#78. THE TIME MACHINE By H G Wells

Published : 1895
Pages : 125
Overall Mark : 7/10

At first, the far future looks like an enchanting place to the Time Traveller. The graceful Eloi appear to embody contentment, beauty and peace, and the Eden they live in seems to be free of suffering. But he soon comes to understand that the Eloi ar fragile creatures, desperately afraid of the dark, and with good reason. For the Morlocks live in the dark, and the Morlocks are to be feared. And the Time Traveller must venture into their subterranean world to find his way back to his own era.

H. G. WELLS (1866-1946)
Born in Bromley, Kent, Herbert George Wells was apprenticed to a draper before becoming a teacher-pupil at Midhurst Grammar School and winning a scholarship to study under T.H. Huxley. Through his trail-blazing works of science fiction, his prophetic imagination and his championing of socialism, science and women's rights he became a hugely influential figure of international renown.

VERDICT
In spite of being well ahead of its time, and paving the way for all science fiction literature in the years following, this story isn't that impressively written and can at times get a little repetitive and boring. Despite this weakness Wells does still manage to drag out what could otherwise be a few pages of scenery into an entire novella and comes up with some ingenious visuals.