke a lot of new ground. It was probably the first time travel story and it could be argued that it was both the first dystopian sf story and the first Dying Earth tale. It's also not much of a stretch to call it an ancestor of the planetary romance genre as well. There's not a lot separating The Traveler from John Carter of Mars, if you think about it.
While there's a lot of fun timey-wimey stuff going on, Wells' prose isn't easy to digest. Part of it is the writing style of the time and another part is that science fiction was still in diapers at the time this was written.
Wells' depiction of future Earth was a very memorable one, one that influenced countless authors that came after. Adjusting for the time period, The Time Machine is a fun yet somewhat difficult read. Four out of five Sonic Screwdrivers.
August 27, 2024
丌賱丞 丕賱夭賲賳 賴賷 兀賵賱 乇賵丕賷丞 賰鬲亘賴丕 丕賱賰丕鬲亘 賴乇亘乇鬲 噩賵乇噩 賵賷賱夭 賵胤亘毓丕賸 賰賲丕 賴賵 賵丕囟丨 賲賳 丕賱毓賳賵丕賳 賴賷 鬲氐賳賮 鬲丨鬲 兀丿亘 丕賱禺賷丕賱 丕賱毓賱賲賷 賵鬲丨賵賱鬲 賱賮賷賱賲 兀賲乇賷賰賷 氐丿乇 毓丕賲 佗贍贍佗 鬲丨鬲 賳賮爻 丕賱廿爻賲..
鬲鬲丨丿孬 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳 毓丕賱賲 兀禺鬲乇毓 丌賱丞 賵 廿爻鬲胤丕毓 賲賳 禺賱丕賱賴丕 兀賳 賷賳鬲賯賱 毓亘乇 丕賱夭賲賳 廿賱賷 丕賱賲爻鬲賯亘賱 賮賷 毓丕賲 侉贍佗贍侑佟..
丕賱賮賰乇丞 胤亘毓丕賸 賲毓乇賵賮丞 丿賱賵賯鬲賷 賵 賲卮 噩丿賷丿丞 賵 賱賰賳 賷噩亘 兀賳 賳囟毓 賮賷 丕賱廿毓鬲亘丕乇 廿賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賳卮乇 毓丕賲 佟侉侃佶 賷毓賳賷 賲賳匕 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 賲丕卅丞 毓丕賲 賵丿丞 胤亘毓丕賸 丿賱賷賱 毓賱賷 廿賳賳丕 賯丿丕賲 賰丕鬲亘 睾賷乇 毓丕丿賷..
兀噩賲賱 賲丕 賮賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賴賵 鬲氐賵乇 丕賱賰丕鬲亘 賱卮賰賱 丕賱賲爻鬲賯亘賱 賵 丕夭丿賷丕丿 丕賱氐丿丕賲 賵 丕賱賮乇賵賯 丕賱胤亘賯賷丞 亘賷賳 丕賱亘卮乇 賲賲丕 賷丐賰丿 賮賰乇丞 廿賳賴 丨賯賷賯賷 賰丕賳 賰丕鬲亘 爻丕亘賯 毓氐乇賴..
乇賵丕賷丞 賲鬲賵爻胤丞..鬲氐賱丨 賰賮丕氐賱 賯氐賷乇 亘賷賳 丕賱賰鬲亘 丕賱賰亘賷乇丞 賵 賯乇丕亍鬲賴丕 賲賴賲丞 賱賱鬲毓乇賮 毓賱賷 賰丕鬲亘 賲孬賱 賵賷賱夭 丕賱匕賷 賷毓鬲亘乇 賲賳 賲丐爻爻賷 兀丿亘 丕賱禺賷丕賱 丕賱毓賱賲賷..
鬲鬲丨丿孬 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 毓賳 毓丕賱賲 兀禺鬲乇毓 丌賱丞 賵 廿爻鬲胤丕毓 賲賳 禺賱丕賱賴丕 兀賳 賷賳鬲賯賱 毓亘乇 丕賱夭賲賳 廿賱賷 丕賱賲爻鬲賯亘賱 賮賷 毓丕賲 侉贍佗贍侑佟..
丕賱賮賰乇丞 胤亘毓丕賸 賲毓乇賵賮丞 丿賱賵賯鬲賷 賵 賲卮 噩丿賷丿丞 賵 賱賰賳 賷噩亘 兀賳 賳囟毓 賮賷 丕賱廿毓鬲亘丕乇 廿賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賳卮乇 毓丕賲 佟侉侃佶 賷毓賳賷 賲賳匕 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 賲丕卅丞 毓丕賲 賵丿丞 胤亘毓丕賸 丿賱賷賱 毓賱賷 廿賳賳丕 賯丿丕賲 賰丕鬲亘 睾賷乇 毓丕丿賷..
兀噩賲賱 賲丕 賮賷 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賴賵 鬲氐賵乇 丕賱賰丕鬲亘 賱卮賰賱 丕賱賲爻鬲賯亘賱 賵 丕夭丿賷丕丿 丕賱氐丿丕賲 賵 丕賱賮乇賵賯 丕賱胤亘賯賷丞 亘賷賳 丕賱亘卮乇 賲賲丕 賷丐賰丿 賮賰乇丞 廿賳賴 丨賯賷賯賷 賰丕賳 賰丕鬲亘 爻丕亘賯 毓氐乇賴..
乇賵丕賷丞 賲鬲賵爻胤丞..鬲氐賱丨 賰賮丕氐賱 賯氐賷乇 亘賷賳 丕賱賰鬲亘 丕賱賰亘賷乇丞 賵 賯乇丕亍鬲賴丕 賲賴賲丞 賱賱鬲毓乇賮 毓賱賷 賰丕鬲亘 賲孬賱 賵賷賱夭 丕賱匕賷 賷毓鬲亘乇 賲賳 賲丐爻爻賷 兀丿亘 丕賱禺賷丕賱 丕賱毓賱賲賷..
March 3, 2024
Time travel is such a familiar fictive concept nowadays that it鈥檚 easy to forget how new the idea of a time machine was in 1895, when the then 29-year-old H.G. Wells wrote a short novel titled The Time Machine. And 125 years later, this concise little masterpiece of science fiction has lost none of its power; if anything, it seems more and more prophetic as we all continue forward through the 4th dimension.
The Time Machine is, at its heart, a framed tale. It begins with a conversation among a group of well-educated gentlemen of Victorian England, at the elegant Richmond home of a scientist and inventor who is known simply as 鈥渢he Time Traveller.鈥� Most of his friends, in a somewhat clumsy characterological development, are likewise referred to in terms of their occupations 鈥� 鈥渢he Editor,鈥� 鈥渢he Journalist,鈥� 鈥渢he Medical Man,鈥� 鈥渢he Provincial Mayor,鈥� 鈥渢he Psychologist.鈥� At one otherwise ordinary Thursday gathering, the Time Traveller (hereafter T.T.) announces that he has invented a machine that can travel through time; and the following Thursday, a noticeably disheveled and much-the-worse-for-wear T.T. shares with the assembled company, through an extended flashback, the story of his journey through time.
T.T. makes his journeys not back to ancient Egypt or Greece or Rome, or forward to some comprehensible future year like 1984 or 2001, but rather all the way forward to the year 802,701 A.D.! This daring move gives Wells total creative freedom to set forth the far future exactly as he likes; after all, none of us will be around to point fingers and complain that Wells got this or that detail wrong regarding life 800,000 years from now.
And given all that fictive room for free play, Wells makes the most of the opportunity to exercise his extraordinary imagination. Wells may be poking good-natured fun at his own affinity for socialism - or at the average 19th-century Englishman's impressions of socialism - when he records T.T.鈥檚 initial response to the world at which he has arrived: 鈥淗ere and there among the greenery were palace-like buildings, but the house and the cottage, which form such characteristic features of our own English landscape, had disappeared. 鈥楥ommunism,鈥� I said to myself鈥� (p. 29). Well 鈥� no, T.T. What鈥檚 happening in the year 802,701 A.D., in what was once England, is not communism; it鈥檚 something different, and much worse.
At first, T.T. feels as if he has emerged into an earthly paradise. The beings he meets are recognizably human, albeit of smaller size, and they seem to live a life of ease in which they eat delicious fruits, play together all the day long, and never have to work or worry. The Eloi 鈥� for T.T. learns that that is their name 鈥� are singularly lacking in curiosity, but they are just as singularly benign, and T.T. soon comes to believe that this is the stage to which humanity has evolved in 800,000 years. When T.T. rescues a drowning Eloi girl named Weena, and she thanks him, child-like, with a garland of flowers, he begins to feel a sort of fatherly affection toward her.
But the Eloi are not the only people in town. T.T. finds that his Time Machine has been removed from where he left it! And in a darkened gallery of a long-ruined building, T.T. encounters a creature that is 鈥渄ull white, and had strange large greyish-red eyes鈥�, along with 鈥渇laxen hair on its head and down its back鈥� (p. 45). This moment represents T.T.鈥檚 first encounter with the Morlocks, the other of the two species into which humankind has divided itself over the eons.
The Morlocks live underground, and work great machines in their network of caverns beneath the surface of the earth. At first, T.T. thinks that the Morlocks work for the Eloi; after all, the industrial labourers of his own time do their work hidden from the sun, in settings like factories and coal mines, producing wealth that goes to an aristocracy up on the surface. Yet it turns out that the relationship between the Eloi and the Morlocks is actually quite different.
Situational irony of a particularly grim kind abounds; T.T., reconnoitering the Morlocks鈥� underground lair, notices 鈥渁 faint halitus of freshly shed blood鈥� and a 鈥渞ed joint鈥� of meat on a table laid for dinner. The reader senses the significance of these clues long before T.T. does 鈥� and a potent metaphor emerges for a 19th-century British society that Wells sees devouring itself through its class divisions.
Wells鈥檚 pessimism regarding the prospects for human progress comes through clearly in the passages shortly before T.T.鈥檚 return to 1895 鈥� when, as T.T. sits in a golden chair atop a high hill, he engages in bitter recollections: 鈥淚 grieved to think how brief the dream of the human intellect had been. It had committed suicide鈥� (p. 78). It is against the backdrop of such somber reflections that T.T. makes one last descent into the Morlock abyss in search of his time machine 鈥� and then hurtles even further forward into time! You think that traveling to 802,701 A.D. sounds extreme? Try traveling to 30,000,000 A.D., and see where that takes you!
This edition of The Time Machine benefits from the inclusion of Wells鈥檚 1931 preface to a reprint of the novel. While tending to be rather dismissive of The Time Machine as a juvenile effort on the part of a very young writer, Wells nonetheless sounds like a thoroughly contemporary theoretical physicist when he sets forth 鈥渢he idea that Time is a fourth dimension and that the normal present is a three-dimensional section of a four-dimensional universe鈥� (p. 94).
As mentioned at the beginning of this review, time-travel narratives have become a familiar thing in our, well, time. We are all used to how Terminator movies, Back to the Future movies 鈥� even Santa Clause movies 鈥� explore the potential paradoxes of time travel. But no one engaged the possibilities of time travel earlier, or better, than H.G. Wells. The Time Machine travels through time by surviving the test of time.
The Time Machine is, at its heart, a framed tale. It begins with a conversation among a group of well-educated gentlemen of Victorian England, at the elegant Richmond home of a scientist and inventor who is known simply as 鈥渢he Time Traveller.鈥� Most of his friends, in a somewhat clumsy characterological development, are likewise referred to in terms of their occupations 鈥� 鈥渢he Editor,鈥� 鈥渢he Journalist,鈥� 鈥渢he Medical Man,鈥� 鈥渢he Provincial Mayor,鈥� 鈥渢he Psychologist.鈥� At one otherwise ordinary Thursday gathering, the Time Traveller (hereafter T.T.) announces that he has invented a machine that can travel through time; and the following Thursday, a noticeably disheveled and much-the-worse-for-wear T.T. shares with the assembled company, through an extended flashback, the story of his journey through time.
T.T. makes his journeys not back to ancient Egypt or Greece or Rome, or forward to some comprehensible future year like 1984 or 2001, but rather all the way forward to the year 802,701 A.D.! This daring move gives Wells total creative freedom to set forth the far future exactly as he likes; after all, none of us will be around to point fingers and complain that Wells got this or that detail wrong regarding life 800,000 years from now.
And given all that fictive room for free play, Wells makes the most of the opportunity to exercise his extraordinary imagination. Wells may be poking good-natured fun at his own affinity for socialism - or at the average 19th-century Englishman's impressions of socialism - when he records T.T.鈥檚 initial response to the world at which he has arrived: 鈥淗ere and there among the greenery were palace-like buildings, but the house and the cottage, which form such characteristic features of our own English landscape, had disappeared. 鈥楥ommunism,鈥� I said to myself鈥� (p. 29). Well 鈥� no, T.T. What鈥檚 happening in the year 802,701 A.D., in what was once England, is not communism; it鈥檚 something different, and much worse.
At first, T.T. feels as if he has emerged into an earthly paradise. The beings he meets are recognizably human, albeit of smaller size, and they seem to live a life of ease in which they eat delicious fruits, play together all the day long, and never have to work or worry. The Eloi 鈥� for T.T. learns that that is their name 鈥� are singularly lacking in curiosity, but they are just as singularly benign, and T.T. soon comes to believe that this is the stage to which humanity has evolved in 800,000 years. When T.T. rescues a drowning Eloi girl named Weena, and she thanks him, child-like, with a garland of flowers, he begins to feel a sort of fatherly affection toward her.
But the Eloi are not the only people in town. T.T. finds that his Time Machine has been removed from where he left it! And in a darkened gallery of a long-ruined building, T.T. encounters a creature that is 鈥渄ull white, and had strange large greyish-red eyes鈥�, along with 鈥渇laxen hair on its head and down its back鈥� (p. 45). This moment represents T.T.鈥檚 first encounter with the Morlocks, the other of the two species into which humankind has divided itself over the eons.
The Morlocks live underground, and work great machines in their network of caverns beneath the surface of the earth. At first, T.T. thinks that the Morlocks work for the Eloi; after all, the industrial labourers of his own time do their work hidden from the sun, in settings like factories and coal mines, producing wealth that goes to an aristocracy up on the surface. Yet it turns out that the relationship between the Eloi and the Morlocks is actually quite different.
Situational irony of a particularly grim kind abounds; T.T., reconnoitering the Morlocks鈥� underground lair, notices 鈥渁 faint halitus of freshly shed blood鈥� and a 鈥渞ed joint鈥� of meat on a table laid for dinner. The reader senses the significance of these clues long before T.T. does 鈥� and a potent metaphor emerges for a 19th-century British society that Wells sees devouring itself through its class divisions.
Wells鈥檚 pessimism regarding the prospects for human progress comes through clearly in the passages shortly before T.T.鈥檚 return to 1895 鈥� when, as T.T. sits in a golden chair atop a high hill, he engages in bitter recollections: 鈥淚 grieved to think how brief the dream of the human intellect had been. It had committed suicide鈥� (p. 78). It is against the backdrop of such somber reflections that T.T. makes one last descent into the Morlock abyss in search of his time machine 鈥� and then hurtles even further forward into time! You think that traveling to 802,701 A.D. sounds extreme? Try traveling to 30,000,000 A.D., and see where that takes you!
This edition of The Time Machine benefits from the inclusion of Wells鈥檚 1931 preface to a reprint of the novel. While tending to be rather dismissive of The Time Machine as a juvenile effort on the part of a very young writer, Wells nonetheless sounds like a thoroughly contemporary theoretical physicist when he sets forth 鈥渢he idea that Time is a fourth dimension and that the normal present is a three-dimensional section of a four-dimensional universe鈥� (p. 94).
As mentioned at the beginning of this review, time-travel narratives have become a familiar thing in our, well, time. We are all used to how Terminator movies, Back to the Future movies 鈥� even Santa Clause movies 鈥� explore the potential paradoxes of time travel. But no one engaged the possibilities of time travel earlier, or better, than H.G. Wells. The Time Machine travels through time by surviving the test of time.
October 4, 2017
's was required reading in high school for most when I was in 9th grade (about 25 years ago), and one of my teachers chose this book as 1 of 10 books we read that year in an English literature comparative analysis course. Each month, we'd read a book and watch two film adaptations, then have discussions and write a paper. At the time, I thought, this book is a little cheesy... I mean, not that I was a huge Star Trek fan (although I did love me some Voyager), but even I know time machines were a lot cooler than what I saw in the movie and read about in the book.
THEN, I realized HG Wells published this book in 1895... an entire century before I started watching TV shows about time travel. And that's when you realize what a priceless book this was. It was the advent of a new genre's blossoming into fandom. And I became fascinated with these types of stories. But there was so much more to it than time travel.
It's a commentary on society and values. Are you ostracized when you think differently? What if you look different... like as in your skin looks blue. Do you know what a Morlock is? Check it out (thanks the original GIF source in link!)
What I loved about this story was the thoughts and ideas of an 1890s man writing about the potential for traveling to the past and the future, suggesting what happens to humankind over time. In the era of Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species, or perhaps a few decades later, this book covers those ideas and helps activate a reader's imagination outside their own limited world. It was the 1890s... no TV, no phones, car engines being built for the first time, indoor plumbing had just become common in regular homes... life was every different.
That said, it's the words and imagery that catch you in this book. You have to forego current life and pretend you were still back in time.
THEN, I realized HG Wells published this book in 1895... an entire century before I started watching TV shows about time travel. And that's when you realize what a priceless book this was. It was the advent of a new genre's blossoming into fandom. And I became fascinated with these types of stories. But there was so much more to it than time travel.
It's a commentary on society and values. Are you ostracized when you think differently? What if you look different... like as in your skin looks blue. Do you know what a Morlock is? Check it out (thanks the original GIF source in link!)
What I loved about this story was the thoughts and ideas of an 1890s man writing about the potential for traveling to the past and the future, suggesting what happens to humankind over time. In the era of Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species, or perhaps a few decades later, this book covers those ideas and helps activate a reader's imagination outside their own limited world. It was the 1890s... no TV, no phones, car engines being built for the first time, indoor plumbing had just become common in regular homes... life was every different.
That said, it's the words and imagery that catch you in this book. You have to forego current life and pretend you were still back in time.
April 10, 2023
Nature never appeals to intelligence until habit and instinct are useless. There is no intelligence where there is no need of change.
The Time Machine is one of my favorite books. It鈥檚 a great story, and very well-written. It has the first use of time travel as plot device, used to tell a thought-provoking critique of modern society. It is one of the foundational stories of science fiction, but completely readable today. A must-read if you never have.
P.S. I don鈥檛 normally comment on when whether I read a book or listened to the unabridged audiobook. But this time I listened to an audiobook recorded by Sir Derek Jacobi. Highly recommended.
August 7, 2018
Some authors can see further into the future than the others鈥� H.G. Wells could see even further than those that could see far鈥�
As a result his gloomily satirical The Time Machine is a work of a prophet.
The future is now鈥�
Morlocks produce commodities鈥� Eloi produce pop culture鈥� Morlocks consume pop culture鈥� Eloi consume commodities鈥�
Politicians consume both Morlocks and Eloi鈥�
As a result his gloomily satirical The Time Machine is a work of a prophet.
Nature never appeals to intelligence until habit and instinct are useless. There is no intelligence where there is no change and no need of change. Only those animals partake of intelligence that have a huge variety of needs and dangers.
The future is now鈥�
Morlocks produce commodities鈥� Eloi produce pop culture鈥� Morlocks consume pop culture鈥� Eloi consume commodities鈥�
Politicians consume both Morlocks and Eloi鈥�
May 26, 2019
One will have to admit that Mr Wells was well ahead of his time. He could conceive some of the ideas that are still fresh and new and ever-widening. I enjoyed reading this when I was young and I found many new aspects when I read this recently. Science fiction's initial attempt that opened a new dimension for the authors to explore.
January 2, 2013
If there was one single reason to read this it would be that H.G Wells was a favoured author and an inspiration to the Legendary writer Ray Bradbury. Pictured below in a time machine movie prop.
2333 December 19th
Alas this is a fine work from a writer of bygone times and if he could only discover his vision and writings of Time Travel were in fact prophecies and became true. As I have indeed traveled to 802,701AD and meet the lovely Weena a female Eloi and the dreadful Morlocks. The Time Machine he speaks of was made in the year 2222 but something even greater is in my possession much smaller and highly efficient the 'iFuture' watch is now the tool of Time travel it will revolutionize the whole time travel experience I have just finished the prototype and tested it. Infact I only wish Wells could tell of the year of 2666 the year of the undead, Zombies tread upon the earth society in mayhem and only few survivors to walk upon the land. I had indeed a purpose there and brought in time with me the virus to end the undead pandemic. Time Travel is indeed mans greatest invention and in the wrong hands mans worst nightmare and in the right hands a shining light of glory from darkness.
This story is a grand work written in wonderful prose that has a deep thought provoking effectiveness on the reader. The vision of the future is indeed frightening especially his account of the end of life on earth. H G Wells is a writer of high intelligence, a grand thinker.
Time Travel is an entertaining genre to write about, the success of the 11.22.63 by Stephen King and movies like Back to the Future, The Time Machine and Planet of The Apes prove that.
2333 December 19th
Alas this is a fine work from a writer of bygone times and if he could only discover his vision and writings of Time Travel were in fact prophecies and became true. As I have indeed traveled to 802,701AD and meet the lovely Weena a female Eloi and the dreadful Morlocks. The Time Machine he speaks of was made in the year 2222 but something even greater is in my possession much smaller and highly efficient the 'iFuture' watch is now the tool of Time travel it will revolutionize the whole time travel experience I have just finished the prototype and tested it. Infact I only wish Wells could tell of the year of 2666 the year of the undead, Zombies tread upon the earth society in mayhem and only few survivors to walk upon the land. I had indeed a purpose there and brought in time with me the virus to end the undead pandemic. Time Travel is indeed mans greatest invention and in the wrong hands mans worst nightmare and in the right hands a shining light of glory from darkness.
This story is a grand work written in wonderful prose that has a deep thought provoking effectiveness on the reader. The vision of the future is indeed frightening especially his account of the end of life on earth. H G Wells is a writer of high intelligence, a grand thinker.
Time Travel is an entertaining genre to write about, the success of the 11.22.63 by Stephen King and movies like Back to the Future, The Time Machine and Planet of The Apes prove that.
June 12, 2024
Po葲i reciti o carte doar pentru a verifica un am膬nunt? Po葲i.
Ce fel de floare aduce din viitor c膬l膬torul 卯n timp? Jorge Luis Borges a spus (葯i Mario Vargas Llosa a repetat) c膬 exploratorul aduce din viitor un trandafir 葯i c膬 aceast膬 floare anacronic膬 reprezint膬 鈥瀙aradigma obiectului fantastic鈥�. Am avut o 卯ndoial膬, eu 葯tiam altceva, 葯i am deschis cartea lui H. G. Wells, a c膬rui biografie redactat膬 de David Lodge, Un om f膬cut din buc膬葲i, tocmai o citesc acum.
C膬l膬torul nu se 卯ntoarce 卯n m卯n膬 cu un trandafir ca s膬-葯i dovedeasc膬 isprava. Oricine poate ar膬ta unui grup de fani SF un trandafir (la mine 卯n mahala cost膬 doar 5 lei), dar asta nu 卯nseamn膬 c膬 a ajuns cu 鈥瀖a葯ina timpului鈥� 卯n 2021 sau 卯n oricare alt an din afundul erelor viitoare, 卯n 802701, s膬 zicem, anul propus de Wells.
C膬l膬torul aduce, de fapt, dou膬 flori necunoscute. 葮i nu pentru c膬 s-a g卯ndit la o dovad膬, ci pentru c膬 Weena i le-a pus 卯n buzunar: 鈥瀍a a 卯nceput s膬 alerge 卯n jurul meu, repezindu-se s膬 culeag膬 flori鈥�. 脦n timp ce-葯i poveste葯te aventura temporal膬, 鈥瀍xploratorul timpului se opri, 卯艧i v卯r卯 m卯inile 卯n buzunar 艧i puse apoi pe m膬su牛膬 dou膬 flori ve艧tejite, care nu se deosebeau prea mult de nalbele mari, albe鈥�.
A葯adar, florile culese de Weena (imposibil de identificat) i-au r膬mas 卯n buzunar printr-o 卯nt卯mplare. Iar c膬l膬torul 卯n timp nu dore葯te s膬 dovedeasc膬 nim膬nui nimic. 葮tie prea bine c膬 nu va fi crezut de prieteni. Nici povestitorul nu pare s膬-l cread膬...
脦nc膬 o dat膬: po葲i reciti o carte doar pentru a verifica un am膬nunt? Fire葯te c膬 po葲i...
P. S. Am deschis chiar acum volumul de Eseuri al lui Borges (Polirom, 2015) la textul intitulat 鈥濬loarea lui Coleridge鈥� (pp.165-168). 葮i, nu, Borges NU spune c膬 eroul povestirii lui Wells aduce un trandafir: 鈥濵ai incredibil膬 dec卯t o floare celest膬 sau dec卯t floarea dintr-un vis este, desigur, floarea viitoare, contradictoria floare ai c膬rei atomi ocup膬 ast膬zi cu totul alte locuri 葯i nu s-au combinat 卯nc膬 卯ntre ei鈥�.
Inexactitatea apar葲ine, prin urmare, lui Mario Vargas Llosa: 鈥濴ui Borges 卯i pl膬cea s膬 citeze povestirea aceea a lui H. G. Wells (alt autor fascinat, ca 艧i el, de tema timpului), The Time Machine, 卯n care un om c膬l膬tore艧te 卯n viitor 艧i se 卯ntoarce cu un trandafir 卯n m卯n膬, ca dovad膬 a aventurii lui. Acel anormal trandafir nen膬scut exalta imagina牛ia lui Borges ca paradigm膬 de obiect fantastic鈥� (Mario Vargas Llosa, Scrisori c膬tre un t卯n膬r romancier, traducere din spaniol膬 de Mihai Cantuniari, Bucure葯ti: Humanitas, 2010).
Ce fel de floare aduce din viitor c膬l膬torul 卯n timp? Jorge Luis Borges a spus (葯i Mario Vargas Llosa a repetat) c膬 exploratorul aduce din viitor un trandafir 葯i c膬 aceast膬 floare anacronic膬 reprezint膬 鈥瀙aradigma obiectului fantastic鈥�. Am avut o 卯ndoial膬, eu 葯tiam altceva, 葯i am deschis cartea lui H. G. Wells, a c膬rui biografie redactat膬 de David Lodge, Un om f膬cut din buc膬葲i, tocmai o citesc acum.
C膬l膬torul nu se 卯ntoarce 卯n m卯n膬 cu un trandafir ca s膬-葯i dovedeasc膬 isprava. Oricine poate ar膬ta unui grup de fani SF un trandafir (la mine 卯n mahala cost膬 doar 5 lei), dar asta nu 卯nseamn膬 c膬 a ajuns cu 鈥瀖a葯ina timpului鈥� 卯n 2021 sau 卯n oricare alt an din afundul erelor viitoare, 卯n 802701, s膬 zicem, anul propus de Wells.
C膬l膬torul aduce, de fapt, dou膬 flori necunoscute. 葮i nu pentru c膬 s-a g卯ndit la o dovad膬, ci pentru c膬 Weena i le-a pus 卯n buzunar: 鈥瀍a a 卯nceput s膬 alerge 卯n jurul meu, repezindu-se s膬 culeag膬 flori鈥�. 脦n timp ce-葯i poveste葯te aventura temporal膬, 鈥瀍xploratorul timpului se opri, 卯艧i v卯r卯 m卯inile 卯n buzunar 艧i puse apoi pe m膬su牛膬 dou膬 flori ve艧tejite, care nu se deosebeau prea mult de nalbele mari, albe鈥�.
A葯adar, florile culese de Weena (imposibil de identificat) i-au r膬mas 卯n buzunar printr-o 卯nt卯mplare. Iar c膬l膬torul 卯n timp nu dore葯te s膬 dovedeasc膬 nim膬nui nimic. 葮tie prea bine c膬 nu va fi crezut de prieteni. Nici povestitorul nu pare s膬-l cread膬...
脦nc膬 o dat膬: po葲i reciti o carte doar pentru a verifica un am膬nunt? Fire葯te c膬 po葲i...
P. S. Am deschis chiar acum volumul de Eseuri al lui Borges (Polirom, 2015) la textul intitulat 鈥濬loarea lui Coleridge鈥� (pp.165-168). 葮i, nu, Borges NU spune c膬 eroul povestirii lui Wells aduce un trandafir: 鈥濵ai incredibil膬 dec卯t o floare celest膬 sau dec卯t floarea dintr-un vis este, desigur, floarea viitoare, contradictoria floare ai c膬rei atomi ocup膬 ast膬zi cu totul alte locuri 葯i nu s-au combinat 卯nc膬 卯ntre ei鈥�.
Inexactitatea apar葲ine, prin urmare, lui Mario Vargas Llosa: 鈥濴ui Borges 卯i pl膬cea s膬 citeze povestirea aceea a lui H. G. Wells (alt autor fascinat, ca 艧i el, de tema timpului), The Time Machine, 卯n care un om c膬l膬tore艧te 卯n viitor 艧i se 卯ntoarce cu un trandafir 卯n m卯n膬, ca dovad膬 a aventurii lui. Acel anormal trandafir nen膬scut exalta imagina牛ia lui Borges ca paradigm膬 de obiect fantastic鈥� (Mario Vargas Llosa, Scrisori c膬tre un t卯n膬r romancier, traducere din spaniol膬 de Mihai Cantuniari, Bucure葯ti: Humanitas, 2010).
April 4, 2019
Over the last few weeks I have been going through the books that I read in my early days of joining GR and where I didn't write a (proper) review I am trying to remedy that situation.
I think I first read this book some time around the early to mid 70s, in fact it was probably not long after I first saw the film. Similar to WotW it was one of the 1950s (1960 actually) B movies that fuelled my desire for science fiction. Well that and the "Supermarionation" series on TV written and produced by Gerry Anderson.
Anyway having got off of the subject quite considerably lets return to this book. For a book written in the late Victorian era (1895) this book is amazingly modern. It deals primarily with a genius inventor who theorises on the subject of time travel with the ultimate intention of building a machine that will allow him to move through time looking at mankind's future. He discovers 800 thousand years in the future that due to a major world war, mankind has separated into 2 distinct races. The waif like Eloi that live above ground in a paradise type world and the neanderthal ugly Morlocks who live below ground with their evil sinister ways.
I think the thing that gets me most about this book is just how much imagination HG Wells must have had to write it. As i said it was written over 120 years ago, so not as technically biased as some of today's sf but still truly awe inspiring and bearing that in mind, certainly worth a read.
I think I first read this book some time around the early to mid 70s, in fact it was probably not long after I first saw the film. Similar to WotW it was one of the 1950s (1960 actually) B movies that fuelled my desire for science fiction. Well that and the "Supermarionation" series on TV written and produced by Gerry Anderson.
Anyway having got off of the subject quite considerably lets return to this book. For a book written in the late Victorian era (1895) this book is amazingly modern. It deals primarily with a genius inventor who theorises on the subject of time travel with the ultimate intention of building a machine that will allow him to move through time looking at mankind's future. He discovers 800 thousand years in the future that due to a major world war, mankind has separated into 2 distinct races. The waif like Eloi that live above ground in a paradise type world and the neanderthal ugly Morlocks who live below ground with their evil sinister ways.
I think the thing that gets me most about this book is just how much imagination HG Wells must have had to write it. As i said it was written over 120 years ago, so not as technically biased as some of today's sf but still truly awe inspiring and bearing that in mind, certainly worth a read.
July 23, 2016
How will the Earth look like 800,000 years in the future? That's a question everyone can only attempt to find an answer to, while H.G. Wells was one of the first writers who tackled the topic of time-travelling and painted a rather convincing picture of the future.
Published in 1895, the book introduces a scientist who uses a Time Machine to be transferred into the age of a slowly dying earth. Humans have been separated by time, genetics, wars and change of their habitats into two different races, the Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks. At only about 100 pages, Wells manages to delve into a lot of different topics, among which can be found the ambiguity of human natures, the mutual effects of humans on our planet and our planet on humans, as well as a profound look into what defines humanity itself.
As a dystopian story, this tale has probably been rather ground-breaking back when it was published, and some might even consider it to be the father of all time-travel romance stories. Unlike more recent publications, however, Wells doesn't lose the point of his story in describing romantic affairs and dramatic love stories, but rather delivers a fast-paced narration coated with a prose not unlike most other writing styles from the Victorian era. Since the author builds up his story from some scientific background (the inclusion of which I highly appreciated because Wells didn't leave things unexplained), it is not easy to get into it, but once the narrative gains speed, you will digest this book in the course of a few hours.
For me, the engaging writing and the adventurous atmosphere contributed a huge part to my enjoyment of the novella. His descriptions of the dying earth were fascinating and very memorable, as was the ending which surprised and depressed me simultaneously. Much has already been said about Wells' book and its contents, so I will conclude my review by saying that readers who are not afraid to read important dystopian classics should give this one a try.
Published in 1895, the book introduces a scientist who uses a Time Machine to be transferred into the age of a slowly dying earth. Humans have been separated by time, genetics, wars and change of their habitats into two different races, the Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks. At only about 100 pages, Wells manages to delve into a lot of different topics, among which can be found the ambiguity of human natures, the mutual effects of humans on our planet and our planet on humans, as well as a profound look into what defines humanity itself.
As a dystopian story, this tale has probably been rather ground-breaking back when it was published, and some might even consider it to be the father of all time-travel romance stories. Unlike more recent publications, however, Wells doesn't lose the point of his story in describing romantic affairs and dramatic love stories, but rather delivers a fast-paced narration coated with a prose not unlike most other writing styles from the Victorian era. Since the author builds up his story from some scientific background (the inclusion of which I highly appreciated because Wells didn't leave things unexplained), it is not easy to get into it, but once the narrative gains speed, you will digest this book in the course of a few hours.
For me, the engaging writing and the adventurous atmosphere contributed a huge part to my enjoyment of the novella. His descriptions of the dying earth were fascinating and very memorable, as was the ending which surprised and depressed me simultaneously. Much has already been said about Wells' book and its contents, so I will conclude my review by saying that readers who are not afraid to read important dystopian classics should give this one a try.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 18,191 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.