The Time Machine / the Invisible Man

Four Masterworks (1895‒1898) #1, 3

by H.G. Wells

2007 The Time Machine / The Invisible Man (Paperback)(6.75"x4.2"x0.85") by H.G. Wells With An Introduction by Paul Youngquist *** 9780451530707 ***296 Pages

Genres: Classics, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Literature, Time Travel, Novels

292 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2007

About the author

Herbert 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: http://philosopedia.org/index.php/H._...

http://www.online-literature.com/well...

http://www.hgwellsusa.50megs.com/

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/t...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells

Reviews

[Nayra.Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

عن غروب البشرية نتحدث
عن البشر عندما صار طولهم 140سم
وجوههم ناعمة..لافرق بين النساءوالرجال
أصبح الجميع أقرب الأطفال شكلا و موضوعا
كسالي غارقون في الراحة و لا يخافون سوى الظلام



اندثرت البيوت و انتهى نظام الاسرة
الجميع يعيشون في مباني ضخمة
لا يوجد تعليم
او تجارة
او منافسة
او حروب
اذن فهي الجنة

..لا بل هي أقرب لحظيرة الأبقار و أغنام..او عشة دواجن
فهناك المورلووك.. الشاحبين يعيشون تحت الارض..يعملون بلا كلل ليعيش هؤلاء المدللين..و يقتنصون منهم ليلا..لياكلوهم كالاغنام
و في إشارة واضحة بلا ترميز..يشير ويلز لتفوق جنس العمال في اواخر القرن 19

آله الزمن هي ذروة عبقرية هربرت ويلز..وضع فيها كل آراءه الإصلاحية و الفلسفية في إطار من الخيال الفائق
و لا ننسى أنه قد أشار للبعد الرابع قبل نظرية النسبية لاينشتاين بعشر سنوات

اعتبرها انا روايتيين: الأولى عن العالم رحالة الزمن الذي يخترع الآلة لانه يريد إعادة الزمن و يشرح لهم ان هناك بعد رابع لكل شيء.. و يحاول إقناع مجتمعه بها و يخبرهم برحيله لمدة اسبوع..و يطول انتظارهم له لسنوات

و الثانية عن العالم المستقبلي لعام 80الف الذي انتقل إليه بالفعل
رغم أسلوب ويلز التقريري
الا انها من الكلاسيكيات الفارقة..
تؤكد ان الشقاء والخطر و المعاناة..قد تبدو لنا شرا
و لكنها تحافظ على ذكاء البشر و استمرارهم ..حقا
رؤية اجتماعية تصدمك..و لكن لا يبطلها الزمن
فالفوارق ابدا لن تزول

*الرجل الخفي*
القوة المطلقة قد تحولك من ذكي نبيل الى مجنون حقير
بأكثر الطرق تشويقا و إثارة
قالها لنا العبقري ويلز في اخر أعوام القرن 19

من بين المواهب الخارقة. .لم ارغب يوما ان اكون خفية..فمعظم ما ساستفاده من هذا الوضع سيندرج تحت بند الحرام..الميزة الوحيدة..انه لا حاجة للعناية بالمظهر او الريجيم ..رغبت كثيرا في الطيران"بسبب الزحمة"..في الرجوع بالزمن "السنا جميعا" ا

في احد تلك الفنادق الغامضة التي تملأ الريف الإنجليزي يصل نزيل مشؤوم مغطى بالضمادات..و عندما يقرر الأهالي طرده يكشف عن كونه خفيا..و يبدا في اثارة الفوضى..و تتوالى الأحداث التي قتلتها السينما اقتباسا عبر العالم
منحنا ويلز أفكارا خيالية عميقة لم يجرؤ معاصروه على استيعابها
و ما زالت السينما تقتات عليها
لذا استحق عندى منزلة لا تبارى

ويلز خياله متشرد؛ مرعب سابق عصره؛ حامل فلسفته الاجتماعية في طيات سطوره المتواثبة عبر الأعوام؛ هو لن يتكرر

[Gary Inbinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE TIME MACHINE
My first contact with this story was by way of Classics Illustrated Comics and the 1960 George Pal film version that I viewed, on first release, at a local theater. The idea of time travel fascinated me, and I imagined building my own time machine in which I would seek adventure in the past and future.

Time travel was a popular subject for TV in the fifties and sixties, especially, as I recall, on Twilight Zone. Stories often dealt with a familiar paradox; you can’t alter history. However, the theme of Wells’s novella is not about changing the past or future; rather, it concerns the decline and fall of civilization and the ultimate extinction of the human race. As much as I enjoyed, and still enjoy, the adventure and special effects of the 1960 film, the screen adaptation bowdlerized Wells’s dark theme, providing a more hopeful ending for audiences.
The following passages from the novella delineate the Time Machine’s theme:

"....the truth dawned on me: that Man had not remained one species, but had differentiated into two distinct animals: that my graceful children of the Upper-world were not the sole descendants of our generation, but that this bleached, obscene, nocturnal Thing, which had flashed before me, was also heir to all the ages.

"'I grieved to think how brief the dream of the human intellect had been. It had committed suicide. It had set itself steadfastly towards comfort and ease, a balanced society with security and permanency as its watchword, it had attained its hopes—to come to this at last.”

"This has ever been the fate of energy in security; it takes to art and to eroticism, and then come languor and decay. 'Even this artistic impetus would...die away—had almost died in the Time I saw. To adorn themselves with flowers, to dance, to sing in the sunlight: so much was left of the artistic spirit, and no more.”
"Ages ago, thousands of generations ago, man had thrust his brother man out of the ease and the sunshine. And now that brother was coming back changed! Already the Eloi had begun to learn one old lesson anew. They were becoming reacquainted with Fear.”

History tends to run its course in cycles of rise, decline and fall followed by a revival or renaissance. Wells foresees a distant time where all humankind’s goals are achieved, but this culminating triumph of civilization is followed by a steep decline from which there is no recovery. This is the dismal End of History that the makers of one of my favorite childhood films prudently avoided.

THE INVISIBLE MAN
I haven’t researched the subject to any great extent, but I’m guessing the Ring of Gyges myth was the inspiration for Wells’s story. In brief, the legendary Gyges was a shepherd in the service of the king of Lydia. By chance, he discovered a golden ring that rendered him invisible and, by a twist of the ring, returned himself to visibility. He used the magic ring to enter the palace, seduced the queen, conspired with her to murder the king and usurped the throne.

The myth was discussed under the topic “Adeimantus and Glaucon Restate the Case for Injustice” in Plato’s The Republic as follows:

“Suppose now that there were two such magic rings, and the just put on one of them and the unjust the other; no man can be imagined to be of such an iron nature that he would stand fast in justice. No man would keep his hands off what was not his own when he could safely take what he liked out of the market, or go into houses and lie with any one at his pleasure, or kill or release from prison whom he would, and in all respects be like a god among men.
Then the actions of the just would be as the actions of the unjust; they would both come at last to the same point. And this we may truly affirm to be a great proof that a man is just, not willingly or because he thinks that justice is any good to him individually, but of necessity, for wherever any one thinks that he can safely be unjust, there he is unjust.
For all men believe in their hearts that injustice is far more profitable to the individual than justice, and he who argues as I have been supposing, will say that they are right. If you could imagine any one obtaining this power of becoming invisible, and never doing any wrong or touching what was another's, he would be thought by the lookers-on to be a most wretched idiot, although they would praise him to one another's faces, and keep up appearances with one another from a fear that they too might suffer injustice.
— Plato, Republic, 360b–d (Jowett trans.)

Adeimantus and Glaucon, contrary to Socrates, argue that we are self-serving creatures and, given the opportunity, most will act to their advantage regardless of notions of right and wrong, as long as they believe they can get away with it. That is certainly the case with Wells’s, Griffon, The Invisible Man. The following passages reveal Griffon’s character and the effects of his invisibility.

"I was invisible, and I was only just beginning to realise the extraordinary advantage my invisibility gave me. My head was already teeming with plans of all the wild and wonderful things I had now impunity to do."

“This invisibility, in fact, is only good in two cases: It's useful in getting away, it's useful in approaching. It's particularly useful, therefore, in killing. I can walk round a man, whatever weapon he has, choose my point, strike as I like. Dodge as I like. Escape as I like."

"He is mad," said Kemp; "inhuman. He is pure selfishness. He thinks of nothing but his own advantage, his own safety. I have listened to such a story this morning of brutal self-seeking.... He has wounded men. He will kill them unless we can prevent him. He will create a panic. Nothing can stop him.”

Wells did a brilliant job with his narrative and characterization, moving seamlessly from slapstick and dark comedy, to horror, to tragedy. Griffon is an albino with a brilliant scientific mind, and his albinism provides an explanation for his alienation from society and desire to become “invisible.” Moreover, he is driven to madness, desperation and crime when, unlike Gyges in the myth, he lacks the means and ability to regain his visibility. “The Invisible Man” is another fine example of Wells’s ability to tell a compelling story that holds the readers interest while at the same time providing serious matters for reflection.

[Aleksandr Rubtsov · Rating 4 out of 5]

As for “The Invisible Man,” Wells clearly improved as a writer over two years that had passed since “The Time Machine” was published: the story is smooth and gripping, with the first third of the book punctuated with episodes of slapstick comedy with typified country folk trying to penetrate into the mystery of the intruder. Peculiar and bitterly ironic it’s to note, however, how a man struggles to make himself noteworthy, “visible” to the hostile word first by turning INvisible and then resorting to wanton violence and terrorism. Hardly anything has changed, it seems, since 1897. No wonder H.G. Wells wanted his epitaph to read “God damn you all: I told you so.”

[Sergiy Beley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Машина часу

Це прочитання викликало в мене ефект «оглядовості» в часовому вимірі (подібно до того як космонавт бачить планету за раз)
Я відчув скінченність. Буття цієї планети. Буття людства на ній. Свого життя. Відчув тривогу за старість своїх синів

Що рухає нас як людей вперед і вгору?

[October · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting much from a time when fantasy and science fiction were not only in their infancy, but not acknowledged as being something for adults. However, having never read HG Wells in my entire life, I found him immensely entertainined. While the beginning of "The Time Machine" was a bit slow, I found the Darwinism (and the barely-hidden class commentary) of the future fascinating. However, I must say that I enjoyed "The Invisible Man" more than the time machine. Griffin is someone you can love to hate, and--according to some readers--may be a character alluding to terrorism. That in mind, I picked through "The Invisible Man" with a bit of interest; not because of the possible terrorism references, but because the Invisible Man was just...evil! After all, how do you protect yourself from something you can't see?

Considering how tepid most science fiction has become in the age where Twilight and Harry Potter are considered the pinnacles of modern literature, looking back to the roots gives a reader something a bit more satisfying to read (and, of course, the lack of obvious self-insertion is much enjoyed).

[✨Bean's Books✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always hard to write two books at once. The Time Machine though the concept was very interesting was a rather boring read. Perhaps it is the century in which it was written? I found it a little hard to get into. The Invisible Man was better but also a little difficult to get into due to language and grammar. Both very fascinating reads. I can see why HG Wells is one of the fathers of modern science fiction.

[G. Munckel · Rating 3 out of 5]

La máquina del tiempo es una novela corta y más entretenida que profunda, pero de todos modos tiene algunas ideas interesantes e imágenes poderosas.

En cuanto a las ideas, me encantó que Wells imaginara un futuro distante en el cual la humanidad no es la especie inteligentísima que domina el universo en otras historias futuristas, sino que ha evolucionado en dos especies diferentes: los pequeños y dóciles Eloi, que conservan algunas cualidades humanas como el habla, y los terribles Morlock, criaturas subterráneas y que se alimentan de los Eloi.

Entre las imágenes, me fascinaron los Morlock, con su pelaje de “ese tono semiblancuzco de los gusanos y de los animales conservados en alcohol” y sus “ojos grandes, sin párpados, de un gris rosado”, que son de verdad espeluznantes; así como es terrible la visión de la Tierra dentro de más de treinta millones de años. Pero también está esa imagen fantástica y única prueba del viaje a través del tiempo: las dos flores blancas y extrañas que el protagonista trae del futuro.

***

Más larga y menos lograda es El hombre invisible, porque resulta un poco caricaturesca, pero no sé si esa era la intención de Wells. Y cuando el hecho de que un hombre se haga invisible es más verosímil que su personalidad o sus acciones, es que algo no funciona muy bien.

De todos modos, es interesante ver lo que tiene que soportar Griffin: para ser invisible, está obligado a andar desnudo y descalzo, sufriendo las inclemencias del clima; sus párpados no lo protegen de la luz, y además está condenado a la soledad (aunque quizás esto último hubiera podido evitarse si no tuviera tan mal carácter).

[Taylor Livengood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never been the biggest fan of the science fiction/mad scientist vibe, so these books weren't my favorite. However, the worldbuilding is pretty logical and well-thought-out, and the writing style is good. So they're a pretty decent short read!

[Δημήτριος Καραγιάννης · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two stories that undoubtedly deserve the title of "classic". Wells proves how far ahead of his age he actually was with the way he shapes his pessimistic, socialist outlook on the future of human existence into two narratives of extreme scientific thinking and moral inquiries. Fascinating to read, intriguing how he could so fully conceive such concepts in the late Victorian Age.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reviewed The Time Machine separately. This review covers only The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells. While I enjoyed both stories, I preferred The Invisible Man. It was definitely a more exciting story and moved along at almost a breakneck pace.
It follows a stranger who shows up at the small English town of Iping. He is masked with bandages, wears heavy clothing to cover his body and when he arrives at a local inn, demands and receives quarters and the private use of a lounge. He is brusque and rude and demanding and upsets and intrigues the locals who contrive to find out more about him.
His luggage arrives the next day and contains experimental equipment and scientific books. He hides in the lounge for days and avoids any efforts to discover more about him, even his name. Strange things begin to occur, such as a break in at the Vicarage, where the vicar and his wife see furniture moving about, strange voices and yet, no person. Money is stolen and back at the inn, there are further strange happenings.
As things begin to escalate, the invisible man is 'revealed', so to speak and the town and people are upturned. It's all described very well and with, at times, slapstick humour and also full on action. The story moves along very brusquely with the action turning violent and quite scary.
I won't describe anymore as I'd hate to ruin the ending. I'd never read this before and only recently seen part of the original movie, which is fairly faithful to the book. Well worth reading, a classic of the Science Fiction genre. (4 stars)

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more than a century theses two works by acclaimed author H.G. Wells have been considered to be cornerstones of the science-fiction genre. However as this book points out , and as Wells' himself admitted' these are not science-fiction stories. Rather they are fantasies and horrors, more in the vein of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein than Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. These stories are about people and society, how we act and react to the world around us as it changes. The Time Machine focuses on what society could become in one fashion or another and The Invisible Man is a story of madness as an invisible man terrorizes a small town out of pettiness and selfish greed. Though these stories are more than a hundred years past us, they still have a resounding place in modern culture. The characters and their settings still apply, and the actions of people found throughout would still be of a similar character as it was when Wells first wrote them. These stories should be read as an example of actions and results, choices and consequences.

[Alfie Shuvro · Rating 4 out of 5]

ভাল লেগেছে। অনেকদিন পর আবার পড়লাম ।

[catherine ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember reading these — both with such interesting premises, but not executed in a style to my liking.

[PhilomathicJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously, Wells is a sci-fi legend, and rightfully so. His writing can be a bit clinical at times, but his imaginative prowess more than makes up for some stiff prose. While I was obviously familiar with both stories, I'd never actually read them, so many of the details were new to me. He spins an interesting yarn.

The foot- and endnotes for this edition were a bit of a "highlight" for me, simply because they were generally absurdly unnecessary. First, the man responsible for them appears to be unaware that there are things called dictionaries, and many notes are simple definitions, many of words and phrases that aren't the least bit unusual, or are utterly understandable via context. Skimming through, he felt it necessary to explain "sleight-of-hand," "blind" (as in a window blind, which his footnote helpfully explains is a "shade," which, while not inaccurate, seems like a less precise definition), and "taters," a definition that'd help Gollum and just about no one else. His endnotes are much the same, often literally just repeating the information Wells had already given, and a couple of which actually seemed incorrect.

There were, of course, helpful notes, most of them providing context that a modern reader would lack (as a foot- or endnote so often does). But the seemingly random subjects of his notes (occasionally even ignoring things that could have used an explanation) was a constant source of amusement. Are Barnes & Noble Classics for kids? That might explain some of it, but I'm not sure.

Regardless, this was well worth the time I spent reading it. These are classics for a reason.

[Harmony Lebovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

H.G. Wells' stories were written in a time before English teachers everywhere started chastising us for telling, not showing. My one major criticism of these two novellas is that he allows his characters to monologue their way through stories rather than positioning his readers in the thick of the action. Although his writing style has never fully engaged me, the stories themselves have a lot to offer. The Time Machine - Wells' first full work of fiction - provides thinly veiled class commentary viewed through the lens of a time traveler in the year 802,701. In this version of the future, humanity has stratified itself so stringently along caste boundaries that the whole species has split in two. Wells urges us to consider the long-term implications of social division and warns us against the bleak future that could ensue lest we continue along this trajectory. The Invisible Man surprised me - I expected the protagonist's invisibility to either be an unintended side effect of an experiment gone awry or a means of escape from a suffocating, hostile world. However, it quickly becomes evident that Griffin (that's the man's name) is more hostile to the world than he's earned a right to be. Is he an outcast, shunned by society? Certainly. But his murderous habits, irascible temper, and contempt for innocent bystanders make him completely unsympathetic. In fact, by the time he finally met his karmic end, all I could do was simply shrug. It's difficult to root for an angry man whose ill-conceived experiment is ultimately unsuccessful in enabling him to actuate a reign of terror.

[Юлія Гордійченко · Rating 4 out of 5]

Я не є фанаткою жанру фентезі, але наукова фантастика мені дуже імпонує. Адже це не тільки вигаданий світ і фантазія автора, а ще й завжди нагальні філософські проблеми - влада, надрозум, технічний прогрес, нова мораль (на додачу з купою наукових термінів, мехінізмів і цікавинок, які геть не роозумію, але страшенно люблю про них читати).

Ось і в книзі "Неведимець" постає досить тривіальна проблема -людина жадає влади і хоче контролювати все. Унікально? Ні. Але в який саме спосіб хоче це зробити - тут автор дуже вміло розгорнув ідею. Геній-вчений (але і безжальний егоїст), за допомогою своїх винахідливих приладів і багатьох років старань, стає невидимим. Ні клітинки не видно. Тільки чути пристуність цієї людини, її дихання та видно їжу, яку вона щойно з'їла, і яка ще не встигла переваритися. Геніально, дивовижно! Однак у вченого на меті не поідлитися зі своїм унікльним експерементом зі світом, а встановити "всесвітній терор". Лякати людей, обкрадати банки, контролювати країни.

Уеллс пише коротко, без розлогих пояснень, без додаткових сюжетних ліній. Вся увага прикута до головного героя, його неможливості жити серед людей і страшних амбіцій. Ні каплі жалю до цього вченого, ні каплі захвату від його відкриття, якщо воно хоче знищити все людство.

[Leah Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Invisible Man 4.5 stars, Time Machine 3.5 stars
The Invisible Man is superior to The Time Machine largely in the quality of the writing, which makes sense because Wells wrote Invisible Man two years after Time Machine. Wells was also heavily influenced by Jonathan Swift (of Gulliver’s Travels fame) and I can see this a lot in his writing. However I think Wells’s writing superior to Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, specifically in Invisible Man.
The Time Machine reminds me of Gulliver’s Travels, but the main character travels across time instead of space, and it’s more interesting.
The Invisible Man feels like a cross between Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I liked this one better :)
Note: if you’re buying this book do yourself a favour and do NOT get the Barnes and Noble classics edition. I don’t know if this is true of every title they’ve published in this series, but these ones had the most excruciatingly stupid footnotes. E.g. they felt it necessary to explain what window-blinds were (in case you happened to be from Mars, I suppose). The footnotes were maddening.

[C. Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published in the late 1800s, H.G. Wells pioneered a new age of science fiction accessable to many, and relatable to all.

These stories hold up and have moved through time like a fine wine, distilling themselves in modern culture. We see the beauty of Well's stories through almost every piece of popular culture, and feel the affects of his ideas through every piece of media. And it all starts with stories like these.

An excellent double-collection of wonderful stories. Highly recommended to all, even on the basis of experiencing a cultural phenomenon almost 140years after the fact.

5/5 stars.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed both stories in this book, particularly “Time Machine” as it read fast in the first person. Written at the turn of the 20th century I appreciated HG Wells’ logical view of the devolution of mankind 800,000 years into the future. Here those who devolved from generations of “haves” lived happily but lazily and uselessly on the surface of the earth while those spawning from generations of the working class have nots lived in the dark underworld, ugly and still toiling and despised by the beautiful surface world nitwits

In regard to “Invisible Man” it was an interesting concept and theory how Wells explained how the main character became invisible and how he’d use his “power.” I should have enjoyed it more but I tend to read at night while the tv is on showing “King of Queens” or Colbert so I get distracted, read then reread the same parts making me a pretty inefficient reader. Don’t tell Wells.

[Beau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally got around to reading these great stories by the Father of Science Fiction. The writing was fantastic, the social commentary biting, and the action compelling. Wells had a scientific background, and it shows. His training lent a verisimilitude often lacking in other similar works. There were sometimes references to scientific ideas discovered in just the few years before publishing these stories. The Invisible Man was by far the better read for me. How he weaves the mundane with the fantastic, and how he imbues the protagonist with such striking personality is quite remarkable. I've read other stories and watched movies with the theme of invisibility; none, but Wells, has correctly grasped the ramifications that possessing such a power would have. Wells convinced me that an invisible man would be a threat to humanity on the level of a great plague.

[Marco Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maravillosas narraciones clásicas que uno debe tener como parte de su biblioteca de Ciencia Ficción. Como suele pasar con este género, ambas historias tratan, en trasfondos hasta cierto punto fantásticos, cuestiones que apelan a la naturaleza humana, como es el caso del futuro, la libertad absoluta y el egoísmo. Queda en uno disfrutarlas por su historia, o agregar un paseo por sus aristas más profundas.

[ECORN · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Time Machine: 5⭐️ - I thought the way this book approached the future was so unique to anything else I’ve seen. Ideas about humans evolving differently based on status and progress eventually reaching its own end and the implications that means for people. It was short and action packed and delightful to explore.

The Invisible Man: 4⭐️ - this one took a different strategy with its slow build throughout until reaching a very climactic end that was genuinely exciting and satisfying. My only problem was that I felt constantly bombarded with new names to keep track of so much that it disrupted my reading flow quite a bit.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads giveaway. The two books collected in this nicely bound volume are timeless. While the stories were original and “shocking” to contemporary readers, they are all too well known today. It was a pleasure to read the original stories that spawned many adaptations in movies and other sci-if novels.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed H.G. Wells style of writing and you can tell his improvement between the Time Machine and The Invisible Man. Both were great stories which pioneered science fiction, with The Invisible Man being my favourite of the two earning it the 5-star rating.

[Catalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

(The Time Machine)
Read this book and loved it, so short yet so captivating. This was a scifi book but at times felt like a thriller due to the writer's writing, the way he describes surroundings and places makes you feel like you're one of the characters

[Brinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories! The Time Machine explores themes of the wealth disparity, evolution and the final outlook for humanity. It proposes how development when hinged on the dereliction of a certain populace can end. The Invisible Man had an unexpectedly lighthearted feel and was quite funny but tackled Faustian power dynamics and amorality.

[Elijah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely mind blowing and mentally stimulating. H.G. Wells is a massive trendsetter for modern science fiction and I am ecstatic to have read it.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

The inclusion of The Time Machine bumps this edition up by a star over my rating for The Invisible Man plain and simple (see my review for the standalone version of the latter).

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8

[Paul Chance · Rating 4 out of 5]

The scientist who is The Time Traveller in this brief novel constructs a time machine enabling him to travel into the remote future where, it is surmised, humans have developed into simpler beings, the Eloi, who live above ground, and the Morlocks, who live below ground.

The assumption which The Time Traveller makes on discovering these two races is that the division arose from a split of the classes; the upper class or Eloi living above ground and the working classes reduced to living subterranean existence.

Blessed and privileged though the Eloi seem, the ease of their lifestyle leaves them ultimately as something of mental and physical 'vegetables' while, ironically, the underprivileged and underground Morlocks adapted so well to living in the dark that they could no longer live in the sunshine but could only make forays above ground to obtain by cannibalism the meat they needed. Nevertheless they survived and grew stronger while those who lived on their privilege could not.

The theme may be said to throw into question the too easily held presupposition that societies which achieve a high standard of living are necessarily fulfilling the best of their nature and which may in any case, rather like empires and Roman Senators, crumble beneath their luxuriating and excess. Rather, we might survive the better and happier without the artificial niceties of privilege but instead by leading a simpler existence closer to nature.

This is only one interpretation but the beauty of Wells' idea for The Time Machine is that, like a diamond, it reflects light from so many fresh angles and provokes a theatre of debate.