Introduced by Poul Houe

The Time Machine redefined the science fiction genre to include concepts like spacetime, as well as recent innovations in biology and sociology. H.G. Wells' text, first published in serial format, became an instant hit, and has since become the centrepiece of not only numerous films and radio plays, but of our very conceptualisation of the future. As Poul Houe notes in his newly written introduction, "by way of the Time Machine we can travel out of 'Now' into both the distant past and future."

About the editor: Poul Houe is Professor Emeritus of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Minnesota.