Fantasy classics, what is it? Some will say Tolkien, others will quit LeGuin, and others will bet on Lewis, Lem and many other authors. But probably everyone will agree that HG Wells, the author of such pioneering works as The War of the Worlds, The Island of Dr. Moreau or The Time Machine, can also be included in this wide group . And this last item will be discussed in this review. I invite you.
Time is also a dimension
Let’s start with the fact that I will not elaborate on the plot of this work. Why? The answer is simple, so many years have passed since the premiere that practically everyone knows what this item is about. But so that nobody would accuse me of anything, I will describe the main threads a bit. Well, this novel is about time travel, specifically a journey to 802701 and what the world looks like back then. And this could actually be the end. However, in the case of this book, the plot is only a background for philosophical and scientific reflections on people and the world around us. Wells recognizes the concept of time as an equivalent dimension to the geometrical one, and he does so several years before the development of relativistic physics. The idea itself is of course older, but it was in this novel that I encountered it for the first time (looking chronologically, it is the oldest work, which I read, and where this thesis appears). In addition, the author does not shy away from slightly heavier topics, such as the evolution of both man as a species and man as a society. He also advances a bold thesis that with the development of technology and automation of work, excessive procreation or interest in any form of activity (whether scientific or physical) will become unnecessary, curiosity about the world will disappear and imagination will die, i.e. – in other words – humanity will regress. It will retreat into mental development for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and will resemble big children unable to focus their attention on anything but eating and playing. And that is the better side of this vision. The second one is much darker, because Wells postulates not only mental regression, but even animalism, and thus the use of mainly instincts. Truly a dark vision was drawn by the author! And now, looking back one hundred years after the publication of this work, his visions are slowly beginning to come true. The ubiquitous development of technology, satisfying all needs without any effort, causes people to degenerate, withdraw from life in favor of consumerism, forgetting that someone is behind their prosperity and that someone may one day jump down their throat.
Vesper significant championship
Now let’s move on to the issue, because it is worth looking at for a moment. We get the book in a hardcover and on good quality paper. Inside, we find a very good and engaging translation and phenomenal illustrations. The translator and cartoonist duo, i.e. Feliks Wermiński and Jan Wojciechowski, did such an insane job that probably only translations of Maciej Płazy’s prose by Maciej Płazy can match it. Hats off to the publisher. Vesper has been showing for a long time that the classic releases are their horse. Congratulations.
To sum up, dealing with the Time Machine was a real experience for me. We have a captivating story here, but it is not the quality of this position, but what the author postulates. His ideas are timeless and his forecasts are extremely accurate. Therefore, I believe that this piece is worth getting to know. Especially in such a setting.