The Time Machine – the novel of one man’s astonishing journey beyond the limits of the imagination – is regarded as one of the great masterpieces in the literature of science fiction. It was also the text that originated the very phrase ‘time machine’, which would go on to inspire countless writers and film makers to explore this fruitful dimension. Winston Churchill was a particular fan, writing that when he read The Time Machine, he ‘shouted with joy’.
The novel is presented here alongside The Island of Doctor Moreau, a darker story that foresaw future technologies such as genetic engineering and organ transplants. With these remarkable works, HG Wells asked the questions that speculative fiction would wrestle with for the next century and beyond.
Originally released as part of an HG Wells set, this is the first time The Folio Society edition of these two classic novels have been released as a stand-alone publication.
This beautiful edition, bound in buckram and blocked in gold, is a tribute to the lavish book-design tradition of the 1800s, in series with The Folio Society edition of The War of the Worlds. Artist Grahame Baker-Smith summons the spirit of the period with his atmospheric, fantastical illustrations, revealing the overgrown devastation of future Earth and the peculiar creatures of Doctor Moreau through the exquisite interplay of shadow and line.
Michael Moorcock, one of the most important figures in British science fiction and fantasy, has written a fascinating introduction to The Folio Society edition. He places these early, visionary works of Wells into the larger context of his career, noting that: ‘Every author who considers writing a time-travel story must look first to Wells.’
See our review of HG Wells’ The Time Machine and The Island of Doctor Moreau.
The Folio Society edition of The Time Machine and The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells, introduced by Michael Moorcock and illustrated by Grahame Baker-Smith, is available exclusively from The Folio Society.
