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Nicholas Ruddick
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The Time Machine (Dream Classics) Kindle Edition

by H. G. Wells (Author), Dream Classics (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 15,082 ratings
The book's protagonist is an amateur inventor or scientist living in London who is never named; he is identified simply as The Time Traveller. Having demonstrated to friends using a miniature model that time is a fourth dimension, and that a suitable apparatus can move back and forth in this fourth dimension, he builds a full-scale model capable of carrying himself. He sets off on a journey into the future.
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  1. Print length
    89 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Adrien Devret
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    19 Jun. 2017
  6. File size
    2.0 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B072Z2KK5V
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Adrien Devret
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 19 Jun. 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.0 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 89 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8826457215
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 15,082 ratings

About the author

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Nicholas Ruddick

Nicholas Ruddick

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Nicholas Ruddick was born in 1952 in Salford, near Manchester, England and moved to Canada in 1974. From 1982-2017 he taught at the University of Regina, where he is now an Emeritus Professor of English. He's known both as a science fiction critic and as an editor of scholarly editions of novels written near the turn of the twentieth century. He's married to the Swedish-Canadian novelist Britt Holmström. (Photo courtesy of Aramenta Sobchak.)

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
15,082 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this science fiction book to be a classic that they can read over and over again, praising its cautionary perspective and value for money. The book receives positive feedback for its interesting concept, with one customer noting it contains many of the basic science fiction and time travel ideas. Customers have mixed opinions about the book's length, describing it as short and deceptively small, while the pacing receives criticism for its slow start.

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181 customers mention ‘Readability’171 positive10 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as brilliant and a classic novel that can be enjoyed multiple times.

"...Other than that, it is a thoroughly enjoyable read that provides an unusual but respectable perspective on some 'big' issues." Read more

"...Wells was able to create what was a good adventure yarn on one level work on a far deeper plain of meaning by tapping in to the concerns of the age...." Read more

"...The editor has given a very succinct overview on the development of Wells, the writer, from his financial hardship to his later success as a world-..." Read more

"...Admittedly, when I first read this wonderful book it never occurred to me for a moment that we were supposed to doubt the truth of the Time Traveller..." Read more

60 customers mention ‘Science fiction’54 positive6 negative

Customers appreciate the science fiction elements of the book, describing it as a true pioneering work and a classic insight into the genre, with one customer noting how it contains many of the basic science fiction and time travel ideas.

"...a deceptively small book; although only 90 pages long, it contains material for discussion that could help fill volumes...." Read more

"...The time machine itself is beautifully described and it's a lovely idea but it is perhaps Wells's thoughts on the ultimate destination of mankind..." Read more

"...As with all great science fiction stories it's based around a big idea, in this case what does the future offer us a species...." Read more

"...between higher and lower class, it is also simply a wonderful work of imagination...." Read more

8 customers mention ‘Perspective’8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's perspective, finding it cautionary and philosophical, with one customer noting its ability to make science human and another highlighting how it describes the people of the future.

"...is a thoroughly enjoyable read that provides an unusual but respectable perspective on some 'big' issues." Read more

"...Allied to this is his ability to make science human, instilling into his works the recognisable thoughts and feelings of everyday men and women...." Read more

"...Anyway, I enjoyed the story which was an eye opener for me...." Read more

"...The story is engaging and with all sci-fi gives a sharp warning to humanity. A classic indeed." Read more

8 customers mention ‘Value for money’8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a great value, with several noting that the edition is free.

"...Anyone who enjoys sci-fi and reading should give this a read it is well worth it." Read more

"Great ebook - easy to read and well worth the price...." Read more

"A good edition of this classic at a bargain price!" Read more

"...A quick read. Also this edition is free. What more could you want in a book?" Read more

21 customers mention ‘Length’10 positive11 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's length, with some finding it short but sweet, while others describe it as deceptively small.

"...Being a short book I Read it over the course of one night and the next morning, and I was hooked throughout...." Read more

"The Time Machine is a deceptively small book; although only 90 pages long, it contains material for discussion that could help fill volumes...." Read more

"...Well, it was tricky for me! Another surprise was how short this book actually is! Anyway, I enjoyed the story which was an eye opener for me...." Read more

"...This particular edition was a little disappointing having a rather brief and superficial introduction...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Pacing’3 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with several noting its slow start, while one customer mentions it throws readers straight into the action.

"...with the book is that it ends a little abruptly and the later sections seems rushed...." Read more

"...It is so immediate, so detailed, so compelling...." Read more

"...Despite the book's slow start, it is thought provoking and adventurous, and I would recommend it even if you aren't a fan of the genre...." Read more

"...An interesting and no doubt radical and groundbreaking work of its time, however modern scientists may question the credibility...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Neil Gilmartin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Short and sweet
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 July 2007
    Verified Purchase
    The Time Machine is a deceptively small book; although only 90 pages long, it contains material for discussion that could help fill volumes. The further evolutionary development of our species, the ultimate fate of present attempts at social development, the possibility of breaching the space-time continuum, the appearance of the surface of the earth in countless millennia from now - these are all subjects explicitly tackled in the short space of this book.

    One of the qualities I most like about Wells is his educated pessimism about the future. Whereas many authors think of the present as the necessary precondition for building a better future - and so unquestioningly accept the way things are now as a priori the way they need to be for a later better society - Wells criticises the established and the traditional, and sees in them the seeds of potential calamity. This is amply and unambiguously demonstrated in the degenerate races of The Time Machine: the Eloi and Morlocks function as logical evolutionary descendants of the upper- and working classes of Wells's time. Somewhat paradoxically therefore, the book also has the effect of investing human beings as we now are with great value: compared with the practically useless Eloi and the morally and culturally bankrupt Morlocks, we fare quite well.

    Wells also has a tendency to go against plausible common-sense notions, and does it in such a way that he makes his alternatives equally plausible. It seems obvious that if we are more progressed now (at least technologically) than we were in the past, that we will be even more so in the distant future; but the Time Traveller has nothing to learn from the future - humans are far less intelligent than they were and their society is on the brink of total collapse. Wells's take on things is refreshing and cautionary.

    My only beef with the book is that it ends a little abruptly and the later sections seems rushed. Other than that, it is a thoroughly enjoyable read that provides an unusual but respectable perspective on some 'big' issues.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Gregory S. Buzwell
    4.0 out of 5 stars Future Imperfect
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 October 2010
    Verified Purchase
    The 1890s were haunted by the flip-side of Darwinism - the notion that the evolution of mankind may not always follow an upward curve and that, at some point, as a species mankind would regress, degenerate, and collapse back into something altogether less impressive than the heroic, upstanding ladies and gentlemen of the Victorian era. Wells, in The Time Machine, taps into these concerns and via a rather natty piece of narrative trickery puts forward what is almost a fable about the possible ultimate destination of the human race.

    The time traveller (he is never named) accelerates his machine far into the future (the year 802, 701 AD to be precise) and finds himself among the Eloi, an elfin, beautiful, delicate and rather feminine species. The Eloi live above ground and seem to like nothing more than lounging about in the sunlight and generally not doing anything. The time traveller finds them rather charming, although his attempts to communicate with them result in failure. Later in the story he encounters an altogether more sinister species, the Morlocks, nasty, brutish, living underground and only emerging at night. Even worse the Morlocks seem to prey - in a very literal sense - upon the Eloi. Needless to say adventure ensues....

    Wells, via his time traveller, puts forward some notions about the respective origins of the Eloi and the Morlocks. The former represent the aristocracy flung far into the future, grown weak, idle and decadent. They are beautiful, but of no real worth to anyone, not even to themselves. The Morlocks represent the masses, the working classes, excluded from education and relying upon their brute strength in order to survive. They feed and cloth the Eloi, but they reap a terrible price in return.

    It is, especially when you think of it in the context of the time in which it was written, all rather clever. Wells was able to create what was a good adventure yarn on one level work on a far deeper plain of meaning by tapping in to the concerns of the age. The time machine itself is beautifully described and it's a lovely idea but it is perhaps Wells's thoughts on the ultimate destination of mankind which give the story its lasting resonance. It's well worth reading, and not just because it is, in many ways, the grand daddy of a whole branch of science fiction.
    9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Cliente Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Uso didattico
    Reviewed in Italy on 16 January 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Uso scolastico
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  • Maria
    5.0 out of 5 stars El mejor libro de ciencia ficción
    Reviewed in Mexico on 28 April 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Es muy buen libro, pese a que es un clásico, los temas que aborda siguen siendo actuales. La historia te atrapa desde un inicio y en mi opinion es uno de los mejores libros jamas escritos. La edición de pasta blanda es ideal para jóvenes lectores ya que es económica y pequeña pero si buscas una version que dure mas tiempo, considera comprar otra edición.
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  • Harun Sadi Sincanlı
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gayet iyi
    Reviewed in Turkey on 23 March 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Kitabın anlatımı güzel, notlar doyurucu, baskı kararları detaylı. Fiyat biraz can acıtır ama bu güzel hikayeye değer. Gelen üründe de herhangi bir sorun çıkmadı, afiyetle okudum.
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  • A_Book_A_Day
    5.0 out of 5 stars Always an enjoyable read.
    Reviewed in Australia on 20 February 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I fondly remember reading this and adored Wells writing. Beautifully written, classic, the original source of science fiction. Far beyond his time to imagine such things.

    “Our mental existences, which are immaterial and have no dimensions, are passing along the Time-Dimension with a uniform velocity from the cradle to the grave.”

    The multiple theories between the learned men was fascinating.

    For anyone who recalls reading of the Morlocks and Eloi, as a child, or watching the original movie, pick this up again. The basis for so many science fiction references—it remains one of few books able to engage me fully as a reader with fond memories.

    I enjoyed being reminded of the beauty of words and novels I devoured growing up reading.
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  • David Mundis
    5.0 out of 5 stars Daniel Mundis, Book Project #2
    Reviewed in the United States on 28 March 2016
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    Daniel Mundis - Book Project # 2
    The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells, is a thrilling science fiction novel revolving around the story of a man only known as the "Time Traveler.” Throughout the story the narrator does not reveal his name, nor do any of the other characters in the book. Neither does he reveal the name of the time traveler and many other guests that appear in the background. Everyone has a certain title for which they are known for. The story starts off with the “Time Traveler” inviting a couple intelligent people to a small gathering or party. He shows them a mock of what he believes to be a time machine. No larger than a cubic foot it was described as. He explained how everything was to work. How the universe was is a four dimensional realm with time being the fourth dimension and a plane that could be traveled across. After a short demonstration of how the miniature model worked, he stunned the audience leaving them with nothing but questions. After a short dinner and questions asked by the group, he invited them all back in a couple of weeks to another dinner.
    Most of the previous group returned along with a few new people. The dinner started without the time traveler present. He was nowhere to be found at the moment. All of a sudden the door is slammed open with the time traveler walking through the door appearing to be extremely tired and somewhat injured. He says very little walks upstairs saying that he will redress and invites everyone down to the smoke room. After seating everyone and silencing any questions, he says that he has a story to tell. If anyone shall interrupt his story with a question, they should leave now for he will not tell it. Everyone is quiet and settled so he begins.
    He starts off by saying how he finished his machine and how proud he was. He boards his machine to test it and experience what the future holds. He flips his switches and everything turns into a mist or dust. His chest was under immense pressure as he saw everything speed across his vision. Faster and faster things went and moved. Soon day and night went by so fast that it looked like a still picture. His dials for hundreds and thousands of years were moving quite quickly until eventually he felt that he could endure no more and turned it off. He stopped on the near end of the year 800,000. He walked out of a couple shrubs to be greeted by what looked like a large marble statue of a phoenix. He was rather amazed that there were no tall and momentous skyscrapers to be anywhere in site. He was dumbfounded at the small and decorative buildings that scattered across the hillside thought to be made by humans. He encounters a small and soft race of creatures that he believes to be an evolved human race. The gentle race greets him and shows him their common area and food source. As night approaches he decides to sleep in the new world. He sleeps outside away from the gentle creatures and wakes to his time machine having disappeared. He sees the drag marks on the ground from the large thing and deducts that it was dragged into the bronze plates on the base of the phoenix.
    Frustrated he finds things to busy himself with. Days pass and he even saves a little creature from the current of the river. He thinks her name is weena and explores the landscape with her. They find wells dotting the landscape with air rushing in or out of them. He finds small plate like handles going down them and decides to leave weena for a moment and explore further. In the well it is pitch black with virtually no light to be seen. He lights a match to find these hideous pale white and fuzzy creatures. They have large eyes and scatter from the light leading the time traveler believe that they are nocturnal. When the light goes out the touch him and try to grab him, but the time traveler was faster and stronger. Able to fend off the creatures he hurriedly makes his way back up the well. He finds that the little creatures are also afraid of the darkness and the wells.
    He makes his way with Weena to what looks like a green porcelain palace. Through further investigation he finds out that it is an ancient museum with many relics in airtight containers. He salvages what he could including more matches for he had used all of his. He finds a club like bar for a weapon and a tool to open the phoenix. As he makes his way out night falls upon them and tries to make his way to what he thinks might be safe area. The Creatures of the night befall upon them and it is a fight for him. Throwing explosive material and setting fires, he runs with weena.
    Through the confusion he loses her but makes his way to the bronze phoenix with its doors open. As he suspected just after walking in, the doors close leaving him trapped. Fighting the creatures back he makes his way into the time machine’s harness and sets sail forward in time once again. Now the sun doesn't move and a moon is not in sight. Large cretaceous creatures are everywhere and try to kill the traveler. Forward in time more and more little changes until on his last trip forward the air is toxic making it very difficult for him to move. The only thing left in sight was the grass, the ocean, and the sun. He hurriedly makes his return lever activate and zooms back in time.
    This is the end of the Time traveler's story and so he bids his guests goodnight. The narrator is left intrigued and asks a question or two after everyone leaves about how it was, and the response was a smile. The narrator goes to visit the traveler once more but he gone. Puzzled and wondering when, if ever he will return. The narrator then mentions that as he tells us this story it has been a couple years since the travelers disappearance.
    I personally loved this book and implore anyone and everyone to read it. It was suspenseful and exciting. An extremely complex vocabulary with a couple great quotes to be mentioned, this short read was one of my favorites. I quite enjoyed how the author told this story from a unique point of view and left me wondering. This was a short story but as I have tried, it cannot be summarized into something small. This book captured my mind and made me excited about what cheery thing was going to happen next or what travesty was to befall upon weena and the traveler. I give this book and easy 4-5 star rating.
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