The Time Machine defied my expectations. Primarily, I thought the Eloi in the story were meant to be brilliant geniuses, largely because of how I’ve seen the story reflect in popular culture. Instead, we have very Brave New World vibes where Wells is reflecting on what the future of society may look like if current trends (for the 19th century) continued. The Eloi are shown to be crippled by the plenty in which they live. They have never experienced fire, so one is ready to play with burning flames when they see if for the first time, and they get all their nutritional needs met by fruit of various kinds. When combined with the Morlocks, the Eloi have basically devolved into prey, even if they’re prey who live idyllic lifestyles.
The Morlocks did more or less match what I expected, but were presented very well. As the Time Traveler navigates their underground tunnels they’re presented as numerous, skittish, and surprisingly powerful. As he begins his exploration, all he has to defend himself are matches, and every time one burns out he’s rushed by groping, greedy hands. When he strikes a match he sees pale, inhuman bodies rushing away from him down an intricate tunnel structure. It makes for a disturbing scene that captures a feeling of unease and disadvantage.
There’s plenty in this story that’s of its time. In particular the construction of the time machine itself just seems silly, with ebony and ivory as key components for… some reason. Also, the general progression of evolution in producing the Morlocks and Eloi reflect some of the biology of its time, though the social stratification producing two codependent yet predatory species would still work to this day.
Time Machine is a satisfying read that’s not too dry given its age. It’s free on Audible, pick ‘er up.