I already knew the basic storyline, and that it was one of the earliest popular science fiction stories ever published. But it’s not just a Victorian version of what we now think of as “portal” fiction.
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, narrated by Sir Derek Jacobi | 2013; originally published 1895 | Penguin Random House Audio | Audiobook $38.00
When the Time Traveller courageously stepped out of his machine for the first time, he found himself in the year 802,700 — and everything has changed. In another, more utopian age, creatures seemed to dwell together in perfect harmony. The Time Traveller thought he could study these marvelous beings — unearth their secret and then retum to his own time — until he discovered that his invention, his only avenue of escape, had been stolen.
I actually listened to this one a few months ago, on a road trip to a conference. Since it’s taken me so dang long to post about it, I’m afraid I don’t remember in any detail what my thoughts about it were at the time. I just remember that the book did a good job of keeping me awake and mentally engaged during the long drive.
I already knew the basic storyline, and that it was one of the earliest popular science fiction stories ever published. But it’s not just a Victorian version of what we now think of as “portal” fiction.
Part of the appeal of sci-fi media, for a lot of people, is the social commentary — the use of futuristic settings and plots to make observations about current events or ideas. And The Time Machine is VERY much about this, to the point that it gets a little heavy-handed. There are no unexpected plot twists and surprisingly little character-building, but there’s more than enough political argument to go around.
Of course, I’m only saying that from my point of view as a regular SFF fan over a century after the writing of this book; but after all, my Classics Club experiment is partly meant to help me get an idea of the sparks and the traditions that have lead up to the contemporary books and shows I love.
Links:
- “The Many Futuristic Predictions of H.G. Wells That Came True” at the Smithsonian Magazine
- “H.G. Wells’s Ghost” at The New Yorker
- “Science Journals: The Worlds of H. G. Wells” at Nature Journal
Publication information: Wells, H.G. The time machine. New York: Penguin Random House Audio, 2013. Audiobook.
Source: Public library, via Overdrive.
Disclaimer: I am not compensated, monetarily or otherwise, for reviews of books or other products.
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