The Time Machine(Illustrated) E-Book

H G Wells

• Herausgeber: Swish
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

• Illustrated edition with 20 stunning illustrations
• Includes a detailed summary of the novel
• Features a comprehensive characters list
• Contains a captivating biography of H.G. Wells

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells is a timeless journey into the future, blending thrilling adventure with profound social commentary. In this groundbreaking tale, a brilliant inventor known as the Time Traveller creates a machine that defies the constraints of time. As he ventures forward to the year 802,701, he encounters two mysterious races: the delicate Eloi and the fearsome, subterranean Morlocks.
Through his adventures in this distant world, Wells raises unsettling questions about the future of humanity, class struggle, and the consequences of unchecked progress. The Time Traveller’s perilous journey not only explores the boundaries of time but also delves into the darkest corners of human nature.
This illustrated edition brings Wells’ visionary work to life with 20 captivating illustrations, enhancing the reading experience and immersing you deeper into the world of the Eloi and Morlocks. Along with a detailed summary, a character guide, and an insightful biography of H.G. Wells, this edition is perfect for both newcomers and longtime fans of classic science fiction. Step into the machine and embark on an unforgettable voyage through time!

 

Leseprobe

                                     The Time Machine                                                                                                       By                                                                                                              H.G Wells

ABOUT WELLS

Herbert George Wells, known as H.G. Wells, was an English author born on September 21, 1866, in Bromley, Kent. He is celebrated as one of the fathers of science fiction, blending imagination with social commentary in a way that profoundly influenced both literature and popular culture.

Wells grew up in a modest household, his father a shopkeeper and professional cricketer, and his mother a domestic servant. Early on, Wells showed a thirst for knowledge, and after a series of apprenticeships, he won a scholarship to the Normal School of Science in London, where he studied biology under the renowned T.H. Huxley. This scientific training would later inform much of his writing, where Wells would explore the ethical implications of scientific progress.

His literary breakthrough came with The Time Machine (1895), a novella that introduced the concept of time travel through mechanical means, a notion that has since become a cornerstone of science fiction. This was followed by The War of the Worlds (1898) and The Invisible Man (1897), which further established Wells as a visionary thinker and master storyteller. His ability to merge thrilling narratives with critiques of British imperialism, class division, and the potential dangers of unchecked scientific ambition distinguished his work from other writers of the time.

Despite his fame as a science fiction writer, Wells also penned numerous social, political, and historical works. He was deeply interested in social reform, advocating for issues such as women's rights, education, and a world state to avoid future wars. These themes are reflected in his later works like A Modern Utopia (1905) and The Outline of History (1920), a sweeping account of world history that became a bestseller.

Wells lived through both World Wars, and his disillusionment with the state of humanity deepened during this period. Nevertheless, he remained hopeful that rational thought and scientific progress could ultimately improve society. Wells died on August 13, 1946, leaving behind a legacy that continues to shape speculative fiction and social thought. His works remain relevant today, not just for their imaginative foresight but for their enduring insight into the human condition.

SUMMARY

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells is a gripping tale that invites readers on an extraordinary journey through time. The story follows an unnamed scientist, known only as the Time Traveller, who invents a machine capable of traversing centuries. Venturing into the distant future, he encounters the peaceful but childlike Eloi and the dark, subterranean Morlocks, two species that represent a grim evolution of humanity.

As the Time Traveller explores this future world, he uncovers unsettling truths about the fate of mankind, wealth, and class, raising questions about society’s direction. His adventures grow perilous when the Morlocks, lurking in the shadows, reveal their terrifying nature.

Filled with vivid descriptions, suspense, and philosophical depth, The Time Machine is a thought-provoking exploration of progress, decay, and the consequences of technological advancement. Wells’ visionary masterpiece captivates readers with its daring imagination, making it a timeless reflection on human nature and the passage of time.

CHARACTERS LIST

The Time Traveller –The protagonist and narrator for much of the novel. He is an eccentric and brilliant inventor who creates the time machine and embarks on a journey into the far future. His character is both curious and analytical, reflecting Wells' own scientific views.

The Narrator –A friend of the Time Traveller who recounts the story. He represents the audience’s perspective, providing an outside view of the Time Traveller’s incredible tale.

Weena –A small, gentle Eloi woman whom the Time Traveller befriends during his journey to the future. She symbolizes the childlike and frail nature of the Eloi people and evokes the Traveller's protective instincts.

The Eloi –A race of small, delicate, and peaceful people who live in the distant future. They are the descendants of the upper class but have become weak and complacent, living a seemingly idyllic but intellectually stagnant life.

The Morlocks –In stark contrast to the Eloi, the Morlocks are a subterranean race who live in darkness and maintain the machinery that sustains the Eloi. They are descendants of the working class and have evolved into a more predatory species, feeding on the Eloi.

Filby –One of the Time Traveller’s skeptical dinner guests. He often questions the Time Traveller’s theories and inventions but represents the voice of doubt and reason in the novel.

The Medical Man –Another guest at the Time Traveller’s dinner party. He is curious about the Traveller’s experiments but remains skeptical about the idea of time travel.

The Psychologist –A guest at the dinner party who engages in discussions about time travel and offers theoretical insights into the implications of the Time Traveller’s invention.

These characters collectively provide a framework for exploring the novel’s themes of evolution, class struggle, and the potential consequences of societal stagnation.

Contents

1. Introduction

2. The Machine

3. The Time Traveller Returns

4. Time Travelling

5. In the Golden Age

6. The Sunset of Mankind

7. A Sudden Shock

8. Explanation

9. The Morlocks

10. When Night Came

11. The Palace of Green Porcelain

12. In the Darkness

13. The Trap of the White Sphinx

14. The Further Vision

15. The Time Traveller’s Return

16. After the Story

Epilogue

1. Introduction

The Time Traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us. His pale grey eyes shone and twinkled, and his usually pale face was flushed and animated. The fire burnt brightly, and the soft radiance of the incandescent lights in the lilies of silver caught the bubbles that flashed and passed in our glasses. Our chairs, being his patents, embraced and caressed us rather than submitted to be sat upon, and there was that luxurious after-dinner atmosphere, when thought runs gracefully free of the trammels of precision. And he put it to us in this way—marking the points with a lean forefinger—as we sat and lazily admired his earnestness over this new paradox (as we thought it) and his fecundity.

“You must follow me carefully. I shall have to controvert one or two ideas that are almost universally accepted. The geometry, for instance, they taught you at school is founded on a misconception.”

“Is not that rather a large thing to expect us to begin upon?” said Filby, an argumentative person with red hair.

“I do not mean to ask you to accept anything without reasonable ground for it. You will soon admit as much as I need from you. You know of course that a mathematical line, a line of thickness nil, has no real existence. They taught you that? Neither has a mathematical plane. These things are mere abstractions.”

“That is all right,” said the Psychologist.

“Nor, having only length, breadth, and thickness, can a cube have a real existence.”

“There I object,” said Filby. “Of course a solid body may exist. All real things—”

“So most people think. But wait a moment. Can an instantaneous cube exist?”

“Don’t follow you,” said Filby.

“Can a cube that does not last for any time at all, have a real existence?”

Filby became pensive. “Clearly,” the Time Traveller proceeded, “any real body must have extension in four directions: it must have Length, Breadth, Thickness, and—Duration. But through a natural infirmity of the flesh, which I will explain to you in a moment, we incline to overlook this fact. There are really four dimensions, three which we call the three planes of Space, and a fourth, Time. There is, however, a tendency to draw an unreal distinction between the former three dimensions and the latter, because it happens that our consciousness moves intermittently in one direction along the latter from the beginning to the end of our lives.”

“That,” said a very young man, making spasmodic efforts to relight his cigar over the lamp; “that . . . very clear indeed.”

“Now, it is very remarkable that this is so extensively overlooked,” continued the Time Traveller, with a slight accession of cheerfulness. “Really this is what is meant by the Fourth Dimension, though some people who talk about the Fourth Dimension do not know they mean it. It is only another way of looking at Time. There is no difference between Time and any of the three dimensions of Space except that our consciousness moves along it. But some foolish people have got hold of the wrong side of that idea. You have all heard what they have to say about this Fourth Dimension?”

“I have not,” said the Provincial Mayor.

“It is simply this. That Space, as our mathematicians have it, is spoken of as having three dimensions, which one may call Length, Breadth, and Thickness, and is always definable by reference to three planes, each at right angles to the others. But some philosophical people have been asking why three dimensions particularly—why not another direction at right angles to the other three?—and have even tried to construct a Four-Dimensional geometry. Professor Simon Newcomb was expounding this to the New York Mathematical Society only a month or so ago. You know how on a flat surface, which has only two dimensions, we can represent a figure of a three-dimensional solid, and similarly they think that by models of three dimensions they could represent one of four—if they could master the perspective of the thing. See?”

“I think so,” murmured the Provincial Mayor; and, knitting his brows, he lapsed into an introspective state, his lips moving as one who repeats mystic words. “Yes, I think I see it now,” he said after some time, brightening in a quite transitory manner.

“Well, I do not mind telling you I have been at work upon this geometry of Four Dimensions for some time. Some of my results are curious. For instance, here is a portrait of a man at eight years old, another at fifteen, another at seventeen, another at twenty-three, and so on. All these are evidently sections, as it were, Three-Dimensional representations of his Four-Dimensioned being, which is a fixed and unalterable thing.

“Scientific people,” proceeded the Time Traveller, after the pause required for the proper assimilation of this, “know very well that Time is only a kind of Space. Here is a popular scientific diagram, a weather record. This line I trace with my finger shows the movement of the barometer. Yesterday it was so high, yesterday night it fell, then this morning it rose again, and so gently upward to here. Surely the mercury did not trace this line in any of the dimensions of Space generally recognised? But certainly it traced such a line, and that line, therefore, we must conclude, was along the Time-Dimension.”

“But,” said the Medical Man, staring hard at a coal in the fire, “if Time is really only a fourth dimension of Space, why is it, and why has it always been, regarded as something different? And why cannot we move in Time as we move about in the other dimensions of Space?”

The Time Traveller smiled. “Are you so sure we can move freely in Space? Right and left we can go, backward and forward freely enough, and men always have done so. I admit we move freely in two dimensions. But how about up and down? Gravitation limits us there.”

“Not exactly,” said the Medical Man. “There are balloons.”

“But before the balloons, save for spasmodic jumping and the inequalities of the surface, man had no freedom of vertical movement.”

“Still they could move a little up and down,” said the Medical Man.

“Easier, far easier down than up.”

“And you cannot move at all in Time, you cannot get away from the present moment.”

“My dear sir, that is just where you are wrong. That is just where the whole world has gone wrong. We are always getting away from the present moment. 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. Just as we should travel down if we began our existence fifty miles above the earth’s surface.”

“But the great difficulty is this,” interrupted the Psychologist. ’You can move about in all directions of Space, but you cannot move about in Time.”