THE TIME MACHINE: AN INVENTION ..

London: William Heinemann, 1895. First British edition, first binding, earliest form of inserted publisher's catalogue. Previous owner's name label affixed to front paste down, mild foxing to end papers, a just about fine copy with a clean binding. A very attractive copy. (25413). Small octavo, pp. [1-8] 1-151 [152] + [16]-page publisher's catalogue with first page headed "THE MANXMAN" inserted at rear, original decorated tan buckram, front and spine panels stamped in purple, publisher's monogram stamped in purple on rear panel, top and fore edges untrimmed, bottom edge rough trimmed. 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. The Heinemann edition is preceded by the U.S. Holt edition, which has a different text, presumably from an earlier version of the story, this edition is considered the better text. 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. 525 (binding B, catalogue 1). Hammond B1. Wells 4. Wolff 7107.