THE TIME MACHINE: AN INVENTION.
New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1895. Small octavo, inserted frontispiece (with tissue guard) with illustration by W. B. Russell, original decorated tan buckram, front and spine panels stamped in purple, t.e.g., other edges untrimmed. First edition, first printing with author's name incorrectly printed as "H. S. WELLS" on recto of title leaf. The earliest draft of THE TIME MACHINE was serialized in THE SCIENCE SCHOOLS JOURNAL in 1888 as "The Chronic Argonauts." After two subsequent drafts (which are lost), Wells rewrote the story as a series of loosely connected articles for THE NATIONAL OBSERVER. Seven of these appeared between March and June 1894, but the series was discontinued when W. E. Henley gave up the editorship of the magazine. Henley took over the editorship of THE NEW REVIEW and arranged for a much revised version of the novel to be serialized there: it appeared in five installments from January to May 1895. At the end of May THE TIME MACHINE was published as a book by Henry Holt in New York and William Heinemann in London. The text of the Heinemann edition is largely, though not entirely, the same as that serialized in THE NEW REVIEW, while the text of Holt edition (which preceded the Heinemann edition) contains a number of significant variations from both THE NEW REVIEW and Heinemann versions. See Bergonzi, "The Publication of The Time Machine, 1894-1895," Clareson, ed., SF: The Other Side of Realism (1971), pp. 204-15. The author's first SF novel. "Many rank it as Wells's best book, certainly its qualities are striking and direct ... All time-travel stories since owe a debt to Wells, none has become so acclaimed." - Bleiler (ed), Science Fiction Writers, p. 26. "THE TIME MACHINE might be considered the first work of modern science-fiction, and it is still the classic statement of an important subgenre ... A remarkable work, and necessary reading." - Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 2325. Filmed twice, first in 1960 and again in 2002. Anatomy of Wonder (1976) 2-161; (1981) 1-171; (1987) 1-103; (1995) 1-103; and (2004) II-1232. Clareson, Science Fiction in America, 1870s-1930s 800. Clarke, Tale of the Future (1978), p. 21. Lewis, Utopian Literature, p. 207. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, p. 227. Negley, Utopian Literature: A Bibliography 1175. Sargent, British and American Utopian Literature, 1516-1985, p. 107. Survey of Science Fiction Literature V, pp. 2287-92. Suvin, Victorian Science Fiction in the UK, pp. 62-3. Bleiler (1978), p. 205. Reginald 15085. Currey, p. 524 (printing A). Hammond B1 (note). Tanning to end papers, previous owner's name in ink to front free endpaper, mild rubbing mainly to edges and spine ends of cloth, spotting to covers and spine, a good copy. Now housed in a custom clamshell box. (17382). Item #17382
Price: $8,500.00