WELLS, H. G.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

The Time Machine. First British edition, and the first accurate appearance of the text in book form, of the author's debut novel. The work's popularization of time machines in science fiction was "so striking as to constitute a historical break and a great inspiration" (SFE). The budding novelist pinned his future hopes to the book, predicting that "I shall know my place for the rest of my career" (ODNB) following its public reception. The first edition in book form was published earlier the same month in America by Henry Holt & Co., who substantially altered the text, mixing different stages of Wells's drafts, making stylistic changes and using American spelling, and introducing errors such as crediting the author as "H. S. Wells". Copies were bound in buckram and wrappers in varying states. This copy, which has the bookplates of the English actor Frank Wyndham Goldie (1897-1957) and one R. Barnwell, is in an early issue buckram binding unrecorded by Currey. The adverts have the correct points for first issue, numbered 16 pages and with the list of titles headed by The Manxman.

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